Mortal Wound MTG Card


Mortal Wound - Visions
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant
Released1997-02-03
Set symbol
Set nameVisions
Set codeVIS
Number113
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byKev Walker

Key Takeaways

  1. Mortal Wound offers sustained threat removal by gradually weakening multiple creatures over time.
  2. Demanding precise mana and a card to discard, it challenges deck building and hand management skills.
  3. Perhaps its versatility and meta-relevance outweigh its costs given the current creature-focused competitive scene.

Text of card

If damage is dealt to enchanted creature, destroy it.

"Their tears spill over Jamuraa. Mixed with blood, they wash everything red." —"Love Song of Night and Day"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mortal Wound MTG card possesses the potential to remove multiple threats over the course of a game. By gradually depleting the opposing forces, you maximize the utility of a single card and improve your hand’s efficiency.

Resource Acceleration: Although it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, Mortal Wound’s low casting cost assists in curving out your plays efficiently. It enables you to deploy other spells sooner by not taxing your mana resources heavily.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Mortal Wound at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn. This adaptability can shift the momentum of the game and catch an advancing opponent off guard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When casting Mortal Wound, you must satisfy a discard condition, which can be particularly taxing when your hand is already dwindling or if you’re holding onto key cards for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a precise mana combination to play, Mortal Wound demands you to have both green and another color, potentially restricting it to multicolored decks and affecting its flexibility in mono-green builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the removal ability it provides, the combined mana cost may be considered steep, especially when other cards might offer similar effects with less stringent mana requirements or with additional benefits included.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mortal Wound is adaptable to various strategies, capable of fitting into decks that prioritize efficient removal options. Its ability to neutralize creatures regardless of size makes it a versatile pick for any collection.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with effects that either reduce creature power or proliferate – increasing the number of counters on a single target, potentially leading to more efficient creature management.

Meta-Relevance: Given the range of creature-based decks in the current competitive scene, Mortal Wound holds its ground as a relevant inclusion. Its potential to disrupt an opponent’s board presence at a low cost can prove invaluable in closely-contested matches.


How to beat

Mortal Wound can be a game-altering card in MTG, famed for its ability to potentially deliver a crippling blow to an opponent’s creature. Its strength lies in targeting creatures with damage, setting a timer on their impact within the game. Overcoming this strategic hurdle requires careful planning and counterplay. One approach is to employ creature buffs to hastily increase a creature’s toughness and outpace the damage applied by Mortal Wound. In tandem, swift creature removal is another effective strategy to consider; by exiling or bouncing the affected creature back to your hand, you negate Mortal Wound’s effect, thus preserving your board presence.

Addtionally, utilizing instant-speed healing spells or abilities can promptly negate the damage done by Mortal Wound, maintaining your creatures’ viability on the battlefield. Moreover, by incorporating counterspells in your deck or spells that grant your creatures indestructibility or protection from spell effects, you can effectively shield your assets from Mortal Wound’s reach. While this card may pose a significant threat, a well-prepared deck that includes these diverse lines of defense can often neutralize its potential impact.


Cards like Mortal Wound

Mortal Wound introduces a nuanced twist to creature debuffs within Magic: The Gathering. It’s aligned with cards like Dead Weight, which also diminish an opposing creature’s power, offering a tactical edge. Mortal Wound’s uniqueness lies in its gradual life-drain mechanic, a stark contrast to Dead Weight’s immediate power reduction. While Dead Weight is a definitive way to weaken a creature, Mortal Wound brings a decline over time, potentially leading to both a reduction in strength and eventual removal if not addressed by the opponent.

Another card that comes to mind is Festering Wound. Like Mortal Wound, it applies a cumulative effect, adding -1/-1 counters at upkeep intervals. Both lead to a potentially lethal accumulation, yet Festering Wound might have a quicker impact on creatures with lesser toughness. In contrast, Mortal Wound could be considered a slow but relentless press. Moreover, Unholy Strength offers a flip side to these mechanics, providing a creature with a power boost instead, indicating a strategic reversal from the ethos of Mortal Wound’s diminishing returns.

Evaluating these cards together, it’s clear that Mortal Wound holds its ground as a strategic selection, not for immediate impact but for its capability to pressure an opponent into finding a remedy or facing the inevitable demise of their creature assets over the course of the game.

Dead Weight - MTG Card versions
Festering Wound - MTG Card versions
Unholy Strength - MTG Card versions
Dead Weight - Innistrad (ISD)
Festering Wound - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Unholy Strength - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mortal Wound MTG card by a specific set like Visions, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Mortal Wound and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mortal Wound has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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