Contamination MTG Card


Contamination can give you indirect card advantage by crippling opponents’ mana. Well-suited for black decks, its mana lockdown widens its strategic use. Despite its power, Contamination requires careful management of resources.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

During your upkeep, sacrifice a creature or sacrifice Contamination. Whenever a land is tapped for mana, it produces o B instead of its normal type and amount.


Cards like Contamination

Contamination is a compelling card that impacts the resource mechanics within Magic: The Gathering. When stacked against cards like Infernal Darkness, we see similarities in their ability to manipulate land-based mana production. However, Contamination brings its distinct brand of disruption by requiring a creature sacrifice each upkeep to maintain its field presence. This uncontested pressure can throttle opponents but comes with the challenge of sustaining enough creatures.

Blood Moon, another staple in the realm of mana disruption, transforms nonbasic lands into basic Mountains, a significant tempo swing against many decks, though it does not require the same sacrifice investment. Infernal Darkness mimics Contamination’s effect, but instead of a creature sacrifice, it demands a cumulative upkeep cost, which presents its own set of strategic considerations. Contamination can lock down a game, particularly when combined with strategies that generate expendable creatures.

Contamination excels in a field where the balance between maintaining board control and applying pressure is crucial. Its singular effect can be more devastating than the more generalized mana disruption of Blood Moon or the increasing cost of Infernal Darkness, provided that the piloting deck synergizes with its sacrificial demands.

Infernal Darkness - MTG Card versions
Blood Moon - MTG Card versions
Infernal Darkness - MTG Card versions
Blood Moon - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Contamination by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
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Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
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Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions
Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Weaponry - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Contamination. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Black AggroMono-Black Aggro LegacyRakdos Scam100 / The 100th Legacy at Home
Mono-Black ControlMono-Black Control LegacyRakdos ScamLegacy League Pavia 23/24 - Tappa 23

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Contamination presents a unique twist on card advantage by restricting your opponent’s ability to use their cards efficiently. This disruption translates to an indirect card advantage, as opponents may find themselves with unusable spells in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although Contamination itself does not accelerate resources, it can work in your favor when paired with cards that generate creature tokens. These tokens can feed Contamination’s upkeep requirement, allowing you to sustain its oppressive effect without sacrificing valuable resources.

Instant Speed: While Contamination operates at sorcery speed, its impact echoes throughout each phase of the game. Once in play, it demands an immediate answer from opponents, effectively putting them on a clock to remove it before their resources are irreparably hampered.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must sacrifice a creature to maintain the effect each turn, which can exhaust valuable resources and shrink your battlefield presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Contamination’s setup demands an initial investment of three mana including two black, which aligns it firmly within black’s slice of the color pie, potentially restricting its integration into multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the power to control an opponent’s mana base is substantial, the three-mana cost is significant. Given the tempo of most games, this initial investment can put the casting player at a temporary strategic disadvantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Contamination offers a unique ability to disrupt your opponent’s mana base, making it a tactical addition to black decks that strive to control the game tempo. Its capacity to restrict players to only producing black mana means it effortlessly slots into strategies geared towards denying resources.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures or tokens that can be sacrificed each turn, ensuring the oppressive state continues. This opens up synergies with various recursion mechanics or token-generating cards, paving the way to lock down opponents and secure your advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where multi-colored decks prevail, Contamination can significantly hinder an opponent’s game plan. Its presence can shift the meta, requiring others to adapt to its mana constraining effect, making it a card worth considering for those looking to gain a strategic edge in their local game sphere.


How to beat

Contamination is a notorious card in Magic: The Gathering, revered for its ability to disrupt opponents’ mana bases by turning all lands into generators of only black mana. This conversion can create a substantial roadblock for players not running a black-centric deck. Facing this challenge, the key to victory lies in adopting preemptive measures or carrying swift removal spells in your arsenal.

Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant, known for their proficiency in dealing with enchantments, can dismantle the grip of Contamination. It’s vital to include such answers in your sideboard, ready to purge your playfield of its oppressive influence. Artifacts and creatures that can produce mana of any color, like Chromatic Lantern or Birds of Paradise, offer a shield against this crippling effect, ensuring your strategy remains unaffected.

Mana dexterity becomes a cornerstone when countering Contamination’s stronghold. Decks that can operate on a minimal land base or utilize alternative mana sources can bypass the restriction it imposes. Recognizing the potential paralysis Contamination can inflict, it’s imperative for players to prepare with either enchantment removal or strategic deck construction to emerge from this shadow unscathed.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of the card Contamination can be a game-changer for your MTG strategy. Manipulating mana is a powerful tactic, and Contamination exemplifies this by reshaping the battlefield to your advantage. It’s important to recognize both its disruptive potential and the requirements to maintain its presence. If you are keen on building a deck that can leverage Contamination’s strength or just want to deepen your knowledge of strategic card advantage and resource acceleration, our extensive insights will guide you. Ready for an edge in your next MTG challenge? Dive deeper with us and expand your arsenal with top-notch strategies.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Contamination MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and The List, 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 Contamination and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Contamination Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 1998-10-12. Illustrated by Stephen Daniele.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1231997NormalBlackStephen Daniele
22020-09-26The ListPLST USG-1231997NormalBlackStephen Daniele

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Contamination has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Contamination card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 External effects that generate more mana still generate their additional mana as directed without being affected by this card. Effects which generate more mana based on what type of mana the land produces will be affected in color but not in amount.
2004-10-04 The second ability of this card is a replacement effect, not a triggered ability.
2004-10-04 You choose whether to sacrifice a creature or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice Contamination. You can choose to not sacrifice even if you no longer control Contamination on resolution.