Delirium MTG Card


Delirium advantages player strategy through diverse graveyard card types, often leading to enhanced game effects. Enabling Delirium can accelerate resources while offering unexpected play dynamics with instant-speed actions. Conversely, Delirium demands careful discard and mana planning, potentially constraining deck flexibility and speed.
Delirium - Mirage
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set nameMirage
Set codeMIR
Number260
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byTerese Nielsen

Text of card

Play only on target opponent's turn. Tap target creature that player controls. That creature deals to the player an amount of damage equal to its power. The creature neither deals nor receives combat damage this turn.


Cards like Delirium

Delirium is an intriguing mechanic in MTG that rewards players for having a diverse set of card types in their graveyard. It can have a strikingly similar effect as the Threshold mechanic which also counts the number of cards in your graveyard but activates once there are seven or more cards. While Threshold cares only about the sheer number, Delirium focuses on the variety, requiring four different card types to achieve its benefits – thus adding a layer of complexity and strategy to deck building.

Mechanics like Morbid can also be compared to Delirium, as both play off the state of the game, with Morbid triggering when a creature has died during the turn. However, Morbid’s conditions are specific and far more immediate compared to Delirium’s ongoing requirement. On a slightly different tangent is the Revolt mechanic, which becomes active whenever a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn. It shares the graveyard interaction theme but focuses on the ones leaving the battlefield rather than what is already in the graveyard.

Assessing Delirium within the broader context of MTG graveyard-centric mechanics, it stands out for its requirement for diversity in the graveyard and has a long-lasting impact on gameplay, offering continuous and varied advantages once its conditions are met.

Morbid - MTG Card versions
Morbid - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Delirium by color, type and mana cost

Fire Covenant - MTG Card versions
Spontaneous Combustion - MTG Card versions
Backlash - MTG Card versions
Unlicensed Disintegration - MTG Card versions
Kolaghan's Command - MTG Card versions
Strangling Soot - MTG Card versions
Fires of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Auger Spree - MTG Card versions
Showstopper - MTG Card versions
Bedevil - MTG Card versions
Warhost's Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Fire Covenant - MTG Card versions
Spontaneous Combustion - MTG Card versions
Backlash - MTG Card versions
Unlicensed Disintegration - MTG Card versions
Kolaghan's Command - MTG Card versions
Strangling Soot - MTG Card versions
Fires of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Auger Spree - MTG Card versions
Showstopper - MTG Card versions
Bedevil - MTG Card versions
Warhost's Frenzy - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Delirium is a keyword that gives you an edge by providing additional benefits if there are enough card types in your graveyard. It prompts strategic deck building and smart plays to tip the scales in your favor with bonus effects that can often lead to drawing extra cards or disrupting your opponent’s strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Cards with the delirium ability can accelerate your resources by enabling more potent effects once delirium is active. This can lead to cost-efficient plays and a more formidable board presence, often allowing you to deploy threats or answers that are much stronger than what you would normally get for the same cost.

Instant Speed: Many delirium enablers function at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to impact the game during your opponent’s turn. This surprise element can shift the momentum of the game in your favor while helping you reach the delirium state more unpredictably from your opponent’s perspective.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Navigating Delirium mechanics often necessitates having a certain variety of card types in your graveyard. This can force you to discard strategically useful cards earlier than preferred, potentially weakening your game plan or leaving you at a disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Some Delirium cards feature a mana cost that makes them color-specific, thereby restricting them to certain types of decks. Players need to carefully consider their mana base to ensure that they can consistently meet these demands, limiting the card’s flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Cards enabling Delirium frequently come with a high mana cost, which can slow down your deck’s momentum. There are times when activating Delirium isn’t cost-effective, especially when competing cards offer similar benefits without the steep mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Delirium as a mechanic offers flexibility, allowing cards with this ability to be included in a variety of decks. It encourages a smart build-around strategy to maximize its potential in gameplay.

Combo Potential: Cards with Delirium have the potential to unlock powerful effects when the condition of having four or more card types in the graveyard is met, synergizing well with various graveyard mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Considering graveyard strategies often surface in various metas, having Delirium-capable cards can give players an edge by utilizing resources that are typically harder for opponents to disrupt.


How to beat

When facing a player utilizing a card with the Delirium mechanic in MTG, the game becomes a strategic battle against their graveyard’s potential. Delirium abilities are significantly strengthened when there are four or more card types among the cards in their graveyard. Thus, your priority should be to limit their capacity to manage their graveyard’s contents. Cards with graveyard hate like Scavenging Ooze or Rest in Peace can severely hinder your opponent’s Delirium strategy. These disrupt their ability to achieve the needed diversity in card types within their graveyard.

Monitoring your opponent’s graveyard is crucial as well, making sure to react before they reach the critical threshold of four different card types. Hand disruption or spells that exile cards from the graveyard could be your key tools for staying ahead. It becomes a game of foresight and control, as you must proactively manage both their board and graveyard to mitigate the full power of their Delirium capabilities.

Remember, successfully beating Delirium strategies hinges on your ability to predict, interact, and respond to graveyard manipulation tactics, ultimately turning your opponent’s strength into their weakness.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding Delirium configurations within your MTG arsenal can significantly enhance your strategy, whether you prefer to command a vast array of cards or tailor a niche deck. Delving into the subtleties of graveyard mechanics and integrating cards geared towards Delirium can be a game-changer, particularly for players seeking a tactical advantage through diversity and resource acceleration. Yet, it’s as essential to safeguard against the mechanic’s setbacks and employ cards that counteract its demands. Our curated insights will guide you to leverage your collection’s potential and navigate the intricate dance of MTG’s metagame. For insights that refine your deck and redefine your gameplay, join us at BurnMana to discover more.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Delirium MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Delirium and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Delirium has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Delirium 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 Tapping the creature is part of the effect and not the cost, therefore you can cast this targeting a tapped creature.