Gruesome Fate MTG Card


Boosts damage output significantly with a well-populated board, enhancing creature-based aggressive strategies. Despite sorcery speed, its strategic timing aligns with creature growth for a powerful life total swing. Requires careful deck construction to maximize impact, best suited for decks with creature swarm tactics.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Each opponent loses 1 life for each creature you control.

"You were keen enough to sink your fangs into us, vampire! And now you're afraid of a few little nibbles?" —Udvil "Ratty" Ratlock


Cards like Gruesome Fate

Gruesome Fate stands out in the realm of black sorcery spells in Magic: The Gathering, especially when looking at its impact on the game state. It bears resemblance to cards like Vicious Rumors for its ability to collectively affect opponents, though Gruesome Fate requires more creatures on the field to be truly effective. Vicious Rumors is limited to a single life point loss and a discard, while Gruesome Fate has the potential for greater life point reduction based on your creature count.

Another analogous card is Syphon Soul which also hits each opponent, but offers a steady life loss and life gain regardless of board presence. This makes Syphon Soul a reliable play, as opposed to Gruesome Fate which capitalizes on a wide creature strategy. In a similar strategic vein, Massacre Girl can be mentioned for causing widespread creature destruction under the right conditions, potentially leading to an even more pronounced fluctuation in life totals than Gruesome Fate might produce on its own.

Ultimately, Gruesome Fate demands a specific board state to maximize its potential. When compared to other black sorcery spells in Magic: The Gathering, it’s the ability to swing life totals in swarming strategies that places Gruesome Fate into a niche category for decks looking to capitalize on creature abundance.

Vicious Rumors - MTG Card versions
Syphon Soul - MTG Card versions
Massacre Girl - MTG Card versions
Vicious Rumors - MTG Card versions
Syphon Soul - MTG Card versions
Massacre Girl - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Gruesome Fate doesn’t draw cards directly, its ability can translate into formidable card efficiency. By causing damage proportional to the number of creatures you control, it maximizes the potential of every creature card you’ve played, effectively rewarding wide board strategies beyond mere combat damage.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t offer traditional mana ramp, it potentially shortens the game in your favor. When playing an aggro strategy, this can accelerate your path to victory, effectively bypassing the need for additional resources to close out a game.

Instant Speed: Gruesome Fate’s sorcery speed nudges players to think strategically about the timing of its cast. Although it cannot be used reactively, planning its use alongside creature development maximizes the impact it has on your opponent’s life total, often catching them unprepared for a significant life swing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gruesome Fate doesn’t have a direct discard requirement but it often necessitates players to have a well-populated board to optimize its effect. This can conflict with strategies that require retaining creature cards in hand for reactive plays or future turns, potentially disrupting your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Gruesome Fate comes with a specific mana cost that includes black mana. This requirement can restrict its inclusion only to decks that accommodate black mana or multicolor decks that might have access to black mana, thus reducing its versatility in an MTG player’s deck arsenal.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost set at three, including two generic and one black, the card’s impact may not justify its cost, especially when you consider other cards at this cost bracket that could provide more immediate or significant effects on the game state.


Reasons to Include Gruesome Fate in Your Collection

Versatility: Gruesome Fate is an adaptable card that fits well in decks with a focus on creature swarm strategies. Its ability to deal damage to each opponent can round off games or shift momentum in your favor regardless of the specific creature types you’re running.

Combo Potential: This card’s power scales with the number of creatures you have on the battlefield, making it an excellent complement to tokens and “go wide” strategies. Pairing Gruesome Fate with cards that multiply your creature count can lead to devastating turns.

Meta-Relevance: In environments heavy with creature-based decks or where board stalls are common, Gruesome Fate serves as an effective finisher. It can bypass traditional defenses such as high toughness creatures or those with abilities that prevent combat damage.


How to beat

Gruesome Fate is a card that can command the flow of a match in MTG by turning the tide in favor of players swarming the battlefield with creatures. This sorcery from the Rivals of Ixalan set deals damage to opponents equal to the number of creatures you control. It’s most potent in decks that can quickly amass a large number of creatures to maximize its impact.

To counter Gruesome Fate effectively, one strategy involves controlling the number of creatures your opponent has on the battlefield. Board clear spells are particularly useful in keeping the creature count low. Sweepers like Wrath of God or Damnation can eliminate whole boards, dramatically reducing the damage potential of Gruesome Fate. Creature removal spells, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can also help to manage potential threats one by one.

Another approach is to employ cards that negate the effects of sorceries or prevent damage. Counterspell or Negate can stop Gruesome Fate before it deals any damage. Meanwhile, cards like The Wanderer from the War of the Spark set can prevent noncombat damage you and other permanents you control would take. By being prepared with the right answers, you can neutralize this devastating card and maintain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

The world of MTG is ever-evolving, and mastering its intricacies can lead you to victory. Gruesome Fate can play a pivotal role in your strategy, especially when you are able to flood the board with creatures to maximize its effect. Understanding both its strengths and limitations will position you a step ahead of your adversaries. Delve deeper with us into the realm of strategic deck building and gameplay, where every card and every play can tip the scales. Elevate your game by adding Gruesome Fate to your arsenal and learning how to unleash its full potential.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gruesome Fate MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Game Night, 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 Gruesome Fate and other MTG cards:

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

Printings

The Gruesome Fate Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Even Amundsen.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 752015NormalBlackEven Amundsen
22018-11-16Game NightGNT 302015NormalBlackEven Amundsen
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6822015NormalBlackEven Amundsen
42020-09-26The ListPLST RIX-752015NormalBlackEven Amundsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gruesome Fate has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-01-19 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Gruesome Fate causes the opposing team to lose 2 life for each creature you control.