Karma MTG Card


Karma excels in white decks as a strategic counter to black mana reliant opponents, dealing incremental damage. It fits best in mono-white or white hybrid decks due to its specific mana requirements. While the card can pressure opponents, it’s less effective in less swamp-heavy metagames.
Card setsReleased in 17 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Karma does 1 damage to player for each swamp player has in play. Damage occurs during player's upkeep. Affects both players.


Cards like Karma

Karma stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique enchantment that taxes players for their use of Swamps. When looking at similar cards, one can’t help but draw parallels to cards like Night of Souls’ Betrayal, which applies a blanket effect on creatures. While both create ongoing board impacts, Karma directly targets players’ life totals proportionally to their Swamp count, introducing a specific color targeting strategy.

Another intriguing comparison is with the card Ankh of Mishra, which deals damage to players whenever a land enters the battlefield under their control. Both Karma and Ankh of Mishra crack down on players for land play, yet Karma’s effect is more focused on late-game pressure against heavy black mana base decks. Additionally, Circle of Protection: Black shares a conceptual space of color-focused interaction by preventing damage from black sources, which could be a strategic response to Karma’s potential backlash.

All told, Karma’s distinct approach to applying pressure through opponent’s land choices makes it a noteworthy tool in Magic: The Gathering, especially in matches where the battlefield is heavily influenced by Swamps, thereby tipping the scales in a player’s favor or against them.

Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Night of Souls' Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Karma by color, type and mana cost

Castle - MTG Card versions
Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
Seeker - MTG Card versions
Drought - MTG Card versions
Justice - MTG Card versions
Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
Null Chamber - MTG Card versions
Field of Souls - MTG Card versions
Light of Day - MTG Card versions
Pegasus Refuge - MTG Card versions
Opal Titan - MTG Card versions
Serra's Liturgy - MTG Card versions
Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
Parallax Wave - MTG Card versions
Worship - MTG Card versions
Serra's Embrace - MTG Card versions
Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions
Moat - MTG Card versions
Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions
Castle - MTG Card versions
Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
Seeker - MTG Card versions
Drought - MTG Card versions
Justice - MTG Card versions
Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
Null Chamber - MTG Card versions
Field of Souls - MTG Card versions
Light of Day - MTG Card versions
Pegasus Refuge - MTG Card versions
Opal Titan - MTG Card versions
Serra's Liturgy - MTG Card versions
Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
Parallax Wave - MTG Card versions
Worship - MTG Card versions
Serra's Embrace - MTG Card versions
Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions
Moat - MTG Card versions
Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Karma helps tilt the battlefield in your favor over time by consistently dealing damage to opponents controlling Swamps, potentially forcing them to discard or lose valuable cards.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially disrupting opponents’ mana bases, particularly in multi-colored decks, Karma can slow down their resource acceleration, indirectly benefiting your own strategy.

Instant Speed: While Karma itself does not operate at instant speed, its constant effect applies pressure each turn, allowing you to strategize and play other instant speed spells more efficiently.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Karma doesn’t directly require discarding a card, but being an enchantment, it can take up a valuable card slot in your hand potentially causing a card to be discarded during the cleanup step if you’ve surpassed your max hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: Karma has a very specific casting cost that includes two white mana, making it a somewhat rigid fit that aligns primarily with mono-white or two-color decks that can reliably generate white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Karma sits at a higher range on the mana curve, especially for an effect that is entirely dependent on your opponents controlling Swamps. In scenarios without many black decks in play, other cards may offer more broadly impactful effects for the same, or less, mana investment.


Reasons to Include Karma in Your Collection

Versatility: Karma is a unique addition to any deck playing with a white color scheme. It can turn a basic land strategy by your opponent into a downside, especially in formats where nonbasic lands are less prevalent.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as a pivotal piece in a strategy geared towards punishing opponents for their land choices. It can be combined with effects that encourage or force opponents to play with more basic lands, or with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, turning all lands into Swamps, hence triggering Karma every turn.

Meta-Relevance: In formats or metagames with a heavy reliance on basic lands, Karma stands out as a persistent threat. Its ability to consistently inflict damage can sway the tide of a game and requires an immediate answer, making it relevant in certain deck matchups.


How to beat

Karma is an intriguing enchantment in the world of Magic: The Gathering that can play a defining role in matches, particularly those involving decks with many Swamps. This white card from older sets introduces a unique challenge by inflicting damage to a player during their upkeep for each Swamp they control. Consequently, players utilizing heavy black mana bases often find themselves at a disadvantage.

To effectively counter Karma, consider including land transformation or enchantment removal within your deck. Cards like Chaos Warp can disrupt this strategy by replacing problematic Swamps with other potentially less harmful cards. Alternatively, enchantment removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize provide a direct solution to remove Karma from the battlefield.

Moreover, adapting your deck to minimize the reliance on Swamps or swapping them for lands that provide black mana without the Swamp subtype can diminish Karma’s impact. In doing so, you maintain your ability to harness black magic without the looming threat of damage each turn. It’s these strategic adjustments that can turn the tides against a card like Karma, ensuring your MTG gameplay remains as resilient as ever.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Karma MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Karma and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Karma Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 261993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 271993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 271993NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 271993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 271993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 261993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 261993NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 261993NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
91995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 321993NormalBlackRichard Thomas
101995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 321993NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
111996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC bl32sb1993NormalGoldRichard Thomas
121996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC pp32sb1993NormalGoldRichard Thomas
131997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 421997NormalWhiteBob Eggleton
142003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 282003NormalWhiteBob Eggleton
152003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 28★2003NormalBlackBob Eggleton
162022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 3231997NormalBlackRichard Thomas
172022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 262015NormalBlackRichard Thomas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Karma has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Karma 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 Amount of damage is determined when the ability resolves and not when it is placed on the stack.