Ambition's Cost
Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis 38 • uncommon
- Set
- Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis
- Collector number
- 38
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Mana cost
- 3 generic mana black mana
- Type
- Sorcery
- Colors
- Black
- Artist
- Zezhou Chen
- Market price
- $0.31
What it does
You draw three cards and lose 3 life.
"Conquering your first world is the hardest, after all. My power grew as I moved from world to world, taking anything that would make the next taking easier."— Ob Nixilis
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlLegal
- HistoricLegal
- TimelessLegal
- Penny DreadfulNot legal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Ambition's Cost was originally released in the 2007 set Portal Three Kingdoms, designed to introduce players to the mechanics of Magic: The Gathering through a narrative lens inspired by the Chinese historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The card features art by the prolific illustrator Pete Venters, who sought to capture the dark, transactional nature of the spell's effect—trading life points for card advantage—within the high-fantasy aesthetic established by the game's broader lore.
This specific printing appeared in the 2016 Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis, a pre-constructed product designed to showcase the thematic rivalry between the elf planeswalker Nissa Revane and the demon planeswalker Ob Nixilis. The inclusion of the card in this deck underscores Ob Nixilis's identity as a black-aligned power seeker who views the sacrifice of life as a trivial price for absolute control. It remains a staple for casual Commander and kitchen-table play, valued for its efficient draw power in black-based decks.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Ambition's Cost
Ambition's Cost is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis 38 • uncommon. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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