Bereavement

Bereavement was originally printed in the Mirage expansion in 1996 and was reprinted for the Seventh Edition core set in 2001. As a black enchantment, it functions as a punitive mechanic that punishes players for discarding cards, reflecting the set's thematic focus on graveyard interaction and resource attrition. The card was designed during an era when Wizards of the Coast sought to tighten the power level of the core sets while maintaining the mechanical depth established in previous blocks.

The artwork for this version was provided by Anthony S. Waters, a prolific illustrator for the Magic: The Gathering franchise during this period. Waters employed a dark, evocative aesthetic to match the card's grim function, utilizing deep shadows and morbid imagery to ground the mechanic within the game's broader lore of death and magical decay. Upon its inclusion in Seventh Edition, the card was received as a niche but effective sideboard option in specific formats, particularly against strategies that relied heavily on discard effects.