Bereavement

Bereavement was originally printed in the Tempest expansion in 1997, later featuring in the Seventh Edition core set released in 2001. As a black enchantment, its design reflects the early Magic: The Gathering philosophy of color-coded mechanical identity, specifically rewarding players for the death of creatures. The card serves as a thematic punishment for opponents, forcing them to discard cards whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, thereby emphasizing black's alignment with attrition and resource denial.

The Seventh Edition version features artwork by Marc Fishman, whose contribution captures the grim, macabre aesthetic often associated with the game's darker spells during that era. The set marked a significant milestone for the franchise as the first core set to feature modern card frames and white borders, a design shift intended to make the game more accessible to a growing player base. While the card is a niche tool within the game's vast library, its consistent inclusion in the early core sets solidified its status as a staple for fans of graveyard-focused control strategies.