Contagion
Alliances 45 • uncommon
- Set
- Alliances
- Collector number
- 45
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Mana cost
- 3 generic mana black mana black mana
- Type
- Instant
- Colors
- Black
- Artist
- Mike Raabe
- Market price
- $1.70
What it does
You may pay 1 life and exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Distribute two -2/-1 counters among one or two target creatures.
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernNot legal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- 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
Contagion was released in 1996 as part of the Alliances expansion for Magic: The Gathering. Developed by Wizards of the Coast, this set was notable for introducing 'pitch spells'—cards that could be played without spending mana by removing another card of the same color from the player's hand. This mechanic was designed to reward resource management and depth of play, though it famously pushed the boundaries of power level in the game’s early ecosystem.
The artwork for the card was created by artist Christopher Rush, one of the most iconic illustrators in the game's formative years. Rush utilized a visceral, dark aesthetic to represent the card’s thematic function: placing -1/-1 counters on creatures to simulate a spreading disease. The design was received as a utilitarian tool in competitive play, valued for its ability to weaken opponent boards while maintaining a low cost to cast.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Contagion
Contagion is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Alliances 45 • 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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