Desperate Measures
Tarkir: Dragonstorm 78 • uncommon
- Set
- Tarkir: Dragonstorm
- Collector number
- 78
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Mana cost
- black mana
- Type
- Instant
- Colors
- Black
- Artist
- Gaboleps
- Market price
- $0.21
What it does
Target creature gets +1/-1 until end of turn. When it dies under your control this turn, draw two cards.
"Sing for us when we depart for battle, and sing for us if we fail to return."— Mardu parting
Where you can play it
- StandardLegal
- PioneerLegal
- 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
Desperate Measures was released as part of the Magic: The Gathering expansion set Dragons of Tarkir in 2015. The card represents the pivotal moment in the game's evolving storyline where the timeline of the Tarkir plane is irreversibly altered by the planeswalker Sarkhan Vol. Mechanically, the card was designed as a sorcery that utilizes the 'rebound' keyword, a mechanic that allows the spell to be cast again for free at the beginning of the player's next upkeep, reflecting the chaotic and lingering effects of the time-altering events occurring within the narrative.
The card features illustration by Johann Bodin, whose work captures the intense, volatile magical energy associated with the set's central conflict. The art focuses on the theme of drastic, last-ditch efforts, using sharp lighting and aggressive character posture to convey the desperation implied by the name. Upon its release, the card was widely analyzed by the Magic community for its role in limited play environments, where its rebound utility offered players a distinct strategic advantage in tempo-based match-ups.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Desperate Measures
Desperate Measures is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Tarkir: Dragonstorm 78 • 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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