Despotic Scepter
Ice Age 316 • rare
- Set
- Ice Age
- Collector number
- 316
- Rarity
- Rare
- Mana cost
- 1 generic mana
- Type
- Artifact
- Colors
- Colorless
- Artist
- Richard Thomas
- Market price
- $4.46
What it does
tap: Destroy target permanent you own. It can't be regenerated.
"We were not meant to have such terrible things. They should be left where we found them, if not destroyed!"— Sorine Relicbane, Soldevi Heretic
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
The Despotic Scepter was released in 1995 as part of the Ice Age expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Created by Wizards of the Coast, the set introduced a thematic shift toward a cold, survivalist aesthetic, moving away from the high-fantasy roots of the core sets. The card was designed as a strategic utility piece, allowing players to sacrifice a permanent they own to return it to their hand, offering a niche but clever way to protect vital assets from removal or destruction effects.
The artwork for the card was rendered by artist Tom Wänerstrand, who contributed several pieces to the early history of the game. His illustration depicts an ornate, icy staff, capturing the frigid tone of the Ice Age setting. While not a cornerstone of competitive play, the card is frequently noted by collectors for its distinct, evocative design that reflects the experimental mechanics characteristic of the mid-90s era of the game.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Despotic Scepter
Despotic Scepter is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Ice Age 316 • rare. 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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