by Elton Gahr

Created on: October 22, 2009

It is easy sometimes to become so enthralled by the effects of a card that you miss that small part of the magic the gathering card in the top right hand corner that tells you how much it costs, or often worse you begin to imagine that it really isn't all that bad. If you just draw the right cards you can put it out far earlier than it might seem. This is doubly true of cards that do not do anything of themselves.

Wound Reflection is a rare enchantment from Shadowmoor expansion set of magic the gathering. It costs one black and five colorless or six converted mana cost. The effect seems impressive though and it reads "At the beginning of the end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life he or she lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)"

This ultimately means that you are spending six mana to put out a card that doesn't do anything. Since so many games of magic end by the sixth turn this means that you are spending what is likely to be the last turn of the game putting out a card that might help you if the game goes two or three more turns. This is because it is not difficult to find spells for six mana that will do six damage or 6/6 creatures. Both of these are dangerous on their awn rather than requiring something else to be done.

One quick example is corrupt. This costs the same amount of mana to cast, but it does damage equal to the number of swamps that you have. This not only is likely to be six damage but it can be used to kill creatures or your opponent. At six damage it means that you would have to do at least six damage with other sources to gain the same value as you would get out of this, and this becomes even more clear because the creature is able to do six damage a turn and will likely begin to do damage the turn after it is played the same time that you would do damage with this.

This is a win more card. It allows you to do damage but generally in those games that you win while it is out you would have won anyway, this card simply makes that victory more impressive but victory is victory.

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