Cathartic Reunion is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard two cards. Draw three cards.
Complete guide
Cathartic Reunion is a staple red sorcery that provides significant card advantage by trading resources for fresh options. While its effect is straightforward, the timing and requirements of its additional costs are crucial for any pilot to understand.
The Price of Reunion
Cathartic Reunion requires you to discard exactly two cards as you cast the spell. This is an additional cost, meaning you must pay it at the same time you spend your mana. If you do not have at least two cards in your hand besides Cathartic Reunion itself, you simply cannot cast the spell. This is a significant difference from other red draw spells that might discard cards as part of their resolution.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you announce the spell and put it onto the stack. Second, you pay the costs: you spend {1}{R} and move two other cards from your hand to your graveyard. Third, if the spell successfully resolves, you draw three cards from your library. Because the discarding happens during casting, the cards are already in your graveyard before your opponent even has a chance to respond with a counterspell.
Common Mistakes
The most frequent error is attempting to cast this spell with only one or zero cards in hand; the game rules forbid this. Additionally, players often worry about what happens if the spell is countered. If your opponent uses a counterspell, you do not get your discarded cards back. Those cards were spent as a cost to cast the spell, much like the mana used to pay for it.
Strategic Timing
Because this spell puts cards into the graveyard immediately, it is an excellent tool for decks that interact with the graveyard. However, because it is a Sorcery, you can only play it during your own main phase when the stack is empty. Be wary of casting this into open blue mana, as losing both the spell and the two discarded cards to a single counterspell can be a devastating loss of card advantage.
Interaction examples
Faithless LootingUnlike Faithless Looting, which allows you to draw first and then discard, Cathartic Reunion requires you to discard your two cards upfront. This means with Faithless Looting, you can find the cards you want to discard after seeing your new draws, whereas Cathartic Reunion requires you to commit your resources before knowing what you will draw.
VandalblastIf you have a Vandalblast in hand and you know your opponent has no artifacts, you can use Cathartic Reunion to discard the useless Vandalblast (along with one other card) to dig for more threats. Since the discard is part of the cost, the Vandalblast is safely in the graveyard before you draw your three new cards.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cathartic Reunion
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Because discarding two cards is an additional cost, you can't cast Cathartic Reunion if you don't have at least two other cards in hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Cathartic Reunion
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.