Curse of Bloodletting 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
Enchant player If a source would deal damage to enchanted player, it deals double that damage to that player instead.
Complete guide
Curse of Bloodletting is a powerful Red enchantment that paints a massive target on your opponent's back. By doubling every point of damage that comes their way, it turns even the smallest threat into a game-ending disaster. Whether the damage is from a massive creature or a tiny spell, this Curse ensures the price paid is twice as high.
What It Does
Curse of Bloodletting is an Aura Curse that attaches directly to a player. Once enchanted, any source that deals damage to that player—be it combat damage, a spell, or an ability—will have its damage doubled. It is important to note that this effect applies regardless of who controls the source of the damage; even if the enchanted player deals damage to themselves, the Curse will double it.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When a source is about to deal damage to the enchanted player, the Curse creates a replacement effect. First, the game identifies the original amount of damage. Second, before that damage is actually dealt, the Curse applies a multiplier. Third, the new, doubled amount of damage is applied to the player's life total or planeswalker loyalty. If multiple replacement effects exist (like damage prevention), the enchanted player chooses the order in which to apply them.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that Curse of Bloodletting only affects combat damage. In reality, it doubles all damage, including non-combat damage from enchantments or creature abilities. Additionally, if you manage to enchant a player with multiple copies of Curse of Bloodletting, they stack multiplicatively. Two Curses will quadruple the damage (2x2), while three will multiply it by eight (2x2x2).
When to Play It
This card is best utilized in aggressive decks or 'burn' strategies where you can reliably trigger damage sources. It is particularly effective in multiplayer formats like Commander, where you can enchant a specific opponent and watch as every other player at the table contributes to their doubled damage intake.
Interaction examples
Purphoros, God of the ForgeIf you control Purphoros, God of the Forge and have an opponent enchanted with Curse of Bloodletting, every time another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Purphoros's triggered ability will attempt to deal 2 damage to that opponent. The Curse replaces this with 4 damage instead.
Warstorm SurgeWith Warstorm Surge on the battlefield and an opponent enchanted by the Curse, you cast a creature with 3 power. When the creature enters, Warstorm Surge triggers to deal 3 damage to the enchanted player. Curse of Bloodletting doubles this, resulting in the player taking a total of 6 damage.
Suppose an opponent is enchanted by two separate copies of Curse of Bloodletting. If you attack them with a 2/2 creature and no blockers are declared, the first Curse attempts to double the 2 damage to 4. The second Curse then sees 4 damage coming and doubles it again, resulting in the opponent taking 8 damage from a single 2-power creature.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Curse of Bloodletting
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Curse of Bloodletting works with any damage, not just combat damage. It also doesn’t matter who controls the source of the damage that’s being dealt.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The source of the damage doesn’t change. A spell that deals damage will specify the source of the damage, often the spell itself. An ability that deals damage will also specify the source of the damage, although the ability itself will never be that source. Often the source of the ability is also the source of the damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If more than one Curse of Bloodletting enchants the same player, damage dealt to that player will double for each one (two of them will end up multiplying the damage by four, three of them by eight, and four of them by sixteen).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple effects modify how damage will be dealt to the enchanted player, that player chooses the order to apply the effects. For example, Mending Hands says, “Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn.” Suppose a spell would deal 5 damage to enchanted player and that player has cast Mending Hands targeting themselves. The enchanted player can either (a) prevent 4 damage first and then let Curse of Bloodletting’s effect double the remaining 1 damage, taking 2 damage, or (b) double the damage to 10 and then prevent 4 damage, taking 6 damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Heartless Hidetsugu + Curse of Bloodletting
- 1Activate Heartless Hidetsugu by tapping it, causing it to deal damage to the opponent enchanted by Curse of Bloodletting equal to the opponent's life total, and to each other player equal to half their life total, rounded down.
- 2The opponent enchanted by Curse of Bloodletting loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Aetherflux Reservoir + Purity + Curse of Bloodletting
- 1Activate Aetherflux Resevoir by paying fifty life, targeting yourself and causing you to gain 100 life due to Purity and Curse of Bloodletting.
- 2Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 3Activate Aetherflux Resevoir by paying fifty life, dealing fifty damage to any target.
- 4Repeat step 3.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Curse of Bloodletting
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