Force of Despair 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
If it's not your turn, you may exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Destroy all creatures that entered this turn.
Complete guide
Force of Despair is a powerful black instant that serves as a unique board wipe against explosive turns. It punishes opponents who commit multiple threats to the battlefield at once, offering a way to stabilize even when you are tapped out. This card belongs to a cycle of spells that allow for alternative casting costs during your opponents' turns.
What it Does
Force of Despair is an instant that destroys every creature currently on the battlefield that entered during the current turn. It features an alternative casting cost: if it is not your turn, you can exile a black card from your hand instead of paying its mana cost. This makes it a potent 'free' spell that can catch opponents off guard when they think they are safe to attack or combo off.
How it Resolves Step by Step
When you cast Force of Despair, it checks the game history for the current turn. Upon resolution, the spell identifies every permanent on the battlefield that meets two criteria: it must currently be a creature, and its entry timestamp must be from the current turn. It does not matter if the permanent entered as a creature or became one later; if it is a creature as Force of Despair resolves and it entered this turn, it is destroyed.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that Force of Despair only hits creatures that were 'cast' this turn. It actually affects any creature that entered the battlefield, including tokens or permanents put into play via effects. Additionally, remember that you can only use the alternative exile cost if it is not your turn. If you try to use it on your own turn to deal with a flash creature, you must pay the full mana cost of one generic and two black mana.
When to Play It
The best time to cast Force of Despair is usually at the end of a phase or in response to a specific trigger after an opponent has committed multiple creatures to the board. Because it doesn't target, it is an excellent way to bypass hexproof or shroud. It is particularly effective against 'blink' strategies or decks that generate a large number of tokens in a single burst.
Interaction examples
Deadly DisputeSuppose your opponent casts several creatures and then casts Deadly Dispute, sacrificing a creature to draw cards. In response to the spells or after the new creatures have entered, you can cast Force of Despair. By exiling a black card like Deadly Rollick from your hand, you pay zero mana to destroy every creature they just played, leaving them with an empty board and wasted resources.
Deadly RollickIf an opponent plays a single powerful commander, you might choose to use Deadly Rollick to exile it if you control your own commander. However, if they play several creatures at once, Force of Despair is the better choice. You can even exile Deadly Rollick as the cost to cast Force of Despair if you are short on mana and need to clear the board immediately.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Force of Despair
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Force of Despair destroys all permanents that entered the battlefield this turn and are currently creatures. It doesn’t matter whether they were creatures as they entered the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Force of Despair
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.