MortiphobiaHow it works & interactions with other cards

Dual Methods of Exile

Mortiphobia offers two distinct activated abilities to exile target cards from any graveyard. The first allows you to discard a card to fuel the effect, which is perfect for repetitive use if you have excess cards. The second serves as a final utility, allowing you to sacrifice Mortiphobia itself to remove one last threat, even if your hand is empty.

Activating the Abilities

To use the first ability, you must pay one colorless and one black mana and discard a card as part of the activation cost. To use the second, you pay the same mana cost but sacrifice Mortiphobia instead. Since these are activated abilities, you can use them at instant speed in response to spells that target graveyard cards, such as reanimation effects.

Strategic Considerations

A common mistake is forgetting that Mortiphobia can target cards in your own graveyard if necessary, though it is primarily used to disrupt opponents. Remember that the sacrifice ability can be used in response to an opponent's removal spell. If an opponent tries to destroy Mortiphobia, you can pay the cost and sacrifice it first to get one last exile trigger on the stack.

Resource Management

Because the first ability requires discarding cards, Mortiphobia works best in decks that have consistent card draw. Without a steady stream of cards, the enchantment may sit idle. It is most effective against decks relying on Flashback, Delve, or Reanimator strategies where specific cards in the graveyard are essential for the opponent's victory.

Interaction examples

Fuelling the Phobia

Phyrexian Arena

During your upkeep, Phyrexian Arena triggers, letting you draw an extra card at the cost of 1 life. This provides you with constant 'fuel' for Mortiphobia. You can then use that extra card to pay the discard cost of Mortiphobia's first ability, allowing you to exile a card from a graveyard every single turn without depleting your starting hand.

Choosing Your Resources

Black Market Connections

At the start of your main phase, Black Market Connections allows you to choose 'Buy Information' to draw a card. If you have plenty of mana, you can immediately spend it along with that new card to activate Mortiphobia. Alternatively, if you are low on cards but have a high life total, you can use the Shapeshifter token from 'Hire a Mercenary' to defend your life total while waiting to draw a card you are willing to discard to Mortiphobia's effect.

The Final Sacrifice

If your opponent casts a spell to destroy Mortiphobia and you have no cards in hand, you can still respond. By paying one colorless and one black mana, you sacrifice Mortiphobia to its own second ability. This puts the exile effect on the stack above the destruction spell, ensuring you remove a key threat from their graveyard before your enchantment leaves the battlefield.