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'''Punisher'''-type cards allow an opponent to decide how to punish themselves, usually giving them a choice between either two bad situations or between something bad for them and a bonus for you. ''Punisher'' cards were first printed throughout the [[Odyssey block]] and were [[red]]. In the "alternative reality" themed set ''[[Planar Chaos]]'', [[black]] got two punisher cards, while a multicolored black/red punisher card was printed in ''[[Shadowmoor]]''. In Avacyn Restored, Punisher came back again this time as a 4/3 creature for {{r}} that punishes for 4 damage.
'''Punisher''' is [[R&D]] [[slang]] for spells that force an [[opponent]] to decide how to punish themselves, usually giving them a choice between either two bad situations or between something bad for them and a bonus for you.<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/tribute-punisher-2014-02-28-0|A Tribute to Punisher|[[Sam Stoddard]]|February 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/155953267208/are-browbeat-like-effects-opponents-chooses-to|title=Are Browbeat like effects (Opponents chooses to hurt themselves or help you) still in Reds color pie?|January 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Color Pie 2017">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 5, 2017}}</ref>
 
==Description==
Punisher mechanics are characterized by two effects that are higher on rate than usually offered, offset by the opponent having the choice between them. Rarely are they effective at high levels, but certain players are huge fans. Over time, some of these have aged poorly as creature and removal cost efficiency has gone up, but rarely is the practicality of it the point. Some punisher cards are either grossly weighted to one side or require a mana cost, both of which play very differently to "classic punishers".
Punisher is [[primary]] in [[red]], where one of the two abilities is usually [[damage]] to the opponent making the choice; the other option is often something red doesn't normally do in the [[color pie]] (e.g. [[card]] [[draw]]). [[Black]] is [[secondary]], but doesn't tend to have the color pie–bending aspect.<ref name="Color Pie 2017"/> Black also has more repeating Punishers, while Red tends to use spells or single triggers.
 
===History===
Punisher cards were first printed throughout the [[Odyssey block]] and were [[red]]. In the "alternative reality" themed set ''[[Planar Chaos]]'', [[black]] got four punisher cards, using an unusual template where they are countered on the stack rather than sacrificed on entry for the two creatures (<c>Brain Gorgers</c> and <c>Phantasmagorian</c>). In ''[[Avacyn Restored]]'', a creature punisher in the form of <c>Vexing Devil</c> was printed with the "sacrifice" template. Some punisher cards from the Odyssey block got a modern [[card frame]] for the first time in Tibalt's deck for [[Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt]]. <c>Soul Ransom</c> in ''[[Gatecrash]]'' is an Aura with an opponent-only ability, which is one of the few cases of that template. <c>Remorseless Punishment</c> in ''[[Oath of the Gatewatch]]'', while a vertical cycle of them was printed in ''[[Hour of Devastation]]''. These four allowed your opponents to choose from one of three options, all of which were detrimental to them.<ref>{{DailyRef|play-design/cycle-torment-2017-06-23|Cycle of Torment|[[Melissa DeTora]]|June 23, 2017}}</ref> These particular punisher cards were dubbed as the [[Torment ability]].
 
The ''[[Doctor Who/Commander decks]]'' introduced [[Villainous choice]], an ability word for targeted punisher effects.
 
==Rulings==
*When a punisher spell resolves, the player whose creature, land, or spell would be affected must choose whether to take damage or allow the spell's normal effect to work.
*Damage that the punisher spell would deal to the player may be prevented.
 
==Examples==
{{examples|<c>Book Burning</c> {{1}}{{R}}<br>Sorcery<br>Any player may have Book Burning deal 6 damage to them. If no one does, target player mills six cards.}}
In the above example, your opponent must decide whether to punish themselves by taking 6 points of damage or putting the top 6 cards of their library into their graveyard.


==List of punisher cards==
==List of punisher cards==
==={{W}} White===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Cleansing</c>
*<c>Ornitharch</c> (Tribute)
}}
==={{U}} Blue===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Aether Storm</c>
*<c>Assimilate Essence</c>
*<c>Energy Vortex</c>
*<c>Errant Minion</c>
*<c>Giant Albatross</c>
*<c>Grip of Amnesia</c>
*<c>Library of Lat-Nam</c>
*<c>Mind Bomb</c>
*<c>Power Leak</c>
*<c>Power Taint</c>
*<c>Reservoir Kraken</c>
*<c>Siren of the Fanged Coast</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Soul Barrier</c>
}}
==={{B}} Black===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Archfiend of Spite</c>
*<c>Bellowing Mauler</c>
*<c>Braids, Arisen Nightmare</c>
*<c>Braids's Frighthul Return</c>
*<c>Brain Gorgers</c>
*<c>Choice of Damnations</c>
*<c>Clackbridge Troll</c>
*<c>Court of Ambition</c>
*<c>Curse Artifact</c>
*<c>Curse of the Cabal</c>
*<c>Dash Hopes</c>
*<c>Death Charmer</c>
*<c>Desecration Demon</c>
*<c>Fatal Lore</c>
*<c>Forbidden Ritual</c> (Torment)
*<c>Grave Consequences</c>
*<c>Hag of Ceaseless Torment</c> (Torment)
*<c>Indulgent Tormentor</c> (Torment)
*<c>Innocent Traveler</c>
*<c>Insubordination</c>
*<c>Killing Wave</c>
*<c>Lethal Vapors</c>
*<c>Lim-Dûl's Hex</c>
*<c>The Long Reach of Night</c>
*<c>Mind Whip</c>
*<c>Morgul-Knife Wound</c>
*<c>Ogre Marauder</c>
*<c>Painful Quandary</c>
*<c>Phantasmagorian</c>
*<c>Pillar Tombs of Aku</c>
*<c>Professor Onyx</c> (Torment)
*<c>Protection Racket</c>
*<c>Remorseless Punishment</c> (Torment)
*<c>Seizures</c>
*<c>Shakedown Heavy</c>
*<c>Shrike Harpy</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker</c>
*<c>Stench of Evil</c>
*<c>Sword-Point Diplomacy</c>
*<c>Tainted Specter</c>
*<c>Temporal Extortion</c>
*<c>Tergrid's Lantern</c> (Torment)
*<c>Tomb Blade</c>
*<c>Torment of Hailfire</c> (Torment)
*<c>Torment of Scarabs</c> (Torment)
*<c>Torment of Venom</c> (Torment)
*<c>Tourach's Chant</c>
*<c>Unnatural Hunger</c>
*<c>Withercrown</c>
}}
==={{R}} Red===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Barbarian Bully</c>
*<c>Barbarian Bully</c>
*<c>Blazing Salvo</c>
*<c>Blazing Salvo</c>
Line 7: Line 102:
*<c>Breaking Point</c>
*<c>Breaking Point</c>
*<c>Browbeat</c>
*<c>Browbeat</c>
*<c>Dash Hopes</c>
*<c>Burning Cinder Fury of Crimson Chaos Fire</c> (Acorn)
*<c>Combustible Gearhulk</c>
*<c>Demanding Dragon</c>
*<c>Dwarven Driller</c>
*<c>Dwarven Driller</c>
*<c>Dwarven Scorcher</c>
*<c>Dwarven Scorcher</c>
*<c>Enchanter's Bane</c>
*<c>Flame-Wreathed Phoenix</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Flaming Gambit</c>
*<c>Flaming Gambit</c>
*<c>Heat Wave</c>
*<c>Lava Blister</c>
*<c>Lava Blister</c>
*<c>Longhorn Firebeast</c>
*<c>Longhorn Firebeast</c>
*<c>Molten Influence</c>
*<c>Molten Influence</c>
*<c>Oracle of Bones</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Pharagax Giant</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Pia's Revolution</c>
*<c>Rhystic Lightning</c>
*<c>Risk Factor</c>
*<c>Shivan Wumpus</c>
*<c>Sin Prodder</c>
*<c>Sirocco</c>
*<c>Skullscorch</c>
*<c>Skullscorch</c>
*<c>Temporal Extortion</c>
*<c>Tempest Efreet</c>
*<c>Thunder Brute</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Tibalt, Wicked Tormentor</c>
*<c>Torrent of Lava</c>
*<c>Town-Razer Tyrant</c>
*<c>Vexing Devil</c>
}}
 
==={{G}} Green===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Argothian Wurm</c>
*<c>Glass Asp</c>
*<c>Nafs Asp</c>
*<c>Nessian Demolok</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Nessian Wilds Ravager</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Snake of the Golden Grove</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Thelon's Chant</c>
}}
 
==={{M}} Multicolor===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*<c>Aether Rift</c>
*<c>Athreos, God of Passage</c>
*<c>Breathstealer's Crypt</c>
*<c>Essence Vortex</c>
*<c>Fanatic of Xenagos</c> (Tribute)
*<c>Faramir, Prince of Ithilien</c>
*<c>Gitrog, Horror of Zhava</c>
*<c>Misfortune</c>
*<c>Mogis, God of Slaughter</c>
*<c>Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver</c> (Torment)
*<c>Ob Nixilis, the Adversary</c>
*<c>Perplex</c>
*<c>Phyrexian Tyranny</c>
*<c>Prince of Thralls</c>
*<c>Tyrannize</c>
*<c>Tyrannize</c>
*<c>Vexing Devil</c>
*<c>Vectis Dominator</c>
*<c>Wyll of the Fiend Pact</c>
}}


==Example==
==={{C}} Colorless===
{{examples|text=''
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*'''<c>Book Burning</c>''' - [[Image:Mana1.gif]][[Image:Manar.gif]]<br>Sorcery<br>Any player may have Book Burning deal 6 damage to him or her. If no one does, put the top six cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard.
*<c>Barbed Wire</c>
*<c>Blood Clock</c>
*<c>Bronze Tablet</c>
*<c>Fraying Line</c>
*<c>Isolation Cell</c>
*<c>My Forces Are Innumerable</c> (Scheme)
*<c>Palantir of Orthanc</c>
*<c>Possessed Portal</c>
*<c>Tomb of Annihilation</c> (Dungeon)
*<c>Tradewind Rider Avatar</c> (Vanguard)
*<c>Umbilicus</c>
*<c>Wand of Ith</c>
}}
}}
<br>
In the above example, your opponent must decide whether to punish themselves by taking 6 points of damage or putting the top 6 cards of their library into their graveyard.


==Rulings==
==See also==
*When a punisher spell resolves, the player whose creature, land, or spell would be affected must choose whether to take damage or allow the spell's normal effect to work.
*[[Tribute]]
*Damage that the punisher spell would deal to the player may be prevented.
*[[Torment ability]]
*[[Villainous choice]]
[[Category: Magic slang]][[Category:Cards]][[Category:Miscellaneous mechanics]]
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:Magic slang]]
[[Category:Cards]]
[[Category:Miscellaneous mechanics]]

Latest revision as of 18:57, 6 October 2023

Punisher is R&D slang for spells that force an opponent to decide how to punish themselves, usually giving them a choice between either two bad situations or between something bad for them and a bonus for you.[1][2][3]

Description

Punisher mechanics are characterized by two effects that are higher on rate than usually offered, offset by the opponent having the choice between them. Rarely are they effective at high levels, but certain players are huge fans. Over time, some of these have aged poorly as creature and removal cost efficiency has gone up, but rarely is the practicality of it the point. Some punisher cards are either grossly weighted to one side or require a mana cost, both of which play very differently to "classic punishers". Punisher is primary in red, where one of the two abilities is usually damage to the opponent making the choice; the other option is often something red doesn't normally do in the color pie (e.g. card draw). Black is secondary, but doesn't tend to have the color pie–bending aspect.[3] Black also has more repeating Punishers, while Red tends to use spells or single triggers.

History

Punisher cards were first printed throughout the Odyssey block and were red. In the "alternative reality" themed set Planar Chaos, black got four punisher cards, using an unusual template where they are countered on the stack rather than sacrificed on entry for the two creatures (Brain Gorgers and Phantasmagorian). In Avacyn Restored, a creature punisher in the form of Vexing Devil was printed with the "sacrifice" template. Some punisher cards from the Odyssey block got a modern card frame for the first time in Tibalt's deck for Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt. Soul Ransom in Gatecrash is an Aura with an opponent-only ability, which is one of the few cases of that template. Remorseless Punishment in Oath of the Gatewatch, while a vertical cycle of them was printed in Hour of Devastation. These four allowed your opponents to choose from one of three options, all of which were detrimental to them.[4] These particular punisher cards were dubbed as the Torment ability.

The Doctor Who/Commander decks introduced Villainous choice, an ability word for targeted punisher effects.

Rulings

  • When a punisher spell resolves, the player whose creature, land, or spell would be affected must choose whether to take damage or allow the spell's normal effect to work.
  • Damage that the punisher spell would deal to the player may be prevented.

Examples

Example

Book Burning {1}{R}
Sorcery
Any player may have Book Burning deal 6 damage to them. If no one does, target player mills six cards.

In the above example, your opponent must decide whether to punish themselves by taking 6 points of damage or putting the top 6 cards of their library into their graveyard.

List of punisher cards

{W} White

{U} Blue

{B} Black

{R} Red

{G} Green

{M} Multicolor

{C} Colorless

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sam Stoddard (February 28, 2014). "A Tribute to Punisher". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 16, 2017). "Are Browbeat like effects (Opponents chooses to hurt themselves or help you) still in Reds color pie?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Melissa DeTora (June 23, 2017). "Cycle of Torment". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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