Alternate-win or -loss card

Alternate-Win or -Loss
Mechanic
Introduced	Ice Age
Last used	Fallout
Statistics	57 Win conditions* cards 22.8% 17.5% 10.5% 3.5% 5.3% 5.3% 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 1.8% 3.5% 8.8% 8.8% 1.8% 31 Loss conditions* cards 12.9% 3.2% 41.9% 22.6% 6.5% 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 2 Draw conditions cards 100% *Excludes poison counters.

Alternate-win cards provide additional means for winning the game other than reducing all opponents life totals to zero. A related set of alternate-loss cards describe conditions under which their controller loses the game. Alternate-win or -loss cards are called “alt cons” (from "alternate win/loss condition") by R&D.

Description

Alt cons are generally permanents, with triggered abilities which explicitly state that their controller wins or loses if certain conditions are met. Some such cards state that another player loses the game, which may not immediately end a multiplayer game. Alt loss cons, especially spell-based ones, are generally a way to enforce a payment or event that could be exploited or can't be enforced by the rules otherwise. Alt con cards tend to be printed at rare, but rarely at mythic rare. The first mythic rare card with alternative win condition was printed in Dragon's Maze with Maze's End.

List of alternate-win cards

Card	Colors	Set	Condition
Angel of Destiny		Zendikar Rising	At the beginning of your end step, if you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, each player Angel of Destiny attacked this turn loses the game.
Amulet of Quoz		Ice Age	Target opponent may ante the top card of his or her library. If he or she doesn't, you flip a coin. If you win the flip, that player loses the game. If you lose the flip, you lose the game. Activate this ability only during your upkeep.
Approach of the Second Sun		Amonkhet	If Approach of the Second Sun was cast from your hand and you cast another spell named Approach of the Second Sun this game, you win the game.
As Luck Would Have It		Unstable	If there are 100 or more luck counters on As Luck Would Have It, you win the game.
Atemsis, All-Seeing		Core Set 2020	Whenever Atemsis, All-Seeing deals damage to an opponent, you may reveal your hand. If cards with at least six different mana values are revealed this way, that player loses the game.
Azor's Elocutors		Return to Ravnica	At the beginning of your upkeep, put a filibuster counter on Azor's Elocutors. Then if Azor's Elocutors has five or more filibuster counters on it, you win the game.
Barren Glory		Future Sight	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no permanents other than Barren Glory and have no cards in hand, you win the game.
Battle of Wits		Odyssey	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 200 or more cards in your library, you win the game.
Biovisionary		Gatecrash	At the beginning of the end step, if you control four or more creatures named Biovisionary, you win the game.
Celestial Convergence		Prophecy	At the beginning of your upkeep, remove an omen counter from Celestial Convergence. If there are no omen counters on Celestial Convergence, the player with the highest life total wins the game. If two or more players are tied for highest life total, the game is a draw.
Chance Encounter		Odyssey	At the beginning of your upkeep, if Chance Encounter has ten or more luck counters on it, you win the game.
Coalition Victory		Invasion	You win the game if you control a land of each basic land type and a creature of each color.
Darksteel Reactor		Darksteel	When Darksteel Reactor has twenty or more charge counters on it, you win the game.
Door to Nothingness		Fifth Dawn	Target player loses the game.
Epic Struggle		Judgment	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control twenty or more creatures, you win the game.
Ersta, Friend to All		Heroes of the Realm	−8: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control twenty or more Wizards, you win the game."
Etrata, the Silencer		Guilds of Ravnica	Whenever Etrata deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature that player controls and put a hit counter on that card. That player loses the game if they own three or more exiled cards with hit counters on them.
Felidar Sovereign		Zendikar	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or more life, you win the game.
Form of the Approach of the Second Sun		Unfinity	When you draw yourself, you win the game.
Frodo, Sauron's Bane		The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth	Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game if the Ring has tempted you four or more times this game.
Gallifrey Stands		Doctor Who	At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a Doctor creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. Then if you control thirteen or more Doctors, you win the game.
Halo Fountain		Streets of New Capenna	, , Untap fifteen tapped creatures you control: You win the game.
Happily Ever After		Throne of Eldraine	At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are five colors among permanents you control, there are six or more card types among permanents you control and/or cards in your graveyard, and your life total is greater than or equal to your starting life total, you win the game.
Hedron Alignment		Oath of the Gatewatch	At the beginning of your upkeep, you may reveal your hand. If you do, you win the game if you own a card named Hedron Alignment in exile, in your hand, in your graveyard, and on the battlefield.
Helix Pinnacle		Eventide	At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are 100 or more tower counters on Helix Pinnacle, you win the game.
Hellkite Tyrant		Gatecrash	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control twenty or more artifacts, you win the game.
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries		War of the Spark	Static effect:If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, you win the game instead. -8: Draw seven cards. Then if your library has no cards in it, you win the game.
Laboratory Maniac		Innistrad	If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, you win the game instead.
Liliana's Contract		Core Set 2019	If you control four or more Demons with different names, you win the game.
Luck Bobblehead		Fallout	, : Roll X six-sided dice, where X is the number of Bobbleheads you control. Create a tapped Treasure token for each even result. If you rolled 6 exactly seven times, you win the game.
Mayael's Aria		Alara Reborn	At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control if you control a creature with power 5 or greater. Then you gain 10 life if you control a creature with power 10 or greater. Then you win the game if you control a creature with power 20 or greater.
Maze's End		Dragon's Maze	If you control ten or more Gates with different names, you win the game.
Mechanized Production		Aether Revolt	At the beginning of your upkeep, create a token that's a copy of enchanted artifact. Then if you control eight or more artifacts with the same name as one another, you win the game.
Mirrodin Besieged		Modern Horizons	At the beginning of your end step, draw a card, then discard a card. Then if there are fifteen or more artifact cards in your graveyard, target opponent loses the game.
Mortal Combat		Torment	At the beginning of your upkeep, if twenty or more creature cards are in your graveyard, you win the game.
Near-Death Experience		Rise of the Eldrazi	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have exactly 1 life, you win the game.
Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God		War of the Spark	-8: Each opponent who doesn't control a legendary creature or planeswalker loses the game.
Now I Know My ABC's		Unhinged	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control permanents with names that include all twenty-six letters of the English alphabet, you win the game.
Phage the Untouchable		Legions	Whenever Phage deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.
All cards that give poison counters (incl. Infect/Poisonous/Toxic).		Various	When an opponent has ten or more poison counters, they lose the game.
Princess Twilight Sparkle		Ponies: The Galloping	: If you control Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, everypony wins the game.
Ramses, Assassin Lord		Dominaria United	Whenever a player loses the game, if they were attacked this turn by an Assassin you controlled, you win the game.
Revel in Riches		Ixalan	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control ten or more Treasures, you win the game.
Simic Ascendancy		Ravnica Allegiance	At the beginning of your upkeep, if Simic Ascendancy has twenty or more growth counters on it, you win the game.
Sinner's Judgment		Innistrad: Crimson Vow	At the beginning of your upkeep, put a judgment counter on Sinner’s Judgment. Then if there are three or more judgment counters on it, enchanted player loses the game.
Strixhaven Stadium		Strixhaven: School of Mages	Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to an opponent, put a point counter on Strixhaven Stadium. Then if it has ten or more point counters on it, remove them all and that player loses the game.
Test of Endurance		Judgment	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 50 or more life, you win the game.
Thassa's Oracle		Theros Beyond Death	If your devotion to blue is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game.
The Cheese Stands Alone		Unglued	If you control no cards in play other than The Cheese Stands Alone and have no cards in your hand, you win the game.
The Cinematic Phoenix		Heroes of the Realm	Tap six untapped creatures you control: Return The Cinematic Phoenix from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you tapped six legendary creatures this way, you win the game.
The Deck of Many Things		Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms	20 | Put a creature card from any graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. When that creature dies, its owner loses the game.
Topdeck the Halls		Holiday card	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control twelve or more decorated permanents, you win the game.
Triskaidekaphile		Innistrad: Midnight Hunt	At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have exactly thirteen cards in your hand, you win the game.
Vessel of the All-Consuming		Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty	Whenever Vessel of the All-Consuming deals damage to a player, if it has dealt 10 or more damage to that player this turn, they lose the game.
Vorpal Sword		Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms	: Until end of turn, Vorpal Sword gains "Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game."
Vraska the Unseen		Return to Ravnica	-7: Put three 1/1 black Assassin creature tokens onto the battlefield with “Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.”
Vraska, Golgari Queen		Guilds of Ravnica	-9: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.”
Vraska, Scheming Gorgon		Rivals of Ixalan	-10: Until end of turn, creatures you control gain deathtouch, and “Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, that player loses the game.”

^† Oracle text as of April 2023.

^‡ This effect causes one or more other players to lose the game, which can cause their controller to win the game.

List of alternate-loss cards

Card	Colors	Set	Condition
A Good Thing		Mystery Booster	If you have 1,000 or more life, you lose the game.
Alchemist's Gambit		Innistrad: Crimson Vow	Take an extra turn after this one. During that turn, damage can't be prevented. [At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game].
Amulet of Quoz		Ice Age	Target opponent may ante the top card of his or her library. If he or she doesn't, you flip a coin. If you win the flip, that player loses the game. If you lose the flip, you lose the game. Activate this ability only during your upkeep.
Archfiend of the Dross		Phyrexia: All Will Be One	At the beginning of your upkeep, remove an oil counter from Archfiend of the Dross. Then if it has no oil counters on it, you lose the game.
Chance for Glory		Guilds of Ravnica	Creatures you control gain indestructible. Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Demonic Pact		Magic Origins	At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one that hasn't been chosen — • Demonic Pact deals 4 damage to any target and you gain 4 life. • Target opponent discards two cards. • Draw two cards. • You lose the game.
Enduring Angel		Innistrad: Midnight Hunt	If your life total would be reduced to 0 or less, instead transform Enduring Angel and your life total becomes 3. Then if Enduring Angel didn’t transform this way, you lose the game.
Final Fortune		Mirage	Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Forbidden Crypt		Mirage	If you would draw a card, return a card from your graveyard to your hand instead. If you can't, you lose the game.
Form of the Squirrel		Unhinged	As Form of the Squirrel comes into play, put a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token into play. You lose the game when it leaves play.
Glorious End		Amonkhet	End the turn. At the beginning of your next end step, you lose the game.
Immortal Coil		Shards of Alara	When there are no cards in your graveyard, you lose the game.
Intervention Pact		Future Sight	At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Last Chance		Portal	Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
Lich		Limited Edition	Whenever you're dealt damage, sacrifice that many nontoken permanents. If you can't, you lose the game. When Lich is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you lose the game.
Lich's Mastery		Dominaria	When Lich's Mastery leaves the battlefield, you lose the game.
Nefarious Lich		Odyssey	If damage would be dealt to you, exile that many cards from your graveyard instead. If you can't, you lose the game. When Nefarious Lich leaves the battlefield, you lose the game.
Nine Lives		Core Set 2021	When Nine Lives leaves the battlefield, you lose the game.
One With Death		Mystery Booster	You lose the game.
Out of the Tombs		Warhammer 40,000 Commander Decks	If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, instead return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you can't, you lose the game.
Pact of Negation		Future Sight	At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Pact of the Titan		Future Sight	At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Phage the Untouchable		Legions	When Phage the Untouchable enters the battlefield, if you didn't cast it from your hand, you lose the game.
Phyrexian Vatmother		Mirrodin Besieged	When a player has ten or more poison counters, they lose the game.
Rocket-Powered Turbo Slug		Unhinged	Super haste (This may attack the turn before you play it. (You may put this card into play from your hand, tapped and attacking, during your declare attackers step. If you do, you lose the game at the end of your next turn unless you pay this card's mana cost during that turn.))
Seek Bolas's Counsel		Mystery Booster	At the beginning of your upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Slaughter Pact		Future Sight	At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Summoner's Pact		Future Sight	At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay . If you don't, you lose the game.
Transcendence		Torment	When you have 20 or more life, you lose the game.
Triskaidekaphobia		Shadows over Innistrad	At the beginning of your upkeep, each player with exactly 13 life loses the game.
Warrior's Oath		Portal Three Kingdoms	Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.

^† Oracle text as at April 2023.

List of alternate-draw cards

Card	Colors	Set	Condition
Celestial Convergence		Prophecy	At the beginning of your upkeep, remove an omen counter from Celestial Convergence. If there are no omen counters on Celestial Convergence, the player with the highest life total wins the game. If two or more players are tied for highest life total, the game is a draw.
Divine Intervention		Legends	When you remove the last intervention counter from Divine Intervention, the game is a draw.

Nowadays, R&D avoids making draw effects.