Discard

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Discard
Keyword Action
Introduced Alpha
Last used Evergreen
Reminder Text No official reminder text
Scryfall Search
fulloracle:"Discard"

Discard is an evergreen keyword action which takes cards from a player's hand and puts them in their graveyard.[1][2]

Description

Discard is primarily in the black part of the color pie.[3] Discard spells are more often at sorcery speed, though a few have been printed at instant speed. This is to avoid the strategic use of casting it in their opponent's draw step to rid them of the only card they have that turn. The target of a discard spell more often than not gets to choose which cards to discard.[4] More powerful versions are cards which force a random discard or reveal the target's hand to the discard spell's caster (Thoughtseize effects). Typically "blind" discards are designed as card advantage spells where they cause attrition through numbers, where the revealing discards are used more precisely to slow the opposing strategy. Random discard spells are less popular game experiences, so fewer of them have been made. The Specters are famous for causing players to discard cards when they are unblocked. Black discard spells generally invoke a flavor of insanity or trauma, whereas red discard spells invoke one of fate or fire and blue discard spells invoke one of stealing. Red and blue do not often get new cards that cause card-negative discard.

Mechanics which include discard as a cost are bloodrush, channel, cycling, and reinforce.

For Odyssey, Mark Rosewater designed discard spells to challenge to mess around with the concept of card advantage and create threshold. In hindsight, it was an "interesting" idea but not "fun" to play.[5]

Discard as a cost is primary in black, and secondary in red, shown most commonly during rummaging.[6] All other colors are tertiary.[7]

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Discard
To move a card from its owner’s hand to that player’s graveyard. See rule 701.8, “Discard.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

  • 701.8. Discard
    • 701.8a To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s graveyard.
    • 701.8b By default, effects that cause a player to discard a card allow the affected player to choose which card to discard. Some effects, however, require a random discard or allow another player to choose which card is discarded.
    • 701.8c If a card is discarded, but an effect causes it to be put into a hidden zone instead of into its owner’s graveyard without being revealed, all values of that card’s characteristics are considered to be undefined. If a card is discarded this way to pay a cost that specifies a characteristic about the discarded card, that cost payment is illegal; the game returns to the moment before the cost was paid (see rule 730, “Handling Illegal Actions”).

List of discard instants and sorceries

Instants

One card

Two cards

Variable cards

  • Tsabo's Decree{5}{B} choose a creature type, target player discards all creature cards of the chosen type and also destroy all creatures of that type that player controls.

Sorceries

One card

Two cards

Three cards

  • Cruel Ultimatum{U}{U}{B}{B}{B}{R}{R} - their choice and they sacrifice a creature and lose 5 life while the caster returns a creature from their graveyard to their hand, draws three cards then gains 5 life.
  • Delirium Skeins{2}{B} each player
  • Fugue{3}{B}{B} their choice
  • Mindstab{5}{B} their choice - Suspend 4 - {B}
  • Three Tragedies{3}{B}{B} their choice - Arcane

Variable cards

  • Abandon Hope{X}{1}{B} & discard X cards; your choice of X cards
  • Amnesia{3}{U}{U}{U} your choice of all nonland cards
  • Cabal Conditioning{6}{B} any number of players each discards cards from their hand equal to the highest mana value among permanents you control.
  • Cabal Therapy{B} name a nonland card, target player discards all cards with that name. Also has flashback (sacrifice a creature).
  • Death Cloud{X}{B}{B}{B} each player loses X life, discards X cards, sacrifices X creatures and X lands.
  • Fall{B}{R} target player reveals two cards at random, then discards each nonland card revealed this way.
  • Hint of Insanity{2}{B} all nonland cards with the same name as another card in their hand
  • Ill-Gotten Gains{2}{B}{B} exile this card, each player discards their hand then puts up to three cards from their graveyard into their hand.
  • Last Rites{2}{B} you discard any number of cards from your hand, then you choose a nonland card for each card to discard of target player.
  • Mind Burst{1}{B} their choice of X cards where X is one plus the number of Mind Burst cards in all graveyards.
  • Mind Extraction{2}{B} you sacrifice a creature, target player reveals their hand and discards all cards of each of the sacrificed creatures colors.
  • Mind Shatter{X}{B}{B} X cards at random
  • Mind Sludge{4}{B} target player discards a card from their hand for each swamp you control.
  • Mind Twist{X}{B} randomly discard X cards
  • Mind Warp{X}{3}{B} your choice of X cards
  • Monomania{3}{B}{B} target player chooses a card from their hand and discards the rest.
  • Noxious Vapors{1}{B}{B} each player reveals their cards and choose one card of each color, then discards all other nonland cards
  • Persecute{2}{B}{B} choose a color, target player discards all cards of the chosen color.
  • Pox{B}{B}{B} each player loses 1/3 of their life, discards 1/3 of their cards, sacrifices 1/3 of their creatures and 1/3 of their lands. Round each loss up.
  • Rakdos's Return{X}{B}{R} - target opponent discards X cards and deals X damage to them
  • Sink into Takenuma{3}{B} sweep - return any number of swamps you control to their owner's hand, target player discards a card for each swamp returned this way.
  • Trapfinder's Trick{1}{U} target player discards all Trap cards.
  • Tyrannize{3}{B/R}{B/R} they discard their hand unless they pay 7 life.
  • Voices from the Void{4}{B} domain - on caster's lands, their choice.
  • Void{3}{B}{R} choose a number, destroy all artifacts and creatures with converted mana cost equal to that number. Then target player discards all nonland cards with converted mana cost equal to the number.
  • Wistful Thinking{3}{U} they draw two cards, then discard (up to) four cards, their choice.
  • Wit's End{5}{B}{B} target player discards their hand

Planeswalkers which cause discard

Creatures which cause discard

  • Bala Ged Thief{3}{B} - one your choice pulled from a set of X cards in their hand where X is the number of Ally creatures you control
  • Bloodhusk Ritualist{2}{B} - their choice for each time it was kicked. Multikicker {B}
  • Cinderhaze Wretch{4}{B} - {T}: Their choice, only during your turn.
  • Noggle Ransacker{2}{U/R} - when this comes into play, each player draws two cards then discards a card at random.
  • Rakdos Ringleader{4}{B}{R} - when this deals combat damage, one card at random
  • Riptide Pilferer{1}{U} - their choice, also has morph {U}
  • Scandalmonger{3}{B} - {2} target player discards a card, their choice. Any player may play this ability when they could play a sorcery.
  • Slavering Nulls{1}{R} - if it deals damage to a player and you control a swamp, their choice

Legends

There are two Legends, which are creatures with the legendary supertype, that cause an opponent to discard.

  • Gwendlyn Di Corci{R}{B}{B}{U} - {T}: target player discards one card from his or her hand at random, this power can only be used during your turn.
  • Nicol Bolas{2}{U}{U}{B}{B}{R}{R} - Whenever Nicol Bolas deals damage to an opponent, that player discards his or her hand.

Rats

Some rats cause discard to their opponents and mostly when they enter the battlefield, some rats force discard when combat damage occurs.

  • Drainpipe Vermin{B} - when this dies, if {B} is paid, then target player discards a card, their choice.
  • Earsplitting Rats{3}{B} - when this enters the battlefield, each player discards a card, their choice
  • Hellhole Rats{2}{B}{R} - when this enters the battlefield, target player discards a card, their choice
  • Nezumi Bone-Reader{1}{B} - {B}, sacrifice a creature, target player discards a card (activate this ability only any time you could play a sorcery), their choice
  • Nezumi Shortfang{1}{B} - {1}{B}, {T} target opponent discards a card, their choice, then if that player has no cards in hand, flip Nezumi Shortfang
  • Okiba-Gang Shinobi{3}{B}{B} - when this deals combat damage to a player, that player discards two cards, their choice
  • Ravenous Rats{1}{B} - when this enters the battlefield, target opponent discards a card, their choice
  • Rotting Rats{1}{B} - when this enters the battlefield, each player discards a card, their choice
  • Sanity Gnawers{1}{B}{R} - when this enters the battlefield, target player discards a card at random
  • Stronghold Rats{2}{B} - when this deals combat damage to a player, each player discards a card, their choice

Specters

Specters are flying creatures and the most famous for causing opponents to discard when they aren't blocked.

  • Abyssal Specter{2}{B}{B} 2/3 - their choice
  • Blazing Specter{2}{B}{R} 2/2 - their choice, also has haste
  • Blizzard Specter{2}{U}{B} 2/3 - their choice or force them to return a permanent they control to its owner's hand
  • Doomsday Specter{2}{U}{B} 2/3 - your choice, also has gating
  • Entropic Specter{3}{B}{B} */* - their choice, has power/toughness equal to the number of cards in target opponent's hand
  • Guul Draz Specter{2}{B}{B} 2/2 - their choice
  • Hollow Specter{1}{B}{B} 2/2 - pay {X}, that player reveals X cards from their hand, you choose one of those revealed.
  • Hypnotic Specter{1}{B}{B} 2/2 - randomly
  • Liliana's Specter{1}{B}{B} 2/1 - (only when this enters the battlefield) their choice
  • Needle Specter{1}{B}{B} 1/1 - their choice (discards that many cards equal to the number of combat damage)
  • Scythe Specter{4}{B}{B} 4/4 - their choice and each of them who discarded a card with the highest converted mana cost among cards discarded this way loses life equal to that converted mana cost.
  • Sedraxis Specter{U}{B}{R} 3/2 - their choice, also has unearth {1}{B}
  • Shrieking Specter{5}{B} 2/2 - their choice, whenever Shrieking Specter attacks
  • Shimian Specter{2}{B}{B} 2/2 - nonland, your choice, removes all cards with same name from hand, library, graveyard
  • Silent Specter{4}{B}{B} 4/4 - two cards their choice
  • Tainted Specter{3}{B} 2/2 - (only for activated ability) their choice unless they mill their top card of their library and deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.
  • Whispering Specter{1}{B}{B} 1/1 - sacrifice it instead, target player discards a card for each poison counter they have.

Enchantments which cause discard

  • Bereavement{1}{B} - whenever a green creature dies, its controller discards a card.
  • Bottomless Pit{1}{B}{B} - at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player discards a card at random.
  • Brink of Madness{2}{B}{B} - at the beginning of your upkeep, if you have no cards in hand, sacrifice Brink of Madness and target opponent discards his or her hand.
  • Cabal Shrine{1}{B}{B} - whenever a player casts a spell, that player discards X cards, where X is the number of cards in all graveyards with the same name as that spell.
  • Dire Undercurrents{3}{U/B}{U/B} - whenever a black creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target player discard a card.
  • Discordant Dirge{3}{B}{B} - at the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a verse counter on Discordant Dirge. {B} and sacrifice Discordant Dirge: Look at target opponent's hand and choose up to X cards from it, where X is the number of verse counters on Discordant Dirge. That player discards those cards.
  • Gibbering Descent{4}{B}{B} - at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player loses 1 life and discards a card. Hellbent - Skip your upkeep step if you have no cards in hand. Madness {2}{B}{B}
  • Honden of Night's Reach{3}{B} - at the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent discards a card for each Shrine you control.
  • Larceny{3}{B}{B} - whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
  • Leshrac's Sigil{B}{B} - whenever an opponent casts a green spell, you may pay {B}{B}. If you do, look at that player's hand and choose a card from it. The player discards that card.
  • Mind Slash{1}{B}{B} - {B} and sacrifice a creature: Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a card from it. That player discards that card.
  • Necrogen Mists{2}{B} - at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player discards a card.
  • Oppression{1}{B}{B} - whenever a player casts a spell, that player discards a card.
  • Putrefaction{4}{B} - whenever a player casts a green or white spell, that player discards a card.
  • Seer's Vision{2}{U}{B} - your opponents play with their hands revealed. Sacrifice Seer's Vision: Look at target player's hand and choose a card from it. That player discards that card.
  • Triumph of Cruelty{2}{B} - at the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent discards a card if you control the creature with the greatest power or tied for the greatest power.
  • Warped Devotion{2}{B} - whenever a permanent is returned to a player's hand, that player discards a card.

Auras

  • Dying Wail{1}{B} - when enchanted creature dies, two cards their choice
  • Strands of Undeath{3}{B} - when this enters the battlefield, two cards, their choice

The following auras enchanted on creatures cause opponents to discard when they aren't blocked.

Artifacts which cause discard

Equipment

  • Specter's Shroud{2} - Equip {1} - if a player is damaged by a creature equipped with this, their choice. The name Specter's Shroud is an homage to the numerous Specter creatures that cause discard if they attack and are unblocked.
  • Sword of Feast and Famine{3} - Equip {2} - if a player is damaged by a creature equipped with this, their choice.

Notes

In the above list; "their choice" means the target player gets to choose which cards to discard, "your choice" means the person casting the spell gets to choose.

References