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Why Is Dismember So Cheap?

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There was a recent post on /r/mtgfinance in which the poster asked "Is Dismember Worth More than $1.50"?  Though the original poster offered rather little in the way of discussion, reddit user and QS reader MultipleMatrix came up with a pretty strong case arguing in favor of Dismember's upside.  The post is below, edited and formatted for better readability.  Thanks a ton to MultipleMatrix for such a thorough analysis! For reference:

There was an error retrieving a chart for dismember

Compare Dismember to two cards.

There was an error retrieving a chart for path to exile
There was an error retrieving a chart for Slaughter Pact

Path to Exile

Both cost 1CMC (with the option of Dismember costing 1-3 at your discretion)

Both cards remove Phyrexian Obliterator and indestructible creatures with no trouble.
Path to Exile requires one to be playing white somewhere in the mana base, while Dismember does not care what mana you use to pay it as long as you have life. That means it's removal for green, red, blue, decks as well as black. It breaks the color pie for any color and gives modern non-black decks effective removal.

Path to Exile gives your opponent a basic. It could help ramp them, but often they may not even have a basic to play so it's a tiny downside. Dismember costs 2 life for each non-black mana you use.

Path to Exile has been reprinted in a variety of sets. Dismember has also been reprinted a couple of times. However, because of the mechanics of Phyrexian mana those reprints all occurred within block and are unlikely to happen again.

Slaughter Pact

No initial cost, can play while tapped out requires the use of black mana, meaning decks need to be part black.

Can auto-lose you the game in sanctioned events if some weird interaction occurs or you simply forget to pay. (It's happened before to professional players)

Only playable on turn 3 or later.

Only hits non-black creatures and modern is filled with black decks.

As the format grows, more colors will start seeing their time in the sun and a strictly colorless removal spell will be necessary.

Given these reasons, I'd say Dismember could plateau somewhere between Slaughter Pact and Path to Exile.


Well, I'm convinced. I'm not sure it's got any a basis for an immediate spike (it really doesn't) but I can see it being one of "those" uncommons that slowly creep up over time. Until you fish one out of a bulk box and ask yourself, "when the hell did Dismember become a $5 card"?

What do you think? Agree? Disagree?

14 thoughts on “Why Is Dismember So Cheap?

  1. It saw quite a few reprints in multiples in event decks, also it’s promo is probably pretty widespread. I like it as a pickup in trade but don’t expect to see a return for at least a year.

  2. I bought 80 copies at .50 a piece when it had a negative spread from I think cardkingdom paying .58 for 20 or so copies (Big ups to trader tools for that info). I think It was a 3 or 4 of in an event deck and that might have been what made the price plummet. I can remember these being worth at least 3 dollars while they were in standard. The way I saw it there was really no downside to buying. I figure it’s more a matter of “when” then it is “if” as far as the price creeping up.

  3. White colored Dude. All of us when Individuals think now we have arrive a considerable ways seeing that Captivity moments. Municipal Privileges genuinely did not come to bring appearance up to the point your 1960s1970s. Sin embargo, tras l . a . muerte de su hermano Eduardo MIRE y simply su marketing hermana Mara I actually, Isabel asumi el trono. Una de las primeras medidas que dan fue establecer una iglesia protestante independiente de Roma, que luego evolucionara durante are generally true Iglesia de Inglaterra, de are generally que sony ericsson convirti durante los angeles mxima autoridad. Ze esperaba que Isabel contrajera matrimonio, pero pese the varias peticiones delete parlamento, nunca lo hizo.

    oreo 4s 2015

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