Wound Reflection is a rare enchantment that provides a life-gaining advantage for its controller. At the beginning of each end step, it causes opponents to lose life equal to the life they lost during their turn.

Key Strengths:

• Synergy with removal: Wound Reflection pairs well with removal spells like Sanguine Bond and Sorberous Gambit, amplifying their impact by forcing opponents to discard cards and creating opportunities for additional damage.
• Life gain: The enchantment's life-gaining effect complements cards that generate life, such as Evolving Wilds and Crested Crag, allowing players to recover from board wipes and maintain a healthy life total.
• Late-game presence: Wound Reflection shines in the late game when opponents are more likely to lose large amounts of life due to damage from creatures like Liliana of the Veil or Griselbrand.

Typical Uses:

• Control decks: Wound Reflection finds a home in control decks that focus on disrupting opponents and generating card advantage.
• Midrange strategies: It also fits into midrange strategies that aim to balance offense and defense, allowing players to maintain a healthy life total while applying pressure to their opponents.

Impact in Commander Decks:

• Flexible inclusion: Wound Reflection's effects make it a versatile addition to various Commander decks, from Azami, Lady of Scrolls to Kess, Dissident Windsage.
• Increased life totals: By forcing opponents to lose life equal to the life they lost during their turn, Wound Reflection contributes to higher life totals and more aggressive gameplay.

Wound Reflection's End Step Trigger

Wound Reflection is a rare enchantment from the 2xm set that utilizes a mechanic often referred to as "life loss feedback" or "life drain recursion." This card becomes particularly interesting in Commander games due to its ability to create an infinite loop of life loss.

The Oracle Text states, "At the beginning of each end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life they lost this turn (Damage causes loss of life)." It's essential to understand that Wound Reflection triggers only at the beginning of the end step, which is distinct from triggering during the end step itself. This timing difference can have significant implications in certain scenarios.

How Damage Causes Life Loss

One crucial aspect of Wound Reflection's interaction with life loss is the phrase "damage causes loss of life." This means that any damage dealt to a player will contribute to their total life lost for the turn, not just direct attacks or abilities explicitly causing life loss. For instance, if a player takes 10 points of damage from Manglegrowth, this damage will be counted towards their total life lost, and Wound Reflection will trigger accordingly.

Notable Edge Cases

There are two significant edge cases to consider when playing Wound Reflection in Commander:

• Infinite Loops: If a player has a way to deal recurring or recursive damage (like Phantasmal Force or Doom Blade), they can create an infinite loop of life loss. Each time the opponent loses life, Wound Reflection triggers, causing them to lose even more life. This can become unsustainable for opponents if not mitigated.
• Lifelink and Regeneration: Cards like Liliana's Caress or Sanguine Bond grant lifelink, which adds the amount of damage dealt to the caster to their total life. If a player has Wound Reflection on the battlefield, these cards can significantly amplify the card's effect.

Unique Interactions

Wound Reflection's interaction with other cards and effects is also noteworthy:

• Sacrifice Engines: Cards like Soul Wist or Grave Pact can create a sacrifice engine that deals damage to opponents. If paired with Wound Reflection, this can lead to an explosive life loss effect.
• Life Drain Spells: Cards like Carrion Feeder or Reanimate can drain the life of creatures on the battlefield. If these creatures are large enough and have lifelink, they can amplify Wound Reflection's effect.

Considerations in Commander

When playing Wound Reflection in Commander, it's essential to consider its potential for infinite loops and amplified life loss effects. This card is particularly effective when paired with other life drain or sacrifice engines that can deal recurring damage. Opponents may need to develop strategies to mitigate the card's impact, such as using counterspells or creatures with regeneration.

Overall, Wound Reflection offers a powerful tool for dealing with opponents' life totals and creating an unrelenting life loss effect. Its unique interaction with other cards and effects makes it an intriguing addition to any Commander deck focused on life drain and recursion mechanics.

Wound Reflection is a versatile Enchantment that offers a unique life drain effect. At its core, it rewards players for taking damage during their turn, making it an attractive addition to decks focused on aggressive play.

Life Drain Effect

At the beginning of each end step, Wound Reflection causes opponents to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn. This ability triggers whenever damage is dealt, including from sources like Searing Blaze or Magma Spray. It's essential to note that this effect doesn't interact with card advantage mechanisms like Tolaria West, which can be beneficial for token-heavy decks.

Common Archetypes and Roles

Wound Reflection finds a home in various Commander archetypes:

• Aggro Decks: Wound Reflection complements aggressive strategies by providing an additional outlet for life loss. It pairs well with cards like Goblin Bargain or Burning Hands.
• Control Decks: In controlling decks, Wound Reflection can serve as a backdoor way to deal damage and apply pressure on opponents.
• Combo Decks: When paired with combo pieces like Sword of Body and Mind, Wound Reflection can accelerate the game plan by generating life loss from seemingly innocuous sources.

Strategic Considerations

When building around Wound Reflection, consider the following:

• Life Drain Synergy: Combine Wound Reflection with cards that generate life loss or deal direct damage to create a synergistic effect. For example, Grave Titan and Demonic Consultation can provide a substantial life drain component.
• End-Step Triggers: Be mindful of the end-step timing for triggering Wound Reflection's ability. Cards like Eternity Snare or Cataclysmic Gearhulk can disrupt this effect, making it essential to maintain board control.
• Mana Considerations: As a 5-mana Enchantment, Wound Reflection can be a significant investment in terms of mana. Ensure that your deck has adequate ramp and tutoring options to cast it efficiently.

In decks where life loss is a primary objective, Wound Reflection offers a unique way to accelerate this goal. Its versatility allows it to fit into various Commander archetypes, making it an attractive addition for players seeking to create interactive and aggressive game plans.

Wound Reflection is a rare enchantment from the 2xm set that offers a unique take on traditional life loss mechanics. At the beginning of each end step, it causes each opponent to lose life equal to the amount they lost during their turn. This effect is triggered by damage, making it interact with various cards and abilities.

One interesting synergy involves pairing Wound Reflection with Eternal Witness. When Eternal Witness dies and is regenerated, its ability triggers a 2-life gain for its controller. During the next end step, Wound Reflection will cause each opponent to lose life equal to the amount they lost during their turn, including the 2 lives gained from Eternal Witness's ability. This can create an explosive blowout if both players have invested heavily in life loss or gain effects.

Another potential interaction occurs with Rafiq of the Many. When Rafiq is cast, it creates a copy of itself at the beginning of each player's end step. If Wound Reflection is on the battlefield, each opponent will lose life equal to the amount they lost during their turn for each instance of Rafiq, effectively doubling or quadrupling the life loss.

For more aggressive decks that focus on swift kills, consider combining Wound Reflection with Grave Pact. When an opponent's creature dies, Grave Pact forces them to sacrifice a permanent, potentially including Wound Reflection itself. However, if it remains on the battlefield, its effect will still trigger at the beginning of each end step, further punishing opponents for their life loss.

A different approach involves combining Wound Reflection with cards that manipulate life totals, such as Sanguine Bond. When an opponent's life total drops below 10, Sanguine Bond causes them to lose life equal to the difference between 10 and their current life. If Wound Reflection is in play, its effect will stack with Sanguine Bond's, making it even more difficult for opponents to recover.

In terms of rules interactions, be aware that Wound Reflection's ability is not affected by Chaos Warp or other effects that alter spell triggering. However, cards like Maelstrom Pulse can still impact the life loss caused by Wound Reflection if they change its effect during resolution.

When evaluating Wound Reflection in a deck, consider the overall strategy and how it interacts with existing cards. Its unique ability makes it particularly well-suited for aggressive decks that aim to quickly kill opponents or control-oriented strategies focused on manipulating life totals.

Timing Issues: Wound Reflection's End Step Trigger

One common mistake players make is misjudging the timing of Wound Reflection's trigger. The enchantment states that it triggers at the beginning of each end step, but many players forget to account for this timing.

• Failing to trigger on the end step can result in missing out on life loss opportunities.
• For example, if a player is attacked with Swords to Plowshares during their opponent's turn, they might think they should trigger Wound Reflection immediately. However, since it triggers at the beginning of the next end step, they should wait until then to reap the benefits.

Misunderstood Rules: Damage Causes Loss of Life

Wound Reflection's Oracle Text clarifies that damage causes loss of life, which is crucial for its functionality. Some players might misunderstand this rule and think it only applies to direct damage spells like Darkblast. However, it also includes indirect damage effects from abilities or states.

• Players should remember that Wound Reflection will still trigger even if an opponent takes indirect damage.
• This highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between cards with damage and life loss triggers, such as Wound Reflection in conjunction with Grave Pact or Carrion Feeder.

Wound Reflection is a potent, albeit narrow, threat in Commander. Its ability to convert damage into life loss can be devastating when paired with creatures that deal significant damage on their own, such as Griselbrand or Liliana of the Veil. In combination with an ample removal suite and a board presence consisting mainly of 1-2 toughness creatures, Wound Reflection's impact is amplified.

However, its viability depends heavily on the specific Commander deck archetype. It excels in aggressive, low-toughness creature builds that prioritize early-game aggression and can utilize their opponents' life loss to gain an advantage. These decks typically rely on Dreadbore or Abrupt Decay-style removal, which makes Wound Reflection's life-draining effect even more pronounced.

In contrast, more controlling or midrange decks often struggle to support Wound Reflection effectively due to the need for early-game aggression and a reliance on creatures that can consistently deal 1+ damage per turn. In these situations, Wound Reflection's impact is diminished, making it less of a priority inclusions.

Overall, experienced players should consider including Wound Reflection in aggressive Commander decks with a strong removal suite and an emphasis on low-toughness creatures. Its inclusion will depend heavily on the specific cards included in the deck and the overall strategy employed.

Wound Reflection is a powerful enchantment that rewards players for dealing damage to opponents. Its ability to reflect life loss at the beginning of each end step creates a self-sustaining cycle, making it an excellent fit for decks focused on attrition and life drain.

Commanders:

• Karazol: This Golgari Commander excels at generating card advantage through token generation and life gain. Wound Reflection's ability to reflect life loss complements Karazol's strategy perfectly.
• Gix, Yawgmoth Unburied: As a commander that rewards players for sacrificing creatures, Gix benefits greatly from the life loss generated by Wound Reflection.

Color Identities:

• Golgari (Black-Green): The combination of Wound Reflection with cards like Necrotic Ooze, Maelstrom Pulse, and Grave Pact creates a formidable deck that excels at both card advantage and life drain.
• Dimir (Blue-Black): Adding Wound Reflection to a Dimir list featuring cards like Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Clique can result in an extremely aggressive deck with a high chance of winning through attrition.

Themes:

• Attrition: Decks that focus on chipping away at opponents' life totals, such as control or midrange lists, benefit greatly from Wound Reflection.
• Life Drain: Cards like Grave Pact, Maelstrom Pulse, and Erebos, God of the Dead create a synergistic effect when paired with Wound Reflection.

Engines:

• Life Gain: Incorporating cards that generate life, such as Tainted Isle, Zombie Master], or [[Ruthless Knick-Knack, can further amplify the impact of Wound Reflection.
• Card Advantage: Using engines like Necrotic Ooze and [Maelstrom Pulse to generate card advantage complements Wound Reflection's ability to create a self-sustaining cycle.

Synergy Cards:

Combo Notes:

• Wound Reflection + Grave Pact: This combination creates a devastating life-draining effect, as both cards work together to generate a self-sustaining cycle.
• Wound Reflection + Maelstrom Pulse: The card advantage generated by Maelstrom Pulse allows players to cast more spells and further amplify their life loss.

Wound Reflection is a rare enchantment from the 2xm set that sees play in Commander and other formats. Its ability triggers at the beginning of each end step, forcing opponents to lose life equal to the amount they lost this turn.

Commander: In Commander, Wound Reflection's ability can be triggered repeatedly, as players often take significant damage from their commander's abilities and creatures. This card is competitive in Commander, especially when paired with aggressive commanders like Grisel Brand or Kemba, Kha Regent. It can help to close out games by punishing opponents for the damage they've already taken.

When combined with cards like Erebos, God of the Dead, which causes creatures to die at the beginning of the end step, Wound Reflection's ability becomes even more potent. This synergy allows players to exploit their opponents' life total while also taking advantage of Erebos' trigger.

Casual: In casual play, Wound Reflection is a viable option for decks focused on dealing direct damage or exploiting life totals. Its ability can be especially effective in multiplayer formats like Commander and Brawl, where players often take more damage than in traditional constructed.

Banned/Limited: Wound Reflection has not been banned or limited in any format. However, its power level may lead to a reevaluation if it becomes too widespread in competitive play.

Prices: As of the given data, Wound Reflection's prices are relatively stable, ranging from 4.58 EUR to 8.02 USD (foil). Its tix price is low at 0.02, making it an accessible option for casual players and budget-friendly strategies.

Overall, Wound Reflection offers a unique advantage in Commander and other formats by providing a mechanism for players to capitalize on their opponents' life totals.

Key Scenarios & Matchups

Wound Reflection excels in situations where life totals are low, making each opponent's lost life a significant blow. In multiplayer Commander games, this card is particularly effective when:

• A single player controls the board and is generating significant damage.
• Multiple players are trading life, making Wound Reflection a valuable addition to their arsenal.

In such scenarios, Wound Reflection can be the deciding factor in draining opponents' life totals. However, its effectiveness drops off significantly in games where life totals remain high or if damage is being mitigated by cards like Ancestral Recall or Misty Rain.

Matchup Breakdown

Board Presence

To maximize Wound Reflection's impact, it's essential to have a strong presence on the board. Supporting cards like Liliana of the Veil or Griselbrand can help generate damage and create opportunities for Wound Reflection to take effect.

In contrast, boards dominated by removal spells like Path to Exile or Abrupt Decay will hinder Wound Reflection's effectiveness, as it relies on opponents taking damage in the first place.

Wound Reflection, a rare enchantment from the 2xm set, has had a few notable printings since its initial release. One such reprint was in the Commander Anthology set (2018), which made it more accessible to players.

In terms of tournament presence, Wound Reflection's performance is less documented. EDHREC stats reveal that it sees little play in Commander formats, likely due to its high mana cost and specific win condition.

However, this card has appeared in several iconic decks across various Magic communities. One notable example is the "Discard-o-matic" deck archetype, which revolves around Griselbrand-style combos and Wishclaw Wurm's ability to generate card advantage. Wound Reflection fits neatly into this strategy by serving as a life-gain engine that rewards players for their discard-heavy gameplan.

When building with Wound Reflection, consider pairing it with other cards like Carrion Feeder, which provides additional life gain and discarding opportunities. Another option is to combine it with Hollow One-based decks, where its ability synergizes with the token generation from the Hollow One's triggered ability.

Beyond Commander formats, Wound Reflection has also been featured in various casual games and multiplayer matches. Its unique win condition makes it an intriguing addition to more experimental deck builds.

In the dimly lit, damp recesses of the Necrotic Wastes, a place where death itself seems to writhe like a living thing, the malevolent forces that govern this realm have birthed a dark and foreboding enchantment: Wound Reflection. This rare and sinister card is an affront to life itself, mocking the very concept of vitality in a world where mortality reigns supreme.

In its native plane, the Necrotic Wastes are home to a twisted breed of necromancers who have mastered the dark arts of manipulating death. These masters of macabre often utilize Wound Reflection to exact a grim revenge upon their opponents, forcing them to confront the ultimate cost of violence. By causing damage to be reflected back as life loss at the beginning of each end step, this card essentially turns the tables on one's foes, making each blow land like a double-edged sword.

In the hands of a skilled necromancer, Wound Reflection can become an extension of their dark will, feeding off the fear and despair that it inspires in those who dare oppose them. As the game unfolds, the opponents' very existence becomes tied to their life totals, making each loss feel like a tangible manifestation of the necromancer's malevolent influence.

In a broader context, Wound Reflection speaks to the world's fascination with mortality and the afterlife, where death is not just an absence but a palpable force that can be manipulated. It resonates with other cards in the Necrotic Wastes set that focus on this theme, such as Ritual of Mending, which seeks to undo the damage caused by death itself.

The card's dark, gothic aesthetic and its very essence reflect the morbid fascination that defines the Necrotic Wastes. In a world where life hangs precariously in the balance, Wound Reflection stands as a grim testament to the power of death over all else.