Psychic Venom: A Powerful Enchantment Aura Card

Psychic Venom is a formidable enchantment aura card that can have a significant impact on the game, particularly when used in conjunction with other cards to create pressure on opponents and disrupt their plans.

Overview of Psychic Venom

Card Type and Mana Cost

Psychic Venom is an Enchantment - Aura card with a mana cost of {1}{U}. As an aura, it can be attached to other cards or enchant a land directly without disrupting the player's mana development.

Trigger Effect

When attached to a land, Psychic Venom exerts 0 (non-zero) cost and has a trigger effect that deals 2 damage to the controller of that land when the enchanted land becomes tapped. This mechanic can be affected by other effects that interact with tapping or becoming tapped, such as those related to the "tap" keyword ability.

Strategic Uses and Synergies

Land Hate

One strategic use for Psychic Venom is in the creation of a powerful synergy where multiple lands are enchanted with it. This creates a situation where each land's controller takes 2 damage from every tapped land they control, making it difficult for opponents to keep their lands online.

Disruption

Enchanted lands with Psychic Venom can also be used to disrupt opponents' plans by forcing them to tap out of mana development or putting cards on top of their library when trying to untap a land. This can be particularly effective in combination with other cards that create pressure on the opponent's life total.

Combo Pieces

Some enchantments, like Vines of Vastwood, allow players to attach multiple auras to a single land. This makes Psychic Venom an attractive addition to combos, as it can create a powerful synergy between tapping out of mana development and dealing damage.

Deckbuilding Roles and Archetypes

Psychic Venom is typically included in decks that rely on disrupting opponents or creating pressure on their lands. Here are some deck archetypes:

Aggro

Enchanting multiple lands with Psychic Venom can create a strong aggressive presence, where the opponent's lands are repeatedly tapped out of mana development.

Midrange

Enchanted lands with Psychic Venom can be used to disrupt opponents' plans and put pressure on them without immediately attacking.

Format Viability and Competitive Context

Psychic Venom is most viable in formats with a focus on land disruption or aggressive strategies. In competitive Magic, it's often included in decks that rely on disrupting opponents' mana development or creating pressure on their lands.

Standard

In Standard, Psychic Venom has seen moderate play due to its ability to disrupt opponents' plans and create pressure on their lands.

Modern

Enchanted lands with Psychic Venom can be difficult for Modern players to deal with, as it creates a strong synergy between tapping out of mana development and dealing damage.

Rules Interactions and Technical Notes

Psychic Venom interacts with other effects that affect the "tap" keyword ability. For example:

• Tap abilities: If an opponent uses a tap ability like Vines of Vastwood to gain life or put cards on top of their library, Psychic Venom will still deal 2 damage when they try to untap the land.
• Return from beyond: Enchanted lands with Psychic Venom won't trigger the damage if returned from beyond (e.g., by Erebos), as this effect negates the "tap" keyword ability.

Art, Flavor, and Historical Context

Psychic Venom features a woman wielding an aura, symbolizing her connection to psychic abilities. The card's flavor is centered around disrupting opponents' plans through unorthodox means. In terms of historical context, Psychic Venom was released in 2013 as part of the "Dark Ascension" set.

Conclusion Summary

Psychic Venom is a powerful enchantment aura card that deals 2 damage to opponents controlling tapped lands. Its effectiveness relies on creating situations where lands are being tapped, making it an attractive addition to decks focused on disrupting opponents' plans or creating pressure on their lands.

Key Card Information:

• Aura Type: Enchantment - Aura
• Mana Cost: {1}{U}
• Trigger Effect: Deals 2 damage to controller when enchanted land becomes tapped