Crime / Punishment – Dissension
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed:
Casual:
Limited:
Multiplayer:
Commander [EDH]:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I remember this card getting a lot of attention back when Dissension was new – Pernicious Deed was still wrecking people in Extended, and people were very excited about doing something similar in Standard, with an additional option. Remember, this was also the era of Yosei, the Morning Star and Simic Sky Swallower, and the idea of turning your opponent’s expensive powerhouse against them was tantalizing to budget players and tournament grinders alike. Both halves of the card have restrictions that keep them out of the absolute top tier in their effect, but either can be built around and both have gotten noticeably better over time as big creatures have become bigger and more decks play tokens. I think we’d hear more about the card in Commander if it wasn’t considered exactly these three colors for its purposes, which is kind of unfortunate. Still, it’s a very solid option for any deck that can cast it.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
Reanimation for an opponent’s things or a carefully curated board wipe…split cards are good at combining several decent effects not worth a card slot into one singular card, and Crime and Punishment does just that. I’d say Punishment is the generally better option to have access to; X = 0 is great in a world filled with tokens, and even higher values are decent in a pinch if you’re noticing a surfeit of a certain cost. It doesn’t have a “nonland” clause, so animated lands might not like this, but hey. Crime is a lot more situational, as well as pricey, but it can definitely crack a game open if you take a big beater or something suitably shiny.
I’d definitely say Punishment is the main draw here, but Crime can also be helpful in a pinch, and being able to combine slots for one is usually good. The “usually” bit is because this can’t go in just Golgari (or Orzhov) Commander shells, but Abzan tends to have a lot of fun tricks at its disposal to make going for all three colors a worthwhile endeavor.
One last note: this is getting a reprint soon, as part of the bonus sheet of Outlaws of Thunder Junction. How good it is there will need to be seen, but removal is always worth looking at in Limited, especially removal that kills multiple things.
Constructed: 3 (a bit niche, but Punishment can certainly be punishing)
Casual: 4
Limited: 3.75 (plan for this as removal)
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
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