Draft Priority: When to Pick I Will Savor Your Agony

In TCG ·

I Will Savor Your Agony card art from Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Drafting with Discipline: A Practical Look at I Will Savor Your Agony

In the world of Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander, a well-timed scheme card can feel like a quiet earthquake—big impact, subtle setup, and a dash of delicious horror. I Will Savor Your Agony is a Scheme card that doesn’t cost mana to cast, and it invites you to shape the game by choosing three modes when you set it in motion. The catch? You may choose the same mode more than once. That simple line opens a cascade of strategic decisions in a tight limited environment. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Let’s start with the heart of the card: when you flip this scheme into motion, you pick three outcomes from a trio of options. You can destroy target creature, you can force a draw from a target player, or you can grant 5 life to a target player. The ability to select multiple modes—and even repeat a mode—turns this into a flexible toolkit rather than a single-use spell. In a draft where every card must wear multiple hats, that flexibility is a real edge. However, it also demands careful targeting and timing. Do you want to swing removal early, or lean into card advantage and life stabilization? The answer isn’t always obvious, and that tension is part of the fun. 🧩

When you set this scheme in motion, choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once.
  • Destroy target creature.
  • Target player draws a card.
  • Target player gains 5 life.

Understanding the value in a limited environment

From a drafting perspective, the card’s colorless nature is both a blessing and a potential trap. Being colorless makes it universally playable in any deck, which is a rare and welcome trait in limited formats. Its zero-mana cost means you can deploy it even when your early turns are clunky, which is exactly the kind of stability you want in a tight pack. That said, you’re not casting a typical removal spell or a solid beater; you’re deploying options, and the real payoff comes when you align those options with your board state and your opponent’s threats. 🔥

In practical terms, the best draft scenarios for this scheme look like one of two patterns. First, you’re operating a midrange or control plan that can leverage free disruption, reliable card draw, and life resilience to outlast opponents who stumble into overextension. Second, you’re leaning into a self-mything approach: you don’t mind drawing more cards, because your deck is built to play through longer games where every extra card is a step toward inevitability. The triple-mode rule makes it possible to tailor your pick to the moment—if the board is under pressure, prioritize removal; if you’re stabilizing, push for card draw to refill; if you’re behind on life total, throw in a life swing to buy turns. And yes, you can pull this off by targeting yourself for draws while using the removal to clear blockers—an elegant double-dip that can tilt the game in your favor. ⚔️🎨

When to prioritize this card in your draft plan

  • Early pick in a Duskmourn draft: The utility of a colorless, free-casting scheme with flexible modes makes it a standout piece for any deck that wants options more than raw power on one line. Pick it when your table is light on reliable disruption or plan-pieces that shape late-game outcomes. 🧙‍♂️
  • In mid-pack, if your deck is already leaning toward value and inevitability: The ability to combine multiple modes into one turn can snowball into a significant edge, especially if you’ve drafted a few card-draw or life-management tools to support the plan. 🔥
  • If you’re short on removal while needing a stabilizer: Using the mode to destroy a creature while you set up your board state can buy critical turns without sacrificing card advantage later. It’s a pragmatic, tempo-conscious pick that pays dividends in longer games. 💎
  • When your deck has built-in life gains or lifelinking themes: The life gain mode is not just a lifeboat; it’s a timing tool that can help you reach key life thresholds for bigger playlines later in the game. ⚔️
  • Against an aggressive or stalling strategy: You can tailor the modes to hit the opponent where it hurts most, keeping pressure while keeping your options open for the next few turns. The triple-choice framework shines when you’re reacting rather than dictating the pace. 🧙‍♂️

Of course, there are caveats. Because the card is colorless and free to play, you must rely on your drafting instincts to ensure you have a plan that benefits from three-mode flexibility. If your deck is already overloaded with straightforward removal or pure card advantage, you might deprioritize this scheme in favor of more direct, higher-impact picks. Still, in the right shell, I Will Savor Your Agony becomes a quiet engine—the kind of card that rewards patient play and good targeting. And yes, there’s delight in the flavor: the sense that you’re twisting fate, one ominous choice at a time. 🧙‍♂️💎

Flavor, art, and the broader set context

Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander leans into a moody, horror-inspired aesthetic, with Michael Walsh delivering evocative illustrations that pair well with the thematic vibe of schemes—mysterious rituals, sudden upheavals, and the chill of undisclosed plans. The card’s Scheme identity aligns with the set’s design philosophy: games are not only about math but about narrative momentum, the tension between risk and reward, and the quiet thrill of watching a plan snap into motion. The artwork and the card’s three-mode concept work together to remind players that even a single card can steer a game’s drama in surprising, cinematic ways. 🎨

Trading value is another practical note. The card sits at a modest price point, reflecting its niche but real utility in the commander-draft ecosystem. It’s a reminder that the most memorable picks aren’t always the flashiest; sometimes they’re the ones that quietly enable your long game and keep your wheels turning when the table is otherwise locked in. In a format where every choice matters, this scheme is a conversation starter, a planning aid, and a little pocket of control you can trigger at the right moment. 🔥

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Product details and credits

Card: I Will Savor Your Agony — Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander (DSC) — Common, nonfoil. Artist: Michael Walsh. Printed as an oversized scheme in a Commander set with a distinctive, cinematic flavor. Price context: roughly around $1 in current markets, reflecting its niche but meaningful utility for the right deck. The card’s design—colorless mana, triple-mode flexibility—exemplifies how Magic continues to reward creative drafting and thoughtful deck-building in every format. 🧙‍♂️

Looking for more ways to blend clever drafting with collector’s flavor? The Duskmourn set invites you to chase moments that feel like the turning of a page in a mythic horror story, and I Will Savor Your Agony is a perfect companion for those late-night tabletop sessions where you’re chasing both narrative and edge. And yes, the ability to tailor the three modes to your moment—whether you’re hunting for removal, drawing toward your next line, or padding your life total—will often be the difference between a shrug and a triumphant grin as you twist fate on turn after turn. ⚔️

So next time you’re in that draft chair, consider the quiet potency of a colorless scheme that lets you decide the pace of the game. It’s not flashy in the moment, but it’s relentlessly dependable across the late-game marathon that Magic Limited can become. May your picks be sharp, and may your schemes bend toward victory. 🧙‍♂️💎