Quick Answer

Castaway's Despair is a common Enchantment — Aura from XLN (XLN) costing {3}{U}. Current price: $0.14 USD. Legal in Modern. Legal in Commander.

Castaway's Despair MTG card

Castaway's Despair

Enchantment — Aura

Card Text

Enchant creature When this Aura enters, tap enchanted creature. Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.

Card Stats

common CMC: 4.0 XLN XLN 🎨 Chris Rahn
Enchant

What kind of card is this?

Use these role hubs to find similar staples, upgrades, and answers.

Roles are still being computed for this card.

Market Prices

TCGPlayer
$0.14
Normal
Buy
Card Kingdom
$0.35
Normal
Buy
Cardmarket
€0.07
Normal
Buy
Cardmarket
€0.19
Foil
Buy
Prices updated: 2025-12-16

Format Legality

Brawl Legal
Commander Legal
Duel Legal
Gladiator Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pauper Legal
Paupercommander Legal
Pioneer Legal
Timeless Legal
Vintage Legal

Similar Cards

Other Printings (2 total)

Community Stats

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Comments

Often Played With

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Castaway's Despair? Basics

Castaway's Despair is a Enchantment — Aura card from the Magic: The Gathering trading card game.

Its ability reads: "Enchant creature When this Aura enters, tap enchanted creature. Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step."

How much mana does Castaway's Despair cost to cast? Basics

Castaway's Despair has a mana cost of {3}{U}, which equals 4.0 total mana (converted mana cost/mana value).

It requires U mana to cast.

What does mana cost mean in Magic: The Gathering? Basics

Mana cost is the amount and type of mana required to cast a spell in Magic: The Gathering.

Castaway's Despair's mana cost of {3}{U} means you need to pay that much mana from your lands or other sources.

Colored symbols (W=White, U=Blue, B=Black, R=Red, G=Green) must be paid with that specific color, while numbers can be paid with any color.

What is converted mana cost (CMC) or mana value? Basics

Converted mana cost (now officially called "mana value") is the total amount of mana in a card's mana cost, regardless of color.

Castaway's Despair has a mana value of 4.0. This is important for effects that care about a spell's total cost, like cascade or cards that say "mana value 3 or less."

What is oracle text? Basics

Oracle text is the official, current rules text for a Magic card as maintained by Wizards of the Coast. It supersedes any printed text on older cards.

Castaway's Despair's current oracle text is: "Enchant creature When this Aura enters, tap enchanted creature. Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step."

What is the current price of Castaway's Despair? Pricing

The current market price for Castaway's Despair is approximately $0.14 USD on TCGPlayer.

On Cardmarket (Europe), it's approximately €0.07 EUR.

Where can I buy Castaway's Despair? Pricing

You can purchase Castaway's Despair from major MTG retailers including:

Prices vary by condition and printing. Check multiple sellers to find the best price.

What is the difference between normal and foil cards? Pricing

Foil cards have a shiny, holographic finish that makes them more collectible. They are functionally identical to normal cards but typically cost more due to their rarity and visual appeal.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Standard? Legality

Format legality information for Castaway's Despair in Standard is not available.

Standard is a rotating format that only allows cards from the most recent sets.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Modern? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Modern format.

Modern includes all cards printed in a standard-legal set from 8th Edition forward.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Commander (EDH)? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Commander (EDH) format.

Commander is a casual multiplayer format where you build a 100-card singleton deck around a legendary creature.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Pioneer? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Pioneer format.

Pioneer is a non-rotating format that includes all standard-legal sets from Return to Ravnica forward.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Legacy? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Legacy format.

Legacy allows almost all cards ever printed, with a substantial ban list for balance.

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Vintage? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Vintage format.

Vintage is the most permissive format, allowing almost all cards with only a minimal ban list. Some powerful cards are "Restricted" (limited to 1 copy).

Is Castaway's Despair legal in Pauper? Legality

Castaway's Despair is Legal in Pauper format.

Pauper only allows cards that have been printed at common rarity in a paper or online set.

What is format legality in MTG? Legality

Format legality indicates which official MTG formats allow a card to be played:

  • Legal: Card is allowed in the format
  • Banned: Card is prohibited from play
  • Restricted: Limited to 1 copy (Vintage only)
  • Not Legal: Card was never part of that format's card pool

Different formats have different banned lists based on power level and game balance.

What set is Castaway's Despair from? Details

This printing of Castaway's Despair is from XLN (XLN), with collector number 281.

Castaway's Despair may also appear in other MTG sets with different art or special treatments.

What is Castaway's Despair's rarity? Details

Castaway's Despair is a common card in XLN.

Card rarity affects both availability and price. From rarest to most common: Mythic Rare → Rare → Uncommon → Common.

Who illustrated Castaway's Despair? Details

Castaway's Despair was illustrated by Chris Rahn.

Magic: The Gathering features artwork from hundreds of talented artists, and many cards have been reprinted with new art over the years.

💬 Card Discussion

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