Delirium is an MTG ability word, first introduced in Shadows over Innistrad. It has since returned multiple times, most recently in Duskmourn: House of Horrors.
In this article, you’ll find explanation of delirium rules, and how to best utilize this mechanic. We’ll also answer question about special scenarios and edge cases. Let’s get to it.
How Does Delirium Work?
A card with delirium is improved if you have four or more different card types in your graveyard.
Typically, these cards still do something even if you don’t meet the condition (4+ card types in graveyard), but once you do you unlock a bonus of some sorts.
A quick refresher about card types. It’s a characteristic that every Magic card has, and appears in the type line. In total, 9 different card types exist:
- Artifact
- Battle
- Creature
- Enchantment
- Instant
- Kindred (formerly Tribal)
- Land
- Planeswalker
- Sorcery
With that said, here are some examples to better illustrate how delirium mechanic works.
Examples
Traverse the Ulvenwald is a straightforward rare from Shadows over Innistrad. It utilizes the delirium mechanic.
Even when you don’t have delirium, you can pay a single green mana to search your library for a basic land card. Useful, albeit not particularly powerful.
But let’s say your graveyard contains a land, creature, sorcery, and instant. In that case, the delirium part of the card is unlocked. This means you can search your library for a creature or any land. For one mana, that’s an incredible deal, although you need to make some work getting all those card types in your graveyard.
Keep in mind that delirium can appear on various card types. For example, Fear of Missing Out is a creature from Duskmourn.
It’s a two mana 2/3, and when it comes into play you can discard a card and draw a card. This can help you get closer to delirium, so that’s useful.
What’s your reward for meeting the delirium condition? When you attack for the first time in a turn with this creature, you’re able to untap target creature and you get an additional combat phase. Now, that’s quite strong effect for a two drop.
MTG Delirium – FAQ
So, now you know the basics about delirium. Get four different card types in your graveyard, and your delirium cards unlock a bonus. However, there are still some edge cases, and weird scenarios you might not be familiar with.
We tried to cover the most commonly asked questions below. If you still don’t find the answer to your question, leave a comment at the end of the article and we’ll get back to you soon.
It’s the first words on the type line, so the types counted are: Artifact, Battle, Creature, Enchantment, Instant, Kindred (formerly Tribal), Land, Planeswalker, and Sorcery.
Quite nicely, as all of their card types count towards delirium. For example, if there’s Bitterblossom and Alpha Myr in your graveyard, that’s already 4 card types.
Only the card types from the front side provide card types for delirium. For example, Kumano Faces Kakkazan only counts as an enchantment, and not as a creature.
Obviously, your deck needs to contain at least 4 different card types, but preferably more. Instants and sorcery are easy to get into your graveyard, as you only need to cast them. Creatures will also fairly easily end up in the grave. Cards that sacrifice themselves, such as Lotus Petal, Mishra’s Bauble, and Seal of Fire are also good.
Self-mill is powerful too, as you can quickly get lots of cards into your graveyard without casting them.
Yes, you can. But you’ll want to have some self-mill and a lot of different card types. You’ll be able to learn more about how you can do that in our Duskmourn Draft Guide.
No, you don’t. If you no longer have 4+ different card types in your graveyard, your delirium condition is not met.
Conclusion
That’s all about the delirium mechanic. Now you should have a good idea of how it works, so you’ll be able to use it towards winning more games.
Do you like this mechanic and want to use it in Commander? In that case, we have some great news for you. Death Toll, one of the four Duskmourn Commander decks features delirium theme. So, you can play with it right out of the box, if that’s your jam.
Until next time, have fun and may your starting hands be so good, you’ll be feeling delirious.