Card Spotlight
Smothering Tithe
A four-mana white enchantment. Whenever an opponent draws a card, that player may pay {2}; if they don't, you create a Treasure token.
Commander Spotlight
Smothering Tithe ↗
A four-mana white enchantment. Whenever an opponent draws a card, that player may pay {2}; if they don't, you create a Treasure token.
See Smothering Tithe's full stats and printings →
Strategies it goes well with
- White ramp. It gives white a ramp source that scales with the number of opponents rather than a single extra mana.
- Forced draws. Cards that make opponents draw extra, such as Howling Mine and Windfall, give Tithe more triggers each turn.
- Tax pressure. Like Rhystic Study, it costs opponents mana even when they pay, which slows their own development.
How it does in Commander
As the commander
It's an enchantment, never a commander. It goes in the 99 of a white deck.
In the 99
One of white's best ramp cards in any deck that can afford a Game Changer slot. In Bracket 3 it competes with your other Game Changers for three spots, and in Brackets 1 and 2 it isn't allowed.
Formats it's strong in
- White decks in Bracket 3 and up. It fixes white's ramp problem and makes more mana the longer the game goes.
- Group-hug and wheel decks. Every extra card your opponents draw is another chance for a Treasure.
Formats it's weak in
- Bracket 1 and 2 tables. Game Changers aren't allowed in those brackets.
- Very fast games. At four mana it needs several turn cycles of draws to pay back its cost, which a fast pod may not give it.
Synergistic cards
Howling Mine ↗
Each player draws an extra card in their draw step, which gives each opponent a second Tithe trigger per turn.
Windfall ↗
Every player discards and draws, so each opponent draws several cards at once and can rarely pay {2} for all of them.
Kami of the Crescent Moon ↗
The same extra draw step as Howling Mine on a creature, for a blue deck running Tithe.
Rhystic Study ↗
The card-draw version of the same tax, and also a Game Changer, so the pair uses two of a Bracket 3 deck's three slots.
Is it worth the price?
Smothering Tithe is expensive. It was printed in Ravnica Allegiance and has been reprinted in Double Masters 2022, Commander Masters and Secret Lair, and the price has stayed high. Worth buying for a white deck in Bracket 3 or higher; a poor buy for a deck meant to stay in Brackets 1 and 2.
Frequently asked questions
How many Treasures does Smothering Tithe make?
At a four-player table, at least three a turn cycle if nobody pays, because each opponent draws in their draw step. Extra draws from cards like Howling Mine or a wheel trigger it again. Paying {2} per card is expensive enough that opponents usually let some through, especially in the early turns.
Is Smothering Tithe a Game Changer?
Yes. It's on the Game Changers list, so it isn't allowed in Brackets 1 and 2, counts as one of the three Game Changers allowed in Bracket 3, and has no limit in Brackets 4 and 5.
Why is Smothering Tithe good in mono-white?
White has the least ramp of any color, and Treasure makes mana of any color, so Tithe is both the ramp and the fixing a white deck usually lacks. The Calling All Angels upgrade guide lists it as a higher-investment upgrade for that reason.