The Flesh Is Weak MTG Card


Gains card advantage by reducing opponent’s board, increasing your comparative strength. Instant speed offers tactical flexibility, disrupting opponent plays effectively. Aids strategic planning with potential for devastating combo interactions.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

When The Flesh Is Weak enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them are artifacts in addition to their other types. Nonartifact creatures get -1/-1.


Cards like The Flesh Is Weak

The Flesh Is Weak is a nuanced member within the realm of creature removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. It can be likened to other infamy-casting cards like Doom Blade, renowned for its straightforward ability to quickly dispatch a non-black creature with no additional benefits. The Flesh Is Weak, however, requires a bit more strategic planning to achieve its full potential by not only destroying a creature but also boosting others that survived the ordeal.

Cards such as Gruesome Fate have similar vibes, focusing on dishing out damage or offering an effect based on the number of creatures you control. However, unlike The Flesh Is Weak, Gruesome Fate doesn’t change the board state by removing opposing threats. Then, there’s Barter in Blood, another parallel within this space, compelling each player to sacrifice two creatures, a compelling symmetry that can upend the state of the game, much like the calculated destruction provided by The Flesh Is Weak, albeit in a more sweeping fashion.

Considering the depth of strategic application and the potential for turning the tide of a match, The Flesh Is Weak stands as a card with a unique flavor of creature removal, that skilled players can exploit to gain a significant advantage in the match.

Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Gruesome Fate - MTG Card versions
Barter in Blood - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Gruesome Fate - MTG Card versions
Barter in Blood - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to The Flesh Is Weak by color, type and mana cost

Birth of the Imperium - MTG Card versions
Birth of the Imperium - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing The Flesh Is Weak can be a significant move for gaining card advantage. This card’s ability to deal with an opponent’s creatures leaves you in a stronger position, potentially with more creatures on the board than your rival. It’s a smart way to outpace your opponent in terms of sheer card volume and battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: By affecting multiple creatures, The Flesh Is Weak can act as a resource accelerator. Clearing the board of smaller threats means your resources can be allocated more efficiently in following turns, allowing you to deploy larger threats or hold up mana for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of The Flesh Is Weak is a game-changer, providing flexibility in your play. You can wait until just the right moment during your opponent’s turn to weaken their creatures. This surprise factor can disrupt your opponent’s plans, giving you a substantial tactical advantage and potentially saving your creatures from combat or effects on the stack.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Flesh Is Weak demands a sacrifice from your hand, pressing you to part with other valuable options and potentially leaving you at a disadvantage if your hand is already running thin.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost necessitates specific mana, which can hinder its inclusion in multicolored or mana-flexible decks, potentially affecting deck-building strategies and limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the abilities it offers, The Flesh Is Weak carries a mana cost on the higher end. In a game where tempo plays a critical role, cheaper alternatives might provide similar benefits without slowing you down as much.


Reasons to Include The Flesh Is Weak in Your Collection

Versatility: The Flesh Is Weak offers a unique angle of gameplay, as it can serve as a formidable spell in both offensive and control strategies. By crippling your opponent’s creatures, it can turn the tide of the game in your favor, making it a diverse addition to any deck.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with effects that capitalize on diminished creature strength such as mass removal or -1/-1 counter synergies. It weaves together with cards that benefit from opponents losing creatures or having weakened defenses, enabling intricate and powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing environment where creature-based decks are dominant, The Flesh Is Weak can assert itself as an essential tool. Its ability to disrupt your opponents’ board presence makes it highly relevant, and could be the key card that gives you an edge in the current meta-game landscape.


How to beat

The Flesh Is Weak presents a unique challenge in MTG matches with its capacity to debilitate an opponent’s creatures. This spell allows players to topple any presumptive powerhouse on the board due to its -1/-1 counter distribution. To outmaneuver such a threat, players should pivot towards creatures that either have inherent resistance to such counters or can benefit from them. Cards capable of removing counters, like Hex Parasite, offer a direct solution to neutralize the effects of The Flesh Is Weak.

Another approach to sidestep the debuff is by using instant-speed spells that boost the toughness of your creatures, thus cushioning the impact and ensuring they survive the encounter. Indestructible creatures are not to be discounted as well since their immunity to destruction allows them to weather the hit from The Flesh Is Weak effortlessly. Moreover, focusing on creature types that regenerate or have self-recursion abilities might also nullify the attempted sabotage from your opponent.

In essence, while The Flesh Is Weak presents a significant hurdle, there are a variety of strategic methods to counteract it. Whether through enhancing the resilience of your creatures, utilizing removal abilities, or leveraging creature types with inherent countermeasures, players can maintain the upper hand and continue to thrive in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of MTG involves both understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each card and integrating them into a winning strategy. The Flesh Is Weak exemplifies such a card that, while potent, requires careful deck consideration and timely play. Whether you are fine-tuning a black-centric deck or seeking cards that complement your current playstyle, understanding the synergy and counterplay of cards like The Flesh Is Weak is paramount. We encourage you to delve deeper into the mechanics and strategies that can harness the full potential of this card in your matches. Advance your game knowledge with us, and discover how The Flesh Is Weak could become a formidable asset in your MTG arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Flesh Is Weak MTG card by a specific set like Warhammer 40,000 Commander and Warhammer 40,000 Commander, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the The Flesh Is Weak and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Flesh Is Weak Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-10-07 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Games Workshop.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 122★2015NormalBlackGames Workshop
22022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 1222015NormalBlackGames Workshop

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Flesh Is Weak has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The Flesh Is Weak card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-10-07 If The Flesh is Weak enters the battlefield while you control a nonartifact creature with 1 toughness and no +1/+1 counters on it, the last ability will cause its toughness to become 0 and it will die before the first ability can put a counter on it.
2022-10-07 The same happens if a nonartifact creature you control with no +1/+1 counters on it has damage marked on it equal to its toughness minus 1. For example, if a 5/5 creature was dealt 4 damage earlier in the turn and its controller resolves The Flesh Is Weak, that creature will die before the +1/+1 counter is placed on it.