Consume Strength MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Delivers a 2-for-1 advantage, strengthening yours while weakening an opponent’s creature at instant speed.
  2. Demanding specific mana types, it’s best suited for decks that can harness both black and green mana.
  3. Despite its cost, it’s a strategic pick for its flexibility and impact on the game’s dynamics.

Text of card

Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Another target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

As Multani's troops invaded Urborg, the decay of the swamp became a feast for the living.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Consume Strength stands out as a nifty tool for tipping the scales in terms of card economy. By bolstering your creature while weakening an adversary’s, it effectively acts as a two-for-one exchange, often removing an opponent’s threat while enhancing your own board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Consume Strength doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, its efficiency in terms of mana cost to effect can indirectly conserve resources. This can lead to a better allocation of mana in subsequent turns, allowing for a more aggressive or strategic approach.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Consume Strength adds an element of surprise and tactical depth to gameplay. It permits players to wait until the most opportune moment before committing to a play, potentially disrupting opponents’ plans and generating advantageous combat scenarios on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Consume Strength asks for a sacrifice, demanding that you dispose of another card upon playing. This can create a challenging scenario when your hand is already running thin and each card holds significant strategic value for imminent plays.

Specific Mana Cost: A mix of black and green mana is needed to cast this spell. This requirement confines it to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana, potentially excluding it from more flexible or mono-color strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring a total of three mana, including one black and one green, makes Consume Strength a somewhat weighty choice in the heat of the game. Players might opt for lower-cost alternatives that can still turn the tide of battle without as hefty a mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Consume Strength offers dual utility, providing both a power boost to your creatures and weakening an opponent’s threat in a single cast. This flexibility makes it a fit for a variety of deck strategies that focus on combat or removal of key threats.

Combo Potential: This card can be a cog in a machine that takes advantage of +1/+1 counters or targeted removal. Its ability to alter the board state can synergize with cards that trigger on creature death or stat changes, enhancing deck dynamics significantly.

Meta-Relevance: Given a metagame where creature interactions are pivotal, Consume Strength’s ability to tip combats in your favor and its potential disruption to opponent’s board presence can be exceptionally impactful. This adaptability can help tailor your game plan against a wide array of opposing deck types.


How to beat

Consume Strength is an action-packed card that can sway the tides of a Magic: The Gathering match. This spell allows a player to weaken an opponent’s creature while bolstering their own. Knowing its dual nature is key to formulating a strategy to counter it. When up against Consume Strength, maintaining mana for instant-speed removal spells ensures you can disrupt your opponent’s plans before they gain the upper hand. Utilizing cards that grant hexproof or shroud can also protect your creatures from falling victim to this potent card. Negating buffs is another avenue—cards that reset creature statistics or remove counters can diminish the impact of Consume Strength’s strengthening aspect. Allies and Artifacts that prevent targeting or provide instant indestructibility help safeguard your board, leaving your opponent’s Consume Strength without a suitable target, thus thwarting their attempt to tip the battlefield in their favor. Being prepared for this card’s versatility will be a cornerstone of defense in your arsenal.


Cards like Consume Strength

Consume Strength plays a vital role in decks focused on simultaneously weakening the opponent’s creatures while bolstering your own. In Magic: The Gathering, it’s similar to other cards like Agony Warp which also offers a blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. Agony Warp, however, doesn’t permanently augment your creature’s power like Consume Strength with its +2/+2 boost. It also affects only one creature unlike Consume Strength, which has the potential to alter the state of two creatures on the battlefield.

Another parallel can be drawn with Unholy Strength, which permanently increases a creature’s power and toughness. Though it offers the benefit of being more cost-efficient with only a single black mana required, it lacks the flexibility and immediate impact on the opponent’s board that Consume Strength provides. The card Strangling Soot delivers a somewhat comparable effect by destroying a target creature and offering the upside of flashback to use the effect again. Yet, it doesn’t empower your own creatures in the process.

In essence, Consume Strength affirms its unique position in the arsenal of Magic: The Gathering cards, blending offensive power with defensive disruption — a duality that is difficult to match, offering strategic depth to gameplay.

Agony Warp - MTG Card versions
Unholy Strength - MTG Card versions
Strangling Soot - MTG Card versions
Agony Warp - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Unholy Strength - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Strangling Soot - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Consume Strength by color, type and mana cost

Strength of Night - MTG Card versions
Putrefy - MTG Card versions
Grim Contest - MTG Card versions
Strength of Night - The List (PLST)
Putrefy - Fallout (PIP)
Grim Contest - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Consume Strength MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, 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 Consume Strength and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Consume Strength Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2001-06-04 and 2014-03-14. Illustrated by Adam Rex.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-06-04ApocalypseAPC 931997normalblackAdam Rex
22014-03-14Duel Decks: Jace vs. VraskaDDM 742003normalblackAdam Rex

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Consume Strength has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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