Breeding Pit MTG Card
1994-11-01 - Number 35
1997-03-24 - Number 148
2007-09-10 - Number 62
2009-04-10 - Number 53
2014-12-05 - Number 53
2019-11-07 - Number 585
2020-09-26 - Number DDC-53
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
During your upkeep, pay o Bo B or bury Breeding Pit. At the end of your turn, put a Thrull token into play. Treat this token as a 0/1 black creature.
The Thrulls bred at a terrifying pace. In the end, they overwhelmed the Order of the Ebon Hand.
Cards like Breeding Pit
Breeding Pit is a unique enchantment within Magic: The Gathering that offers a steady source of creature tokens. Much like the card Awakening Zone, which generates colorless Eldrazi Spawn tokens, Breeding Pit allows players to build a formidable creature presence. One key difference lies in the upkeep cost; Breeding Pit requires a life payment to maintain its influence on the battlefield, while Awakening Zone does not.
Exploring further, we have From Beyond, another card that steadily churns out Eldrazi Scions. It bears a similar function to Breeding Pit, but brings flexibility in being able to sacrifice Scions for mana, in addition to no life cost, albeit at a higher initial mana investment. Additionally, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, showcases how creature generation can be tied to spellcasting, a different yet synergistic avenue compared to the upkeep-triggered Breeding Pit.
Weighing these comparable cards, Breeding Pit holds its ground as a valuable component in strategies centered around creature generation and sacrifice, despite its life tax. Its potential to empower sacrifice-driven decks cannot be underestimated, positioning it as a notable option among its peers.
Cards similar to Breeding Pit by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Breeding Pit is designed to steadily increase your creature count, essentially offering a way to create card advantage. Every upkeep, you gain a new 0/1 Thrull token without spending any additional cards from your hand, thus expanding your board presence and resources available for future plays.
Resource Acceleration: The continuous stream of Thrull tokens can be crucial for decks that leverage creatures as a resource. Whether it be for sacrificing to power up other cards or for building a swarm strategy, these tokens facilitate faster development of your in-game strategy through incremental advantage each turn.
Instant Speed: While Breeding Pit itself is an enchantment that operates at sorcery speed, the creatures it generates can be crucial at instant speed. Having tokens available means you can respond swiftly during your opponent’s turn, using them for surprise blocks or as fodder for abilities that can be activated at instant speed, thereby maximizing your flexibility and tactical options during the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Breeding Pit demands a consistent sacrifice of creatures, which might put a strain on your creature resources and limit board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specific black mana cost, requiring a solid base of Swamp or black mana-producing lands, potentially restricting deck versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial cost and an upkeep, it’s deemed pricey for the incremental advantage it provides, meaning it may not align well with more aggressive or tempo-based strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Breeding Pit fits well into deck strategies that thrive on creature sacrifice or require a consistent stream of creatures for various abilities and synergies.
Combo Potential: This card can act as an engine in conjunction with effects that capitalize on creature death or token generation, enhancing your ability to execute complex and powerful combos.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where slower, grindy playstyles are prevalent, Breeding Pit provides ongoing value that can influence the game’s outcome by providing a steady source of fodder for various sacrificial effects.
How to beat
Breeding Pit is an enchantment that can become troublesome if left unchecked on the battlefield. It taps into an incremental advantage by generating a 0/1 Thrull creature token during each of your upkeeps. This persistent ability can quickly amass a sizable army for your opponent, especially in decks that use creature sacrifices for greater gains. However, several strategies can dismantle the value generated by Breeding Pit.
A direct approach to tackle this card is through enchantment removal. Cards such as Disenchant, Mortify, or even Back to Nature can efficiently remove Breeding Pit before the board gets overwhelmed. If its tokens have already started to accumulate, sweepers like Supreme Verdict or Wrath of God can reset the board, nullifying the token advantage. Another method is attacking the Pit’s mana requirement by using land destruction or by casting cards that prevent the opponent from being able to pay the upkeep cost, thus forcing them to sacrifice the Pit itself. Targeted discard like Thoughtseize allows players to preemptively deal with this threat before it hits the table.
Controlling the tide of Thrull tokens and keeping Breeding Pit off the board can be key to overcoming the long-term advantage it provides to your adversary.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Breeding Pit MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Fifth Edition, 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 Breeding Pit and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Breeding Pit Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-11-01 | Fallen Empires | FEM | 35 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 2 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 148 | 1997 | Normal | White | Adrian Smith | |
| 3 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 62 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Anson Maddocks | |
| 4 | 2009-04-10 | Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic | DDC | 53 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Adrian Smith | |
| 5 | 2014-12-05 | Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic | DVD | 53 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adrian Smith | |
| 6 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 585 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Adrian Smith | |
| 7 | The List | PLST | DDC-53 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Adrian Smith |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Breeding Pit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Breeding Pit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Breeding Pit must actually be on the battlefield at the beginning of the endstep in order for you to get a Thrull. The getting of the Thrull is not part of paying the upkeep, it is part of having the card on the battlefield. |