Call for Blood MTG Card

Call for Blood offers card advantage, using sacrifice for strategic creature removal. Resource acceleration is possible with sacrifice-triggered benefits from this card. Instant speed casting of Call for Blood allows for reactive and versatile play.

Call for Blood - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
2005-02-04 - Number 63

Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
2005-08-22 - Number F52

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant — Arcane

Text of card

As an additional cost to play Call for Blood, sacrifice a creature. Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.

Cards like Call for Blood

Call for Blood presents an intriguing twist on creature enhancement and removal strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It mirrors aspects of cards like Hatred, enabling a player to pay life to increase a creature’s power—though Hatred boosts solely for a turn, Call for Blood permanently attaches its boost as a +1/+1 counter.

Another card with a related mechanic is Unspeakable Symbol, which trades life for +1/+1 counters, similar to Call for Blood. However, the flexibility of Unspeakable Symbol allows counters to be spread across multiple creatures while Call for Blood is a one-shot investment focused on a single creature’s growth. In comparison, Altered Ego shares the +1/+1 theme but diverges in execution, as it clones a creature and optionally adds +1/+1 counters without life payment, showcasing a different dynamic of flexibility versus card and life cost.

Every card presents unique strengths that suit different playstyles. Players looking for a substantial, lasting enhancement to their creature at a potentially steep life cost might find Call for Blood a fitting choice in the realm of MTG, making it a potentially powerful card under the right circumstances.

Cards similar to Call for Blood by color, type and mana cost

Death of a Thousand Stings - MTG Card versions

Rescue from the Underworld - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Call for Blood offers a significant tactical edge through its ability to sacrifice creatures you control in return for weakening an opponent’s creature. This trade-off often results in a two-for-one scenario, tipping the scales in favor of card advantage as enemy creatures are removed while you potentially capitalize on death triggers from your own.

Resource Acceleration: While Call for Blood doesn’t directly generate mana or tokens, it can be a catalyst for resource acceleration in decks built around sacrifice mechanics. By using creatures that yield benefits when they die, such as those creating mana upon death or drawing cards, Call for Blood can indirectly accelerate your resources while disrupting opponent strategies.

Instant Speed: One of the key strengths of Call for Blood is that it operates at instant speed. This allows for dynamic play, offering you the flexibility to respond to threats during your opponent’s turn or at the end of it, maximizing your strategic options and keeping adversaries guessing about your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Call for Blood Mtg card demands a card to be discarded in order to cast it. This prerequisite can be detrimental during gameplay requiring crucial hand management, especially if your hand size is dwindling or each card is key to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes both black and generic mana, Call for Blood can be less flexible for players running multi-color decks that might not always have the necessary black mana available when they need it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for casting Call for Blood is substantial when considering other cards in the game. Leaving a player with four less mana could prevent them from playing other significant spells during their turn, potentially impacting their board presence and momentum.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Call for Blood is a card that can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of black decks due to its ability to be a removal or a combat trick. It’s especially powerful in decks that capitalize on sacrificing creatures for greater benefit or running a high toughness theme.

Combo Potential: This card offers substantial combo potential. It can be a key piece in strategies that benefit from self-sacrifice or death triggers. Whether it’s triggering morbid abilities or enabling graveyard synergies, Call for Blood can act as a versatile combo enabler.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to deal with high-power threats in creature-centric metas, Call for Blood maintains relevance. It’s a smart addition to your arsenal if the environment leans towards building around and protecting key creatures, turning their strength into a liability.

How to Beat

Call for Blood is a nuanced Magic: The Gathering card that can shape the battlefield to your advantage. With its ability to take down opposing creatures, understanding the strategies to combat this card is vital. The key to overcoming Call for Blood lies in maintaining a high-count of creatures on your side or utilizing creatures with indestructible attributes to nullify the card’s effects.

Another effective tactic is to focus on spell-based removals or exile effects that can manage the threats before Call for Blood can be used effectively. Consider leveraging an arsenal of instant-speed spells that can disrupt your opponent’s plans to use Call for Blood as a removal tool. Lastly, having counterspells to anticipate and prevent this card from resolving can turn the tides in your favor, ensuring you maintain board control and minimize your opponent’s opportunities to capitalize on its life payment and power boost.

Countering Call for Blood successfully results in preserving your creatures and continues your game strategy without interruption. Staying one step ahead of this card is crucial for a tight grip on the match’s outcome.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Call for Blood MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa and Salvat 2005, 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 Call for Blood and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Call for Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-02-04 and 2005-08-22. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2005-02-04	Betrayers of Kamigawa	BOK		63	2003	Normal	Black	Carl Critchlow
2	2005-08-22	Salvat 2005	PSAL		F52	2003	Normal	White	Carl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Call for Blood has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2005-02-01	Uses last known information for the sacrificed creature’s power.
2005-02-01	You may sacrifice the creature chosen as the target for Call for Blood (if you control it) when you pay the additional cost for the spell. If you do, Call for Blood doesn’t resolve.
2013-04-15	Players can only respond once this spell has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.
2013-04-15	You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you cannot cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you cannot sacrifice additional creatures.