Dalek Intensive Care MTG Card


Offers card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant speed responses to enhance gameplay strategy. Drawbacks include discard requirement, specific mana cost, and its higher comparative cost to alternatives. It adds versatility, combo potential, and meta-relevance when building decks around graveyard strategies.
Dalek Intensive Care - Doctor Who
RarityCommon
TypePlane — The Dalek Asylum
Released2023-10-13
Set symbol
Set nameDoctor Who
Set codeWHO
Number577
Frame2015
LayoutPlanar
BorderBlack
Illustred bySimon Dominic

Text of card

When you planeswalk to Dalek Intensive Care and at the beginning of your upkeep, exile a non-Dalek creature you control. If you do, create a 3/3 black Dalek artifact creature token with menace. It gains haste until end of turn. Whenever chaos ensues, target Dalek you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don't control.


Cards like Dalek Intensive Care

Dalek Intensive Care introduces a new dynamic within the realm of creature support cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives might be spells like Sheltering Light, which offer protection to your creatures, albeit through making them indestructible for a turn rather than through the recovery of health. Dalek Intensive Care however, has the upper hand in being able to not just protect but also in many cases rejuvenate a creature from the brink of defeat.

Another card worth mentioning in this sphere is God’s Willing, providing protection from a color of your choice, until end of turn, and letting you scry 1. While this doesn’t heal your creatures, like Dalek Intensive Care, it allows for strategic defense and potential board advantage with its scrying ability. Then there’s Mending Touch, which prevents destruction of a creature by regenerating it. Dalek Intensive Care differs in that it doesn’t prevent an incoming threat, but helps in the aftermath by replenishing a creature’s vitality, possibly sustaining your forces for a longer duel.

Overall, within such diverse methods of supporting and maintaining creature stability, Dalek Intensive Care proves to be a vigorous option for recovery strategies, especially favoring long-term survival and the fortification of your board presence.

Sheltering Light - MTG Card versions
Mending Touch - MTG Card versions
Sheltering Light - MTG Card versions
Mending Touch - MTG Card versions

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Celestine Reef - MTG Card versions
Stairs to Infinity - MTG Card versions
The Great Forest - MTG Card versions
Sea of Sand - MTG Card versions
Izzet Steam Maze - MTG Card versions
Cliffside Market - MTG Card versions
Agyrem - MTG Card versions
Sokenzan - MTG Card versions
Raven's Run - MTG Card versions
Velis Vel - MTG Card versions
Academy at Tolaria West - MTG Card versions
Naar Isle - MTG Card versions
Minamo - MTG Card versions
The Fourth Sphere - MTG Card versions
Pools of Becoming - MTG Card versions
Prahv - MTG Card versions
The Zephyr Maze - MTG Card versions
Kharasha Foothills - MTG Card versions
Trail of the Mage-Rings - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dalek Intensive Care ensures a steady flow of card advantage by letting you peek into your deck’s future plays. It’s a strategic beacon for those moments when you need to draw into your power plays, providing the insight you need to outmaneuver your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This card not only siphons valuable resources from the fabric of the game but also propels you forward by potentially unlocking vital mana sources. With each play, you’re ramping up your capacity to unleash spells and creatures faster than usual, keeping the pressure on your adversary.

Instant Speed: Reactivity is crucial in MTG, and with Dalek Intensive Care at your fingertips, you’re prepared to disrupt your opponent’s tactics at the speed of light. It’s the shield and sword in your arsenal—ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice to ensure your strategy remains uninterrupted.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dalek Intensive Care demands a card to be discarded as part of its casting cost. This can put a strain on your hand, particularly if your strategy relies on maintaining card advantage or if you’re already facing hand disruption from opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: The precise mana requirements to cast Dalek Intensive Care may hinder its integration in multicolored decks. It necessitates a strong commitment to its color identity, potentially clashing with a deck’s mana base and affecting its overall flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that is on the higher side, Dalek Intensive Care might lag behind in the race against lower costed alternatives. Players often have access to other cards that can provide similar or better benefits without the hefty mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dalek Intensive Care can be a tactical addition to decks that are looking to capitalize on creature revival strategies. Its ability to return a creature from the graveyard to play under certain conditions can serve multiple archetypes, adding depth to gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with sacrificial mechanics, allowing players to re-use powerful creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or creatures that have died earlier in the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given its solid interaction with graveyard mechanics, Dalek Intensive Care is particularly relevant in metas where graveyard-based strategies are prevalent, offering a counterbalance to common removal tactics.


How to beat

Dalek Intensive Care presents a unique challenge on the Magic: The Gathering battlefield. This card, known for its defensive capabilities, can often seem like an impenetrable fortress. However, clever strategy and foresight are key to overcoming it. One effective method is to employ cards that nullify abilities or impose silence, thereby negating Dalek Intensive Care’s protective power. Artifact removal spells are particularly potent as they can directly dismantle the threat, leaving your opponent’s defenses weakened.

Timing your spells for maximum impact can turn the tide of battle. Using instant-speed removal or bounce effects right before your turn grants the opportunity to push forward unimpeded. In addition, focusing on decking strategies might bypass the need to confront Dalek Intensive Care head-on, as these approaches aim to exhaust your opponent’s library rather than engage with their creatures. Taking advantage of these tactics can shift the balance, helping you to emerge victorious against the intimidating presence of Dalek Intensive Care.

Remember, flexibility and adaptability are your greatest tools in the game. Assessing the situation on the field and adjusting your strategy accordingly will always give you a fighting chance, especially against formidable cards like Dalek Intensive Care.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dalek Intensive Care MTG card by a specific set like Doctor Who, 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 Dalek Intensive Care and other MTG cards:

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