Distemper of the Blood MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 126
2019-11-07 - Number 906
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-126
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Madness |
Text of card
Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn. Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
Cards like Distemper of the Blood
Distemper of the Blood has carved its niche among the host of pump spells in Magic: The Gathering with its unique twist on player and creature interaction. It echoes the mechanics found in spells like Rush of Adrenaline, giving a creature a swift boost in both power and toughness. The edge Distemper of the Blood holds is the delirium bonus, potentially providing an even greater increase if there are enough card types in your graveyard.
Another card with a linked theme is Brute Strength. While it offers a comparable immediate power and toughness enhancement, it lacks the condition-based upside that Distemper of the Blood affords. Without the delirium mechanic, Brute Strength’s boost remains constant, potentially less impactful in a match where the graveyard setups can significantly shift the board state. From yet another angle, we observe Titan’s Strength which also amplifies a creature but skew towards buffing power and providing scry instead. This presents a different strategic advantage focusing on deck manipulation rather than leveraging graveyard contents.
Assessing pump spells in Magic: The Gathering reveals the diverse strategic approaches available. Distemper of the Blood stands out for its potential to leverage graveyard strategies, offering players an opportunistic edge in the heat of battle.
Cards similar to Distemper of the Blood by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Distemper of the Blood offers a significant boost to your creature’s power and toughness while also allowing you to draw a card if you have delirium. This can tip the scales in your favor during combat and refill your hand, keeping the pressure on your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: While Distemper of the Blood itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its low mana cost effectively conserves resources for other spells and threats. This efficiency helps maintain a swift and active presence on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Distemper of the Blood at instant speed gives you the flexibility to surprise opponents during combat or at the end of their turn. This unpredictability can lead to advantageous trades and better control of the game tempo.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Distemper of the Blood is that it demands discarding a card to cast it. This requirement can deplete your hand quickly, especially if you are already struggling to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Distemper of the Blood requires red mana, making it a better fit for mono-red or red-inclusive decks. If your deck isn’t well-tuned to generate red mana, this card could be cumbersome or even unplayable when you need it most.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card provides a boost by giving a creature +2/+2 and trample until end of turn with madness, its regular casting cost might not always justify the inclusion in a speed-focused deck. There are alternatives that might offer a more efficient use of mana or a more immediate impact on the game state.
Reasons to Include Distemper of the Blood in Your Collection
Versatility: Distemper of the Blood thrives in aggressive strategies, making it a solid pick for any red deck looking to increase its damage output sharply. Its ability to empower a single creature with both a stat boost and haste allows for instant impact plays, tailoring the way for unexpected and rapid victories.
Combo Potential: Utilizing this card in combination with creatures that have beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects or when recasting creatures from the graveyard amplifies its effectiveness. This plays well with strategies incorporating self-mill or reanimation, enabling you to re-use important creature abilities while also granting them a decisive power surge.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where speed can dictate the winner, Distemper of the Blood can shift the balance in your favor. It’s particularly potent against control decks that might not be prepared for an accelerated threat, making it an essential inclusion for those looking to outpace opponent setups and dominate the early game.
How to beat
Distemper of the Blood is a card that often catches players off guard with its sudden burst of power in the game. It’s a red sorcery that can quickly turn the tide by giving a creature a potent boost in both power and toughness for a single turn. Not only that, but if you have a creature with madness, which refers to the ability to cast a card for an alternative cost if it’s discarded from your hand, the Distemper of the Blood also bolts your creature with a permanent +1/+1 counter.
The key to countering this card lies in maintaining a strategic defense and making timely decisions. This can include holding back removal spells to disrupt the timing of your opponent’s play, ensuring creature removal is at the ready during the casting phase, and carefully tracking your opponent’s mana availability to predict when they might cast the spell. It’s also effective to limit the size of your opponent’s creatures since the boost from Distemper of the Blood becomes less significant on smaller creatures.
While the impact of Distemper of the Blood can be dramatic, with careful play and anticipation, its influence can be minimized, allowing players to maintain control of the board and ultimately, the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Distemper of the Blood MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Distemper of the Blood 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 Distemper of the Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Ben Maier.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 126 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ben Maier | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 906 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ben Maier | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | EMN-126 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ben Maier |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Distemper of the Blood has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |