Vicious Offering MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Kicker
Released	2018-04-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dominaria
Set code	DOM
Number	110
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Anthony Palumbo

Key Takeaways

Serves as efficient removal, enabling card advantage with potential one-for-two trades during play.
Flexible mana cost with kicker offers strategic depth and tactical advantage in various scenarios.
Instant speed allows for on-the-fly adjustments, bolstering control over the game’s tempo.

Text of card

Kicker— Sacrifice a creature. (You may sacrifice a creature in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.) Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. If this spell was kicked, that creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn instead.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vicious Offering, being a removal spell, can swing the board state in your favor by efficiently dealing with an opponent’s threat. This card has the potential to create a one-for-two exchange, eliminating a key creature and preserving your creatures, leading to superior card economy during the match.

Resource Acceleration: Although Vicious Offering doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it helps maintain tempo with its low-cost efficiency. The kicker ability can leverage expendable tokens or undesired creatures to bolster its effect, effectively utilizing available board resources to your advantage.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed spells is in their flexibility, and Vicious Offering is no exception. Its ability to be cast anytime allows you to navigate complex combat situations, disrupt your opponent’s end-of-turn plays, or simply remove key threats at the most opportune times, giving you significant control over the flow of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Vicious Offering effectively hinges on the need to sacrifice a creature. This can be a significant drawback when you’re struggling to maintain board presence, or when your creatures are too valuable to forfeit for an instant speed removal.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s base cost might appear modest, but to unlock its full potential – the -5/-5 until end of turn – you need one black mana. This requirement can be prohibitive in multicolored decks or situations where your mana base is compromised.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other instant-speed removal spells, the kick cost that elevates Vicious Offering from serviceable to superb can seem steep. In fast-paced games or competitive formats, allocating four total mana to remove a single threat may not be the most mana-efficient play.

Reasons to Include Vicious Offering in Your Collection

Versatility: Vicious Offering is a reliable removal spell that can fit into various deck archetypes. Its low mana cost allows it to be slotted into aggressive strategies while it’s kick ability gives it late game utility in more controlling builds.

Combo Potential: With the option to sacrifice a creature, Vicious Offering works particularly well in decks that benefit from self-sacrifice mechanics. It can be used to enhance strategies that trigger upon a creature dying or to manage your own board for strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: Given the presence of creature-heavy decks in many metas, having flexible removal spells is crucial. Vicious Offering’s capability to take down larger threats, thanks to its kick option, adds an invaluable tool to tackle various creature-based strategies that dominate the play environment.

How to beat

Vicious Offering is one of those skill-testing cards in Magic: The Gathering that can turn games around with its sacrifice mechanic. This card allows players to remove an opponent’s creature with a potential -5/-5 penalty, which is substantial in many gameplay scenarios. However, this power can be mitigated by being strategic about creature management on the battlefield.

Maintaining a board state with creatures that have toughness greater than five makes it more difficult for an opponent to utilize Vicious Offering to its full extent. Additionally, playing cards that can regenerate or indestructible creatures can nullify the impact of Vicious Offering altogether. It’s also wise to keep an eye on the number of creatures your opponent has—as they need a creature to sacrifice in order to activate the kicker part of Vicious Offering. Limiting their creatures through removal or counters can reduce the effectiveness of their card.

Understanding and anticipating when an opponent might use a removal spell like this—and planning your turns accordingly—can often be the difference between a win or a loss. Keeping a varied and resilient board, while managing opposing threats, is key to overcoming the challenge that Vicious Offering presents.

Cards like Vicious Offering

Vicious Offering is a notable card in Magic: The Gathering when it comes to removal spells. Its closest relatives in the realm of MTG include cards like Fatal Push, which also serves as a low-cost solution to get rid of creatures. However, Vicious Offering carves a niche for itself with its kickstarter option, enabling the removal of much larger threats at the cost of sacrificing a creature, something Fatal Push cannot achieve without a separate triggering event.

Another comparison is drawn with Murder, a card that can destroy any target creature regardless of its size for three mana. While Vicious Offering requires a sacrifice to deal with bigger creatures, Murder doesn’t demand any additional costs. Yet, the flexibility that comes with Vicious Offering’s two mana options allows for strategic plays that can accommodate various game scenarios.

Ultimately, Vicious Offering finds its place in MTG as a versatile and strategic tool, offering players the ability to manage threats on the board efficiently. It’s the synergistic potential with sacrificing creatures and the modular mana cost that makes it a compelling choice for those building decks geared towards control and resourceful playmaking.

Cards similar to Vicious Offering by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vicious Offering MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria, 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 Vicious Offering and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vicious Offering has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal