Flaying Tendrils MTG Card

Grants card advantage by potentially removing multiple threats at once from the battlefield. Can delay opponent’s resource acceleration by clearing early mana dorks or token generators. Limits effectiveness to black-centric decks due to specific mana requirements.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Devoid

Text of card

Devoid (This card has no color.) All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn. If a creature would die this turn, exile it instead.

Only one Eldrazi stood against them, yet the defenders were outnumbered.

Cards like Flaying Tendrils

Flaying Tendrils offers an intriguing dynamic for players seeking board control in MTG. This card parallels with others like Infest, which also delivers the same amount of damage to each creature. However, Flaying Tendrils adds an exile effect to any creature that would die this turn, ensuring threats don’t return from the graveyard. Conversely, Infest lacks the exile component, allowing for possible recursion of creatures.

In comparison to Doomwake Giant, which provides a similar -1/-1 effect to your opponents’ creatures, Flaying Tendrils hits with a -2/-2 and sends creatures to exile, but it lacks the repeatability offered by the Giant’s Constellation ability. Then we have Cry of the Carnarium, which is remarkably similar to Flaying Tendrils but with an upgraded -2/-2 effect that applies even to creatures that weren’t on the battlefield as Flaying Tendrils resolved. This subtle difference can be significant in gameplay, affecting the decision of which card to integrate into your deck.

Ultimately, Flaying Tendrils stands out for its potential graveyard disruption, an essential strategy for players facing decks that rely on creature recursion. This makes it a worthy consideration in the realms of board-wipe and control cards within MTG.

Infest - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Cry of the Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Infest - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Cry of the Carnarium - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flaying Tendrils clears several creatures at once, often securing card advantage by dealing with multiple threats with a single spell.

Resource Acceleration: By wiping out early mana dorks or token generators, Flaying Tendrils can hinder your opponent’s resource acceleration, keeping you ahead on the board state.

Instant Speed: Although Flaying Tendrils operates at sorcery speed, its effect pairs well with instant-speed removals or counterspells, creating a comprehensive disruption package for your opponent’s strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Flaying Tendrils doesn’t force players to discard cards, it does share a common drawback in cards of its type by potentially clearing your own board. If you’re playing a creature-heavy deck, casting Flaying Tendrils might sweep away your own army along with your opponent’s, setting you back in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Flaying Tendrils requires one black mana and two colorless mana, which means that its effectiveness is somewhat limited to black-oriented or two-color decks. For players running three or more colors, it may be challenging to always have the specific mana available when needed, thus impacting deck consistency and fluidity in play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Flaying Tendrils is more expensive than some other creature control spells like Electrickery or Nausea, which can offer similar effects at a lower mana cost. Though Flaying Tendrils can be devastating against particular strategies, it’s possible that the mana investment may not always align with the speed and efficiency that some decks require.

Reasons to Include Flaying Tendrils in Your Collection

Versatility: Flaying Tendrils offers an effective board sweep against decks with an abundance of low-toughness creatures, making it a versatile pick for sideboards or even main decks depending on your local game environment.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with strategies that benefit from opponents losing creatures, such as enabling delve or enhancing the potency of death-triggered abilities within your own deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by aggressive creatures and token strategies, Flaying Tendrils can be an exceptional counter, clearing the board to give control decks breathing room or stopping aggro decks in their tracks.

How to beat

Flaying Tendrils presents a challenge on the battlefield, often sweeping away creatures with lesser power. Its ability to potentially decimate your side of the board can be intimidating. However, there are strategies to outmaneuver this formidable card. Prioritize creatures with toughness greater than three, as Flaying Tendrils only impacts those with less. Including indestructible creatures in your deck also offers resilience against such sweepers.

Additionally, leverage counter spells to prevent Flaying Tendrils from resolving. Should your creatures get caught in its destructive path, utilize cards that can resurrect them from the graveyard or others that benefit from death triggers. By adopting these strategies, you can turn the tide of the game and render Flaying Tendrils considerably less effective against your deck. It’s about adapting to the threat and ensuring your deck is robust enough to withstand such powerful board wipes.

Ultimately, while Flaying Tendrils can be a formidable card, understanding its mechanics and preparing your deck to counteract its effects can help secure your position in the game. With the right setup, you can mitigate its impact and maintain control of the battlefield.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flaying Tendrils MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Friday Night Magic 2016, 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 Flaying Tendrils and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Flaying Tendrils Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2016-01-22. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 615612015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
22016-01-01Friday Night Magic 2016F16 92015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
32016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 702015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flaying Tendrils has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-01-22 Creatures that Flaying Tendrils would cause to die will be exiled instead. The game doesn’t check to see which creatures die until after Flaying Tendrils has finished resolving.
2016-01-22 Only creatures that are on the battlefield as Flaying Tendrils resolves will get -2/-2. However, any creature that would die that turn will be exiled, even if it wasn’t on the battlefield or wasn’t a creature as Flaying Tendrils resolved.