Fear MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 23 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. MTG Card Fear showcases powerful avoidance tactics, negating blockers and slipping past enemy defenses.
  2. This mechanic proves crucial in black-centric decks, emphasizing the color’s theme of intimidation and control.
  3. Fear grants strategic advantages in gameplay, allowing for direct assaults on an opponent’s life total.

Text of card

Target creature cannot be blocked by any creatures other than artifact creatures and black creatures.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Fear mechanic in Magic is a legitimate way of gaining a card advantage over your opponents. A creature with Fear can only be blocked by artifact creatures and/or creatures that are black. This allows the card owner to bypass defense and attack directly, often aiding in a swift victory.

Resource Acceleration: In the realm of MTG, Fear serves as a potent resource accelerator. If induced correctly, it can force your opponent into using their resources recklessly for blocking or removing your Fear creatures. This paves the way for you to speed up your game plan by continuously putting pressure on the opponent.

Instant Speed: Some spells with Fear can be cast at instant speed, adding another layer of strategic depth to your game. It allows you to surprise your opponent during their turn, disrupting their plan, and maintaining the rhythm of the game in your favour.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The nature of Fear cards means they often require the discarding of a card as an additional cost. This can pose a disadvantage, particularly when resources are tight or during fast-paced games where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Fear cards specifically require black mana for activation, which can significantly limit their use to only certain deck types. These cards aren’t as flexible and can’t fit in every deck configuration.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Furthermore, the mana cost for Fear cards is often high in comparison to other cards offering similar effects. This takes up more of your precious mana, limiting the number of plays you can make in a turn. Moreover, there are alternatives out there in the diverse MTG universe that might prove to be more mana-efficient.


Reasons to Include Fear in Your Collection

Versatility: Fear is known for its broad reach across various deck types. Primarily popular in black-themed decks, its ability to make a creature unblockable except by black and artifact creatures, it gives an edge in any matchup.

Combo Potential: Fear works great in conjunction with other black and artifact strategies. Utilizing it allows creatures to bypass defenses, creating brilliant attack opportunities and potent combinations with other cards for devastating effects.

Meta-Relevance: Looking at the current MTG meta, Fear comes out shining especially against decks lacking in black and artifact creatures. Its tactical edge makes it a valuable addition when considering the meta-game. Its ability gives it an advantage, making your collection stronger and more competitive.


How to Beat

Fear, a powerful enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe, can turn the tide of the match in a wink. It cloaks a creature, enabling it to be blocked only by artifact creatures and black creatures – a strategic advantage that can swiftly swing the game balance.

Luckily, there are tactics to counter this. Erase, a simple but effective spell, allows you to unbind enchantment cards, neutralizing the threat of Fear. If you are fond of blue spells, counters like Cancel, or Dispel can deal with Fear before it lands on the play board. Artifacts like Phyrexian Revoker also inhibit the abilities of a card, making it just another piece on the board.

Similarly, cards designed for protection, like Brave the Elements or Apostle’s Blessing, can be your shield, delaying Fear’s dread-enhanced creature’s impending assault. If all else fails, board-clearing spells like Wrath of God or Day of Judgment can reset the field, rendering Fear futile.

Understanding how to mitigate the Fear card’s impact can drastically affect your gameplay. These strategic moves ensure that you can face with confidence any threats hidden in your opponent’s deck.


BurnMana Recommendations

Listed among the deeper facets of Magic the Gathering is the profound understanding of how cards like those inciting fear can shape a duel. Mastering such strategies is akin to becoming conversant in a secret language where each card can dramatically alter the battleground. Embark on this path with fervor – for in MTG, knowledge and boldness forge the path to victory. Enrich your acumen, refine your collection, and transform each shuffling of your deck into an anticipation of success. We warmly welcome you to delve further, enhance your capabilities, and rise to the echelon of master strategists within the enchanting realm of MTG. Learn more with us and claim your rightful place amongst the esteemed realm of victors.


Cards like Fear

The MTG card Fear creates a distinctive playing experience in the MTG universe. Akin to the fear mechanic are Intimidate and Menace mechanics. These are similar in function, forcing opponents to strategize unique ways to block, creating tensions alike to Fear.

Intimidate restricts blocking to artifact creatures or creatures sharing a color with the attacker, much like Fear, which only allows black creatures and artifacts to block. Fear creates an almost unbeatable attack situation, its intrinsic power lying in the restriction it imposes to opponents.

Meanwhile, Menace takes a different pathway, requiring at least two creatures for a successful block, putting the opponent in a tight spot if their creature count is running low. Drawn comparisons reveal that though Fear may not always ascertain dominance, it surely adds a thrilling element to the game.

Though there are other similar features in MTG, the fear mechanic stands apart with its unique restrictions on blocking, launching a wave of unprecedented challenges to opponents. So, while evaluating various substitute cards, MTG card Fear undoubtedly adds an exciting twist to game strategies.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fear MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Fear and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Fear Magic the Gathering card was released in 18 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1081993normalblackMark Poole
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1091993normalblackMark Poole
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1091993normalwhiteMark Poole
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1091993normalblackMark Poole
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1091993normalblackMark Poole
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1111993normalblackMark Poole
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1111993normalwhiteMark Poole
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1111993normalwhiteMark Poole
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1371993normalwhiteMark Poole
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1371993normalblackMark Poole
111995-06-03Ice AgeICE 1241993normalblackRick Emond
121997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 1621997normalwhiteDoug Keith
131999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 1291997normalwhiteDoug Keith
142001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1351997normalwhiteAdam Rex
152001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 135★1997normalblackAdam Rex
162003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1342003normalwhiteAdam Rex
172003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 134★2003normalblackAdam Rex
182005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 129★2003normalblackAdam Rex
192005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1292003normalwhiteAdam Rex
202007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 142★2003normalblackAdam Rex
212007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1422003normalblackAdam Rex
222022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4021997normalblackMark Poole
232022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1052015normalblackMark Poole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fear has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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