Fanatical Fever MTG Card


Fanatical Fever - Ice Age
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameIce Age
Set codeICE
Number234
Frame1993
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJulie Baroh

Key Takeaways

  1. Fanatical Fever offers notable card advantage; surviving combat creates favorable board conditions.
  2. Instant speed allows for dynamic play, adjusting strategies with the pace of the game.
  3. Despite the discard cost and specific mana needs, its deck impact and versatility stand out.

Text of card

Target creature gains trample and gets +3/+0 until end of turn.

"Let go your fury, and hone your anger. Become the fist of Freyalise!" —Kolbjörn, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing Fanatical Fever in your deck offers the opportunity to tip the scales in your favor by ensuring that your creature not only survives combat but often eliminates an opponent’s card in the process, boosting your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This spell may not directly generate mana or treasure, but by efficiently clearing the way for a successful attack, it paves the path for you to utilize your creatures and other resources unimpeded, indirectly accelerating your resource utility.

Instant Speed: Fanatical Fever’s instant speed provides the flexibility to react swiftly and unexpectedly. This allows you to adapt to the battlefield as events unfold, potentially creating advantageous scenarios before the final outcome of any given turn is determined.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fanatical Fever forces you to discard a card to unlock its potential, which can backfire when your hand size is dwindling and each card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring three red mana, Fanatical Fever’s strict casting cost can constrain deck building flexibility and may be challenging to cast on curve outside of mono-red decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of four, Fanatical Fever is a substantial investment, especially when compared to other combat tricks or buff spells that can be more cost-effective.


Reasons to Include Fanatical Fever in Your Collection

Versatility: Fanatical Fever enables creature-based strategies to push for game-ending damage, slotting into various aggressive and combo decks with ease.

Combo Potential: This card works wonders with creatures that have tap abilities or effects that trigger when dealing damage, allowing for potentially game-winning interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where tempo and racing your opponent are prevalent, Fanatical Fever can unexpectedly tip the scales in your favor with a significant power boost.


How to Beat Fanatical Fever

Fanatical Fever is a unique card that can both invigorate and challenge players in MTG. It’s akin to other cards that boost a creature’s power temporarily, such as Giant Growth or Titanic Growth. However, what sets Fanatical Fever apart is its ability to grant trample, allowing excess combat damage to be dealt to your opponent, while simultaneously increasing a creature’s power significantly until end of turn.

To counter Fanatical Fever, consider cards that neutralize the threat before it can deal lethal damage. Spot removal spells like Path to Exile or Murder can be effective to dispatch the buffed creature. Additionally, employing defensive tactics with cards such as Fog can prevent all combat damage for a turn, negating this window of vulnerable exposure. Playing control elements like Counterspell can also stop Fanatical Fever from resolving in the first place.

Strategically, it pays off to keep mana open and cards in hand during the phase when Fanatical Fever is most likely to be cast, typically during the combat phase, to ensure you can deal with any unexpected power surges. The goal is to preempt its effect or manage the aftermath without losing critical life points or board presence.


Cards like Fanatical Fever

Fanatical Fever adds a unique twist to the combat trick pool in Magic: The Gathering. It is often compared to cards such as Brute Strength since both provide a temporary power boost to creatures. Fanatical Fever distinguishes itself by offering a much larger increase in power, though at a higher mana cost.

Another card that springs to mind is Rush of Adrenaline. Similar to Fanatical Fever, it confers both increased power and trample to a creature but at a very low mana cost. Rush of Adrenaline, however, grants a modest power bonus compared to the significant boost from Fanatical Fever. Then we have Titan’s Strength, which provides a substantial power spike and allows a scry, though it lacks the trample feature that makes Fanatical Fever effective at pushing through defensive lines.

Each of these cards caters to different strategies and playstyles. Players evaluating Fanatical Fever against its counterparts must consider elements such as mana efficiency, the magnitude of power increase, and additional abilities like trample to determine the best fit for their deck’s game plan.

Brute Strength - MTG Card versions
Rush of Adrenaline - MTG Card versions
Titan's Strength - MTG Card versions
Brute Strength - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Rush of Adrenaline - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Titan's Strength - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Fanatical Fever by color, type and mana cost

Storm Seeker - MTG Card versions
Trailblazer - MTG Card versions
Venomous Breath - MTG Card versions
Lure of Prey - MTG Card versions
Refreshing Rain - MTG Card versions
Snag - MTG Card versions
Might of Oaks - MTG Card versions
Elephant Ambush - MTG Card versions
Sudden Strength - MTG Card versions
Kamahl's Will - MTG Card versions
Dragonscale Boon - MTG Card versions
Force of Vigor - MTG Card versions
Garenbrig Carver // Shield's Might - MTG Card versions
Bloodscent - MTG Card versions
Mystic Melting - MTG Card versions
Stonewood Invocation - MTG Card versions
Heal the Scars - MTG Card versions
Gloomwidow's Feast - MTG Card versions
Slingbow Trap - MTG Card versions
Momentous Fall - MTG Card versions
Storm Seeker - Masters Edition (ME1)
Trailblazer - Ice Age (ICE)
Venomous Breath - Ice Age (ICE)
Lure of Prey - Mirage (MIR)
Refreshing Rain - Nemesis (NEM)
Snag - Prophecy (PCY)
Might of Oaks - Magic 2010 (M10)
Elephant Ambush - Odyssey (ODY)
Sudden Strength - Judgment (JUD)
Kamahl's Will - Commander Legends (CMR)
Dragonscale Boon - The List (PLST)
Force of Vigor - Modern Horizons 1 Timeshifts (H1R)
Garenbrig Carver // Shield's Might - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Bloodscent - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Mystic Melting - Coldsnap (CSP)
Stonewood Invocation - Time Spiral (TSP)
Heal the Scars - Lorwyn (LRW)
Gloomwidow's Feast - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Slingbow Trap - Worldwake (WWK)
Momentous Fall - Jumpstart (JMP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fanatical Fever MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Fanatical Fever and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fanatical Fever has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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