Infected Vermin MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Rat |
| Abilities | Threshold |
| Released | 2001-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Odyssey |
| Set code | ODY |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 144 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Anthony S. Waters |
Text of card
o B: Infected Vermin deals 1 damage to each creature and each player. Threshold o3o B: Infected Vermin deals 3 damage to each creature and each player. (Play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)
Cards like Infected Vermin
Infected Vermin brings a unique touch to the pestilent creatures’ repertoire in Magic: The Gathering. Alongside Plague Rats and Festering Goblin, Infected Vermin thrives in a deck focused on utilizing harmful creatures. But what distinguishes it is its potential to disrupt opponents through life depletion when it’s put into a graveyard from play. Plague Rats lacks this capability, as it mostly serves to strengthen its power and toughness in numbers.
Contrasting with Infected Vermin, Festering Goblin provides an immediate effect on the board, allowing you to weaken an opponent’s creature upon death – but without the lingering life drain. Rotting Rats is another comparable card, presenting both players with the downside of discarding a card. While it doesn’t directly deal damage, its unearth ability gives it a temporary edge on the field. Pestilence Rats is a different form of adversary, with its power tied to the number of black cards a player controls, offering a persistent threat that scales over the game.
Bringing all these aspects into viewpoint, Infected Vermin stands out as a strategic choice for MTG enthusiasts crafting a deck that consistently saps an adversary’s life through creature demise and graveyard mechanics.
Cards similar to Infected Vermin by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sporting a repeatable effect, Infected Vermin provides you with the potential to whittle down your opponent’s hand or deck. Each activation can lead to gradual card advantage as you consistently affect the board state or the resources at your opponent’s disposal.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or treasure tokens, the ability to disrupt an opponent’s gameplay with Infected Vermin can indirectly accelerate your resources. By dealing with key creatures or threats, Infected Vermin lets you stay ahead in the resource battle, effectively saving you mana that would otherwise be spent handling those threats.
Instant Speed: One of Infected Vermin’s strengths lies in its instant speed activation. This versatility means that you can adapt to the state of the game at a moment’s notice, choosing the optimal time to use its debilitating effect. Whether it’s during your opponent’s end step or in response to a game-changing play, the instant speed of this card’s ability allows you to maintain the element of surprise and control.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Infected Vermin requires players to discard a card as part of its activation cost. This can deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: The Infected Vermin card has a specific mana cost that includes black mana, which could restrict its playability to mono-black or certain multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that some may consider steep for the effect it provides, this card could be passed over for others that offer more immediate or impactful results with a lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Infected Vermin in Your Collection
Versatility: Infected Vermin offers diverse utility. It’s a creature that presents both an offensive and defensive threat, useful in attrition strategies where each resource counts.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks focusing on poison counters or those utilizing sacrifice mechanics to control the board while delivering incremental damage.
Meta-Relevance: With an environment that favors resilience and incremental advantage, Infected Vermin can become a key component in disrupting your opponent’s game plan while fortifying your own.
How to beat
Infected Vermin brings an interesting dynamic to the battlefield in MTG, where its capability to deal damage to each opponent when it dies might look daunting at first. The key to overcoming this pesky creature lies in managing the battlefield. Board control spells or direct removal before Infected Vermin can pose a serious threat are effective strategies. Cards like Shatter the Sky or Doom Blade can dispose of it on your terms, rather than letting its death trigger disrupt your game plan.
Additionally, graveyard manipulation is a sound tactic. By using cards that exile creatures from graveyards, such as Scavenger Grounds or Bojuka Bog, you can prevent Infected Vermin’s pestilence from spreading beyond the battlefield. Moreover, countering it upon casting with spells such as Counterspell ensures that it never gets a chance to unleash its nuisance.
Tactics aside, timing is everything. Keeping a watchful eye on your opponent’s mana and anticipating the drop of Infected Vermin could very well determine the difference between a close call and a detrimental blow. With careful play and preemptive measures, claiming victory against this card becomes a manageable feat, keeping your MTG matches in your control.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Infected Vermin MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Infected Vermin 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Infected Vermin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |