Path of Peril MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cleave

Key Takeaways

  1. Path of Peril excels at changing the game’s momentum through its mass creature removal capability.
  2. The card’s cleave cost adds strategic depth, allowing flexibility in spellcasting and resource management.
  3. Despite potential downsides, its versatility and meta-relevance make Path of Peril a strong deck addition.

Text of card

Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.) Destroy all creatures
-ith mana value 2 or less].


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Path of Peril provides a crucial advantage by potentially wiping out multiple creatures your opponents control with a single card. This clear-the-board ability is exceptionally good for swinging the game’s momentum in your favor by disrupting opponent plans and maintaining control.

Resource Acceleration: While Path of Peril itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its affordable casting cost for its initial effect allows you to maintain mana resources for other spells in your arsenal. Additionally, effectively clearing the board can be seen as a form of indirect resource acceleration as it might save your mana and cards from being spent on individual creature removals in future turns.

Instant Speed: Though Path of Peril operates at sorcery speed, its flexibility through its cleave cost allows for strategic planning and the deployment of other instant-speed interactions within the same turn it’s cast. This pair-up potential ensures that you can maximize your turns for efficiency and impact.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One aspect of Path of Peril that can be seen as a downside is the requirement to have enough cards in hand to leverage its Cleave cost for maximum effect. This can be problematic if your hand is depleted and you’re in need of holding onto every card.

Specific Mana Cost: Cast for its normal mana cost, Path of Peril fits well into black-based control decks. However, its Cleave cost involves a more challenging mana requirement, specifically needing black and two generic mana, which could potentially create casting issues in multicolored or mana-tight scenarios.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial cost for Path of Peril is reasonable for its base effect, but when considering utilizing the Cleave option, the cost becomes significantly steeper. There are alternatives in the metagame that may achieve similar board-clearing goals without the added expense of the higher Cleave cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Path of Peril is a flexible card that enhances a variety of decks across different formats. With its ability to clear the board of smaller creatures, it’s particularly useful in Commander games where the battlefield can become quickly congested.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with other graveyard mechanics or spells with cost reduction themes. It easily slots into decks focused on casting from the graveyard or maximizing spell value.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prominence of aggro and token strategies in the current meta, Path of Peril stands out as a solid option. It handles swathes of creatures efficiently, maintaining board control to your advantage.


How to beat

Path of Peril holds a strong presence on the battlefield in the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a modal double-faced card, it offers versatility with its ability to either clear out multiple creatures with low toughness or be used as a land when needed. When tackling this card, it’s essential to anticipate the clean sweep it can offer and play around it. Controlling the timing of your creature plays and maintaining a diverse range of creature toughnesses can mitigate the impact of a sudden Path of Peril. Additionally, keeping creatures in your hand to rebuild after a board wipe is a sound strategy.

Moreover, utilizing cards that grant your creatures indestructible or grant them a toughness boost can render Path of Peril less effective. It’s also beneficial to include counterspells or hand disruption in your deck, allowing you to preemptively remove Path of Peril from your opponent’s game plan or counteract it on the stack before it becomes a threat. Having these strategies up your sleeve gives you a line of defense against this potentially game-swinging card.

In essence, while Path of Peril can be daunting, with thoughtful play and deck construction, you can outmaneuver its wrath and maintain a robust standing in your match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the tactical depths of MTG, Path of Peril emerges as a cornerstone for control strategies. Its utility in clearing the board of smaller creatures or seizing the game with its cleave cost makes it a versatile piece in any deckbuilder’s toolkit. Assess each match carefully; whether to use its base effect or strategically leverage the cleave option can pivot the direction of your gameplay. Remember, balance in your card collection is key. With the insights gained from understanding Path of Peril’s strengths and limitations, you can deftly navigate your matches. Feed your curiosity and enhance your MTG arsenal; follow us to discover how Path of Peril can transform your game plan.


Cards like Path of Peril

Path of Peril carves its niche within the realm of board-clearing spells in MTG. Its closest relative might be the well-recognized Damnation, which, for the same four mana cost, wipes out all creatures without distinction. Path of Peril is unique with its cleave cost, providing flexibility to bypass its own limitation of only targeting creatures with mana value two or less.

Exploring other parallels, we come across Day of Judgment. Costing one mana less than Damnation, it also clears the board of creatures, yet unlike Path of Peril, it lacks the adjustability the cleave mechanic offers. Languish is another spell to consider; while not a complete board wipe, it reduces each creature’s toughness by four, which can be equally decisive and fits a similar mana curve.

Ultimately, Path of Peril offers a dynamic and strategic option for players. It stands out by combining conditional removal with the potential for full-scale creature wipeouts, giving it a valued place in MTG decks that favor adaptability and control.

Damnation - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions
Damnation - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Day of Judgment - Zendikar (ZEN)
Languish - Magic Origins Promos (PORI)

Cards similar to Path of Peril by color, type and mana cost

Vindicate - MTG Card versions
Legions to Ashes - MTG Card versions
Lingering Souls - MTG Card versions
Ass Whuppin' - MTG Card versions
Immortal Servitude - MTG Card versions
Inkling Summoning - MTG Card versions
Vindicate - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Legions to Ashes - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Lingering Souls - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Ass Whuppin' - Unhinged (UNH)
Immortal Servitude - Gatecrash (GTC)
Inkling Summoning - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Path of Peril MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Path of Peril and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Path of Peril Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Kasia 'Kafis' Zielińska.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 953452015normalblackKasia 'Kafis' Zielińska
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3732015normalblackKasia 'Kafis' Zielińska
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 1242015normalblackKasia 'Kafis' Zielińska
42022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 3912015normalblackKasia 'Kafis' Zielińska

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Path of Peril has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-11-19 A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value.
2021-11-19 If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost.
2021-11-19 If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack.
2021-11-19 You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost.

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