Profane Transfusion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost9
RarityMythic
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Profane Transfusion can dramatically shift game dynamics, offering a surprise element with its instant speed play.
  2. Its ability to swap life totals creates new win conditions, making it a strategic game-changer in late phases.
  3. Despite its high mana cost, Profane Transfusion can be a winning investment in carefully constructed decks.

Text of card

Two target players exchange life totals. You create an X/X colorless Horror artifact creature token, where X is the difference between those players' life totals.

"Those that fall short of perfection can still contribute to the Great Work." —Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Profane Transfusion offers a unique advantage by potentially shifting the tide in your favor through its massive life swap effect. This can lead to gaining a substantial life lead over your opponent, which effectively works as a form of card advantage by negating the effectiveness of your opponent’s previous turns.

Resource Acceleration: Though Profane Transfusion doesn’t directly produce mana or acceleration, its high mana cost is justified by the scale of impact it has on the game. Successfully casting this spell often accelerates your winning condition dramatically, given the significant shift in life totals it can create in your favor.

Instant Speed: As a spell that can be cast at instant speed, Profane Transfusion allows you to wait for the most opportune moment to disrupt the plans of your adversary. It can be a game-changer during the late phases of a match, when life totals are critical and the surprise element can swing the game’s momentum in your direction.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Like many powerful spells, Profane Transfusion requires strategic hand management. If your hand is scarce, playing this card could set you back, as it necessitates a careful balancing act with the cards you retain.

Specific Mana Cost: Profane Transfusion demands a rigorous mana setup with its black mana-specific cost. This can sometimes limit deck versatility, as you need to have a sufficient amount of black mana sources available to cast it, potentially complicating its inclusion in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The steep cost of nine mana to cast this card puts it in the range of high-cost spells, which means it’s typically reserved for the later stages of the game. Other spells or creatures could be cast with such a substantial investment, potentially impacting the speed and momentum of your gameplay.


Reasons to Include Profane Transfusion in Your Collection

Versatility: Profane Transfusion offers a unique twist on life manipulation. It can be a game-changer in decks that thrive on life total discrepancies, suitable for both multiplayer and one-on-one formats.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with strategies that benefit from sudden life total changes. It could potentially synergize with effects that trigger when life is gained or paid, setting up powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: Within certain metagames, particularly those that involve life-total-focused strategies or where high-impact plays can turn the tide, Profane Transfusion could be a potent sideboard option or even main deck surprise.


How to beat

Profane Transfusion is a powerful card that can drastically swing life totals in Magic: The Gathering. With its significant mana investment, this card requires a strategic approach to effectively counter it. One of the effective methods to undermine this card is by employing instant-speed disruption such as counter spells or hand disruption techniques that can preemptively remove it from an opponent’s hand before it is cast.

Another tactic is to maintain a vigilant stance and hold back instant-speed removal or damage spells, which can alter the battlefield in your favor in response to Profane Transfusion being played. This can be particularly useful if the opponent attempts to strategically set up a scenario where the life total exchange would be most devastating. It’s also critical to manage your life total and board presence wisely, as these can be crucial factors when facing transformative effects like those of Profane Transfusion.

Lastly, deckbuilding that includes versatile answers to big spells and a consistent strategy to apply pressure to the opponent can reduce the impact of high-cost game-changers like Profane Transfusion. Preparation and adaptability are key to overcoming the challenges posed by such potent cards in the game of MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

Profane Transfusion is no ordinary card and can serve as an ace up your sleeve in MTG. It has the power to reverse fortunes in a tight game with its life-swapping mechanic. As you assimilate the ins and outs of this card, think of how it could amplify your deck’s theme and playstyle. Whether it’s the backbone of a new strategy or a surprising addition to your current build, it’s a noteworthy contender for your collection. Curious about other game-altering cards or looking to refine your strategies further? We welcome all enthusiasts to continue this journey with us. Discover more and optimize your deck to stand victorious in the arena.


Cards like Profane Transfusion

Profane Transfusion stands out as a unique powerhouse in the realm of life manipulation spells in Magic: The Gathering. This card is akin to other spells such as Exsanguinate, which allows players to drain life from opponents based on the amount of mana invested. Where Profane Transfusion differentiates itself is in the colossal one-time life swap it offers, potentially upsetting the game’s balance in dramatic fashion. On the other hand, Exsanguinate provides a more gradual approach to life gain and loss.

We can also draw parallels with the spell Reverse the Sands. Both cards enable players to redistribute life totals, which can carve paths to victory out of seemingly certain defeat. However, Reverse the Sands offers a more controlled rearrangement among multiple players, whereas Profane Transfusion focuses on directly swapping the life totals of two targets. Another comparable card is Soul Conduit, which shares the life-swapping effect but lacks the surprise factor and additional creation of a X/X horror creature, a feature exclusive to Profane Transfusion.

Overall, Profane Transfusion’s combination of sudden life total exchange and creature creation provides a thrilling twist on traditional life manipulation cards, offering MTG players a formidable tool for turning the tides within the late game.

Exsanguinate - MTG Card versions
Reverse the Sands - MTG Card versions
Soul Conduit - MTG Card versions
Exsanguinate - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Reverse the Sands - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Soul Conduit - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Cards similar to Profane Transfusion by color, type and mana cost

Plague Wind - MTG Card versions
In Garruk's Wake - MTG Card versions
Rise of the Dark Realms - MTG Card versions
Skull Storm - MTG Card versions
Plague Wind - Masters 25 (A25)
In Garruk's Wake - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Rise of the Dark Realms - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Skull Storm - Commander 2018 (C18)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Profane Transfusion MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander Legends, 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 Profane Transfusion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Profane Transfusion Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Vincent Proce.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 859682015normalblackVincent Proce
22020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1452015normalblackVincent Proce
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 6532015normalblackVincent Proce

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Profane Transfusion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 If a player can't gain life, that player can't exchange life totals with a player with a higher life total. Similarly, a player who can't lose life can't exchange life totals with a player with a lower life total.
2020-11-10 Use the difference between the life totals after the exchange to determine the size of the Horror token. Because replacement effects can modify the life gain and life loss, this number may be different from what it was before the exchange.
2020-11-10 When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player's life total. For example, if one player has 10 life and the other has 17 life, the first player gains 7 life and the other one loses 7 life. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.

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