Thraben Foulbloods MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Dog
Abilities Delirium
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Thraben Foulbloods transforms to offer ongoing board threat without extra hand resources.
  2. Demands careful hand management due to its card discard requirement for optimal play.
  3. It’s a versatile card that fits into delirium strategies and enhances graveyard synergy.

Text of card

Delirium — Thraben Foulbloods gets +1/+1 and has menace as long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. (A creature with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

The famed hunting hounds of House Cecani continue to prove the quality of their pedigree.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thraben Foulbloods’ transformation into Incited Rabble is a one-card engine that can offer prolonged board presence. This means you maintain your threats on the field without needing additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: As part of the werewolf tribe, this card synergizes with other cards that also aim to control the pace of the game by not casting spells, thus potentially accelerating your resource development by having more potent creatures after a transformation.

Instant Speed: Although Thraben Foulbloods doesn’t operate at instant speed, the nature of its flipping mechanism takes advantage of turns where no spells are cast. This passive ability allows for strategic planning, as you can pass turns without casting spells to transform Thraben Foulbloods, saving mana for reactive plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate its key ability, Thraben Foulbloods requires you to discard another card. This condition demands careful hand management, as it can diminish your options and strategic flexibility during the round, particularly if you are already managing limited resources. Ensuring card advantage can be challenging when the requirement to discard comes into play.

Specific Mana Cost: Thraben Foulbloods has a casting cost that specifically requires black mana, which means it’s tailored for black or black-containing decks. This specificity can constrain deck-building options, as it may not fit well with decks that do not support sufficient black mana production or wish to minimize dependency on black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that sits at three mana, including two generic and one black mana, Thraben Foulbloods might compete with other cards at a similar cost bracket that offer more immediate impact or value on the board state. This mana investment can feel steep, particularly if you’re looking to maintain tempo and efficiency in your gameplay strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thraben Foulbloods brings adaptability to the table with its delirium ability. As a common creature with solid stats, it easily slots into budget decks and can evolve into a threat in the late game in limited formats.

Combo Potential: With its transformation into a stronger creature once delirium is achieved, it works well with self-mill strategies. It can be a cornerstone in a deck that takes advantage of the graveyard, enhancing overall synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that encourages graveyard interactions and rewards incremental advantages, Thraben Foulbloods gains significance. Its functionality in a game can pivot based on the dominant strategies, rewarding keen deckbuilders and players who know when to leverage its benefits.


How to beat

Thraben Foulbloods is a creature card that can be a formidable presence on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card becomes more powerful when you have delirium, as it gains +1/+1 and menace, making it harder to block. To successfully confront Thraben Foulbloods, it’s crucial to neutralize it before delirium activates or manage the types of cards that go into your opponent’s graveyard. This could involve using graveyard hate strategies or direct removal spells to dispatch the creature before it becomes a significant threat.

Control decks could incorporate efficient removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push to deal with Thraben Foulbloods right away. On the other hand, if you are playing a more aggressive strategy, ensure to keep the pressure high, forcing your opponent to make unfavorable blocks or to use their resources defensively. It’s also worth considering artifact or enchantment removal to target common delirium enablers that may lurk in your opponent’s deck. Ultimately, keeping Thraben Foulbloods off the field or limiting its potential through strategic planning and timely disruption will tip the scales in your favor.

Understanding your opponent’s deck mechanics and responding with the right answers will make Thraben Foulbloods far less threatening. Ensure to adjust your strategy accordingly and this card becomes just another stepping stone on your path to victory.


Cards like Thraben Foulbloods

Thraben Foulbloods is an intriguing creature card that has a home in decks that lean into the delirium mechanic within Magic: The Gathering. Its likeness can be seen in other cards such as Sengir Vampire, which also harnesses a power boost through the detrimental state of the opponent’s creatures. However, Sengir Vampire’s ability relies on destroying enemy creatures to grow stronger, whereas Thraben Foulbloods gains its power boost by achieving delirium.

Much like Thraben Foulbloods, Pitchburn Devils offers a potential late-game advantage, but through death rather than delirium. The Devils benefaction unfolds when they perish, dealing damage to any target, a marked difference from Thraben Foulbloods, which can become a stronger attacker while it’s alive given the right graveyard composition.

Ultimately, Thraben Foulbloods holds its own in decks built around delirium, providing an escalated threat as the game progresses. Pitchburn Devils and Sengir Vampire serve as a comparison for evaluating creatures that gain strength through different states of gameplay, yet Thraben Foulbloods stands out with its unique tie to the delirium mechanic.

Sengir Vampire - MTG Card versions
Pitchburn Devils - MTG Card versions
Sengir Vampire - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Pitchburn Devils - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Thraben Foulbloods by color, type and mana cost

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Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thraben Foulbloods MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Thraben Foulbloods and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Thraben Foulbloods Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Deruchenko Alexander.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 1082015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7932015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
32020-09-26The ListPLST EMN-1082015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
42023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 1352015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thraben Foulbloods has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-07-13 Menace only matters as blockers are chosen. Causing Thraben Foulbloods to gain menace after blockers are chosen won’t cause it to become unblocked.

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