Infiltrate MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2000-02-14
Set symbol
Set name	Nemesis
Set code	NEM
Number	33
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nelson DeCastro

Key Takeaways

Infiltrate grants combat advantage, enabling card draw from unblocked damage.
Instant speed play allows for tactical defensive bypassing with Infiltrate.
Combos with Infiltrate can unlock powerful synergistic creature effects.

Text of card

Target creature is unblockable this turn.

Getting in was the easy part. Getting out proved to be more difficult.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Infiltrate offers an opportunity to draw a card when unblocked creatures deal combat damage, setting you up for strategic hand development and potential game-changing plays.

Resource Acceleration: While Infiltrate itself doesn’t generate additional mana or tokens, the card can ensure the survival of key attackers, effectively preserving the resources committed to them and allowing for sustained board presence.

Instant Speed: Casting Infiltrate at instant speed gives you the upper hand, allowing you to wait until the opportune moment to ensure your creature’s unblockability, effectively navigating around your opponent’s defenses.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Infiltrate has a discard condition that can be a double-edged sword. While it may fuel graveyard strategies, it also runs the risk of depleting your hand especially when you’re struggling with card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Infiltrate, you need precise mana alignment, which includes blue mana. This requirement can make it challenging to include in multi-colored decks that may not have consistent access to blue sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Infiltrate’s unblockable effect is potent, the card demands a higher mana investment compared to some other options. This can be less economical in formats where tempo plays a crucial role, and players seek to maximize efficiency.

Reasons to Include Infiltrate in Your Collection

Versatility: Infiltrate offers a unique advantage to decks that need an efficient way to sneak creatures past blockers. It’s particularly useful in blue-based creature strategies that prioritize direct damage or effects when hitting the opponent.

Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for synergies with creatures that have abilities triggered by dealing combat damage, amplifying the potential for powerful plays and unexpected victories in both casual and competitive matches.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shift towards creature-heavy board states in current gameplay, Infiltrate can be a critical asset. It allows strategic players to bypass crowded battlefields and maintain pressure, keeping opponents on their toes and ensuring your key creatures connect where it matters most.

How to beat

Infiltrate is an intriguing card in the world of MTG, offering players stealth and combat trickery. It allows a creature to become unblockable for a turn, which can lead to surprise victories and disrupted opponent strategies. Yet, like every card, Infiltrate has its weaknesses and can be countered effectively.

To outmaneuver Infiltrate, one should focus on versatile removal spells or effects that don’t rely on blocking. Cards like Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push can be a timely answer to the creature before Infiltrate takes effect. Another strategy includes the use of instant-speed removal or bounce spells during the declare attackers phase, which removes the threat before it can deal damage. Additionally, utilizing counter spells such as Mana Leak or Dovin’s Veto can stop Infiltrate before it can impact the game. In this way, maintaining open mana and awareness of the opponent’s potential for making a creature unblockable are key in keeping control of the match.

Being prepared for such sneaky tactics ensures that Infiltrate doesn’t catch you off guard. Having a well-thought-out defensive plan is paramount for maintaining an edge against opponents who rely on such surprises in their gameplay approach.

Cards like Infiltrate

Infiltrate in Magic: The Gathering offers a unique tactic for blue deck enthusiasts looking to ensure their creatures can strike without obstacle. It shares a kinship with the likes of Artful Dodge, which also grants a creature the ability to become unblockable for a turn. What sets Infiltrate apart is its potential to be reused, thanks to the flashback mechanic, enabling a second use from the graveyard.

Dive Down serves as an alternative, attempting to protect creatures via hexproof and a minor toughness boost. While it doesn’t make creatures unblockable, its protective capacity can help keep key creatures on the board longer. Distortion Strike is another relative, giving not only unblockability but also a slight bump in power, and just like Infiltrate, it can be reused with its rebound ability.

Assessing these options, Infiltrate may not provide the lasting board presence or power increase of its cousins, yet its simplistic and direct approach to clearing the path for vital attacks makes it a stealthy player in the MTG card pool for tactics focused on precision and evasion.

Cards similar to Infiltrate by color, type and mana cost

Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions

Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Infiltrate MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis, 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 Infiltrate and other MTG cards: