Plague Beetle MTG Card
1999-02-15 - Number 64
2001-04-11 - Number 155
2001-04-11 - Number 155★
2003-07-28 - Number 154
2003-07-28 - Number 154★
2005-07-29 - Number 154
2005-07-29 - Number 154★
2007-07-13 - Number 168★
2007-07-13 - Number 168
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Insect |
| Abilities | Swampwalk |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Swampwalk (If defending player controls a swamp, this creature is unblockable.)
It is the harbinger of disease, not the carrier.
Cards like Plague Beetle
Plague Beetle is an understated yet potentially impactful creature card in Magic: The Gathering. Though it seems humble with its 1/1 stats and single black mana cost, this creature stands tall alongside similar cards in the category of one-drops. Sanguophage, for instance, offers larger beginning stats at the cost of a potentially damaging upkeep effect, a trade-off some players might find less preferable when looking to maintain life points.
We also find Foul Imp in comparative discussion, another black creature with an introductory cost of two life points alongside its mana cost. While Foul Imp starts off stronger with 2/2 stats, Plague Beetle snuck its way into some players’ decks because it doesn’t dent their life total. Then there’s Vampire Lacerator, renowned for its aggressive 2/2 body for a single mana, but with a stipulation that can drain life if your opponent’s health isn’t low enough, making Plague Beetle a less risky early-game play.
Assessing these alternatives highlights the careful balance of benefits and caveats in Magic: The Gathering’s one-mana creature cards. Plague Beetle offers a simple, straightforward option for decks, avoiding the extra conditions its counterparts carry, which can be strategic in certain play styles.
Cards similar to Plague Beetle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Plague Beetle may not directly lead to card draw, its low casting cost and synergy with other cards can indirectly contribute to maintaining card advantage. It can swiftly occupy the board and apply pressure, forcing your opponent to deal with it and potentially opening up avenues for card advantage through other means.
Resource Acceleration: Plague Beetle can be a key piece in black mana decks focused on resource acceleration. Although it doesn’t generate additional mana or treasure tokens, its mere presence can encourage a game state that favors your strategic setup for ramping up your resources quickly.
Instant Speed: While Plague Beetle itself isn’t an instant, its one-mana cost allows you to keep mana open for instant-speed interactions on your opponent’s turn. This flexibility ensures that you can continue to develop your board presence while still holding back resources for crucial reactive plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Plague Beetle doesn’t ask for a card to be discarded, it could lead to such a situation indirectly. If you’re trying to make room for it in a tightly constructed deck, another potentially more useful card might have to be sacrificed, which can feel like a discard.
Specific Mana Cost: Plague Beetle requires a specific color (black) to cast, which can be a limitation for non-monochromatic or multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary mana available. This could potentially disrupt your game plan or curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its relatively low cost, when considering the card’s overall impact and abilities, Plague Beetle’s cost efficiency could be questioned. There are other one-drops that might provide more value or versatility within the same mana range, which can lead players to choose alternatives over the Beetle in deck building.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Plague Beetle’s status as a low-cost creature makes it a suitable choice for aggressive Black decks aiming to establish board presence from the first turns of the game. Its simple requirement of one Black mana means it can easily fit into mono-Black or multicolor strategies.
Combo Potential: With synergies in decks that capitalize on sacrificial mechanics or the need to maintain a creature count, Plague Beetle can serve a key role. Paired with cards that benefit from death triggers or creature counts, this modest insect can quickly become an important cog in a more complex machine.
Meta-Relevance: Given its resilience to sorcery-speed removal due to Skulk, the Plague Beetle can remain a nuisance on the battlefield. Its ability to dodge certain removal spells makes it a savvy addition, especially if the current meta is dense with sorcery-based control.
How to beat
Plague Beetle is a modest creature card that can be found stealthily creeping through the dim corners of the MTG universe. With just one black mana to cast, this unassuming insect offers a simple, yet effective starting play for those employing a black-based deck. Despite its low cost and 1/1 stats, it has the distinctive ability to be unblockable by creatures with power 2 or more, slipping past larger defenses with ease.
To outmaneuver this tiny nuisance, it’s essential for players to employ stratagems that don’t rely on power blocks. Removal spells that can specifically target creatures regardless of their power, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can effortlessly swat the beetle from the battlefield. Spells that decrease a creature’s toughness to zero are equally effective, as well as overarching board wipes like Wrath of God that don’t discriminate based on size or abilities. Additionally, one could deploy low-cost creatures with a power of 1 or less to halt its approach, fortifying the defense through numerical superiority.
Ultimately, while the Plague Beetle can be an early-game aggravation, it can be readily dealt with through a diverse set of strategies, ensuring that players keep their defenses adaptable and ready to address these skittering threats.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Plague Beetle MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and Seventh Edition, 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 Plague Beetle 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
Printings
The Plague Beetle Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-02-15 | Urza's Legacy | ULG | 64 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tom Fleming | |
| 2 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 155 | 1997 | Normal | White | Matt Cavotta | |
| 3 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 155★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Matt Cavotta | |
| 4 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 154 | 2003 | Normal | White | Matt Cavotta | |
| 5 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 154★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Matt Cavotta | |
| 6 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 154 | 2003 | Normal | White | Tom Fleming | |
| 7 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 154★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tom Fleming | |
| 8 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 168★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tom Fleming | |
| 9 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 168 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tom Fleming |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Plague Beetle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |