Plagued Rusalka MTG Card
2005-08-22 - Number F28
2005-08-22 - Number F40
2006-02-03 - Number 56
2012-09-07 - Number 46
2014-06-06 - Number 121
2015-05-22 - Number 89
2019-02-15 - Number 32
2019-11-07 - Number 736
2020-07-17 - Number 268
2020-09-26 - Number MM2-89
| Card sets | Released in 10 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
, Sacrifice a creature: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
Cards like Plagued Rusalka
Plagued Rusalka occupies a unique niche within Magic the Gathering as a low-cost creature capable of affecting the board state. When compared to other cards like Carrion Feeder, the Rusalka stands out. Carrion Feeder also capitalizes on sacrificing creatures, but unlike Plagued Rusalka, it grows stronger with each sacrifice without the ability to target creatures or players.
Another parallel can be drawn with Viscera Seer, which has a similar flavor in gameplay, allowing players to sacrifice a creature to scry and help shape future draws. The Rusalka, however, offers a different advantage by giving players the opportunity to whittle down an opponent’s creatures or chip away at their life total directly. Blisterpod presents yet another point of comparison, coming into play with a body and leaving behind resources upon death. While it provides value over time, Plagued Rusalka offers more immediate board interaction and tactical flexibility.
Contextualizing Plagued Rusalka within the suite of sacrificial creatures, it’s clear that its direct targeting ability sets it apart, creating opportunities for strategic removal that can be pivotal in tight matches.
Cards similar to Plagued Rusalka by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Plagued Rusalka provides strategic value by offering a sacrifice outlet, enabling you to utilize your creatures for an advantage even in the face of potential removal by your opponent. This can ensure that your resources are not wasted and may generate indirect card advantage by manipulating board states to your favor.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly influencing mana, Plagued Rusalka can be an asset in decks that benefit from creatures entering the graveyard. By accelerating your strategy and enabling graveyard synergies to come online sooner, it can act as a catalyst for your overall game plan, offering an alternative form of resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: The ability of Plagued Rusalka to operate at instant speed provides flexibility, allowing you to make decisions in response to your opponent’s actions. You can control the pace and make last-minute plays that can potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy or save your important pieces from exile or tuck effects.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Plagued Rusalka requires the sacrifice of a creature to activate its ability. This cost can be taxing on your creature resources and may not always be advantageous, particularly if you have a limited number of creatures on the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Plagued Rusalka’s ability necessitates one black mana. This requirement means that decks lacking a consistent source of black mana may find it challenging to incorporate and consistently use Plagued Rusalka’s ability within their strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While one black mana may seem low, its ability is less mana-efficient when considering the recurring need to sacrifice creatures. Over the course of a game, this can add up to a significant amount of mana and resources spent for the desired effect, which can potentially put you at a disadvantage.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Plagued Rusalka offers strategic flexibility across multiple deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on creature sacrifice for incremental advantages or graveyard synergies.
Combo Potential: This card plays a pivotal role in combo builds, acting as a repeatable sacrifice outlet to enable various powerful interactions and on-death triggers in game.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creature-based strategies, Plagued Rusalka becomes a utility player, disrupting opponent’s tactics or clearing the way for your own creatures to attack.
How to beat Plagued Rusalka
Plagued Rusalka shines as a strategic inclusion in decks that revolve around creature sacrifice for incremental advantage in MTG. This black creature card allows players to spend one black mana and sacrifice another creature to give a target creature -1/-1 until end of turn. Although this might seem minor, the ability can be quite effective in controlling early game board presence.
To counteract Plagued Rusalka’s impact, it’s essential to minimize the targets it can weaken or remove. Deploying creatures with higher toughness ensures they remain beyond the Rusalka’s reach. Supplementing your strategy with instant-speed removal spells can also be pivotal. Taking out the Rusalka before your opponent can build a larger sacrificial engine robs them of a key tactical element in their deck. Moreover, graveyard interaction denial through cards like Rest in Peace can severely hinder the value gained from sacrificing creatures, leaving Plagued Rusalka without the fuel it needs to be a continuous threat on the board.
Ultimately, understanding when to disrupt your opponent’s attempts at value-generation with cards like Plagued Rusalka can solidify your board state and push the scales in your favor during a tight match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Plagued Rusalka MTG card by a specific set like Salvat 2005 and Salvat 2005, 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 Plagued Rusalka 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
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Printings
The Plagued Rusalka Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2005-08-22 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | F28 | 2003 | Normal | White | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 2 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | F40 | 2003 | Normal | White | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 3 | 2006-02-03 | Guildpact | GPT | 56 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 4 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 46 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 5 | 2014-06-06 | Conspiracy | CNS | 121 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 6 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 89 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 7 | 2019-02-15 | RNA Guild Kit | GK2 | 32 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 8 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 736 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 9 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 268 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 10 | The List | PLST | MM2-89 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Plagued Rusalka has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |