Phyrexian Bloodstock MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Phyrexian Zombie
Released	2001-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Planeshift
Set code	PLS
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	50
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Tedin

Key Takeaways

Strategic board control is bolstered by removing nonblack creatures, disrupting opponents’ strategies.
Instant speed play offers tactical flexibility, turning the tide in close combats.
While providing advantages, its discard requirement and mana cost challenge deck synergy.

Text of card

When Phyrexian Bloodstock leaves play, destroy target white creature. It can't be regenerated.

It reeks of terror and chaos.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Phyrexian Bloodstock offers you a unique vantage point by potentially providing card advantage. Should it destroy a nonblack creature, its controller’s subsequent draw could be a crucial turning point, tipping the scales in your favor. This potential to derail an opponent’s strategy through card attrition makes it a valuable asset in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the ability to selectively remove an opponent’s threat can free up your resources. By efficiently managing the board, you are effectively streamlining your path to victory, allowing you to focus your mana and resources on more pressing plays and maintaining control over the game’s pace.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed presents a significant advantage. This affords you the flexibility to respond to threats on your terms, preserving the element of surprise. This can be particularly potent during combat where timing is critical, and the opponent’s calculations can be thrown off, giving you an edge in the tactical dance of creatures and spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Phyrexian Bloodstock presents a challenge for players by requiring a card to be discarded upon play. This can be a strategic setback, particularly when you’re struggling to maintain a substantial hand size or when each card in your hand is vital for your gameplay strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a mana cost that necessitates both black mana and colorless mana, Phyrexian Bloodstock may not seamlessly integrate into every deck. This especially affects decks that are color-diverse or those that rely on a mana base not heavily invested in black mana, potentially limiting the card’s universality.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding four mana, this creature may come into play a bit too late, especially considering the current metagame’s pace. Other creatures or spells that can be cast earlier could prove to be more advantageous, offering effects that either match or surpass the output of Phyrexian Bloodstock without such a steep mana investment.

Reasons to Include Phyrexian Bloodstock in Your Collection

Versatility: Phyrexian Bloodstock is a card that can serve multiple roles within different deck archetypes. Its potential to act as a creature removal through its enter-the-battlefield ability makes it a functional addition to control and midrange decks looking to manage the board.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to eliminate creatures by returning them to an opponent’s hand can be paired with discard effects to remove threats permanently. It can work seamlessly with strategies focused on incremental advantage and synergizes with cards that punish or benefit from an opponent discarding cards.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where resilience and recurrent threats are prevalent, Phyrexian Bloodstock can repeatedly disrupt your opponent’s board presence. It’s particularly effective in a meta with creatures that have detrimental enter-the-battlefield effects, negating potential value for your opponents.

How to Beat

Phyrexian Bloodstock presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a creature with protection from white, it can easily evade many common removal spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, and direct damage methods aren’t always effective. To overcome this resilient opponent, players need to consider alternative strategies.

One effective tactic is using board wipes that do not target, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, to clear the creature without getting hindered by its protection ability. Another strategy involves utilizing colorless removal options like Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, whose -X ability can dispose of Phyrexian Bloodstock without targeting it specifically, hence bypassing its protection.

Lastly, if you’re looking for a more subtle approach, edict effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature, like Liliana of the Veil or Diabolic Edict, can effectively deal with Phyrexian Bloodstock without engaging with its protection attribute. By selecting the correct removal tool and timing its use, the imposing presence of Phyrexian Bloodstock on the field can be managed and controlled.

Cards like Phyrexian Bloodstock

Phyrexian Bloodstock carves its niche in the assortment of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. It bears some resemblance to cards like Fleshbag Marauder, which provides a similar universal sacrifice effect upon entering the battlefield. Though Fleshbag Marauder compels each player to sacrifice a creature, Phyrexian Bloodstock offers a more targeted approach, allowing you to remove threats selectively based on their colors.

In the same category, Merciless Executioner enters the fray. This card mirrors the sacrifice element but lacks the color specific condition, instead opting for an inclusive sacrifice requirement. Meanwhile, Slum Reaper follows suit in functionality but at an increased mana cost, again enforcing a non-discriminatory sacrifice. While each of these creatures offers variations of the sacrifice mechanic, Phyrexian Bloodstock stands out with its potential for strategic elimination, especially in environments rich with multicolored creatures.

Evaluating these comparisons, Phyrexian Bloodstock presents itself as a strategic option for players who seek to control the board while capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of decks heavy in colored permanents. This precision-targeted removal gives Phyrexian Bloodstock a unique position amongst its counterparts in Magic: The Gathering.

Merciless Executioner - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Phyrexian Bloodstock by color, type and mana cost

Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions

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Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phyrexian Bloodstock MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Phyrexian Bloodstock and other MTG cards: