Relentless Assault MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. It grants an additional attack phase, significantly improving combat and board control.
  2. Untapping all creatures maximizes attack potential and enables instant speed responses.
  3. Despite mana cost and color specificity, it’s a versatile pick in aggressive decks.

Text of card

Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. You may declare an additional attack during your main phase this turn.

"Flog and Squee / Up the tree / See the army / Flee, flee, flee." —Goblin nursery rhyme/war cry


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Relentless Assault grants you additional combat phases, allowing you to potentially eliminate more of your opponent’s creatures and apply pressure by attacking again, which can lead to a substantial advantage in the game state.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping all creatures you control after the first combat phase, this card effectively doubles your offensive resources. This acceleration can translate into overwhelming presence and momentum on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: While Relentless Assault is a sorcery, its ability to unlock a second combat phase sets the stage for clever instant speed interactions in subsequent steps. It enables surprise amplifications with combat tricks or untap effects that can dramatically shift the tide of battle in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Relentless Assault does not directly involve a discard, but it can pressure players into prematurely playing cards to maximize their additional combat phase. This may lead to depleting one’s hand and lacking resources for future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting requirement that includes two red mana, Relentless Assault is most compatible with decks heavy in red. Its color specificity can restrict its inclusion in multi-color decks that may not have the mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card comes with a notable mana investment of four, including the double red mana symbols. In the realm of aggressive spells, there are alternatives that may offer more immediate board impact or lower-cost synergies, making Relentless Assault a less preferable option in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Relentless Assault offers flexibility in its ability to give creatures another chance to strike, making it a great addition to aggressive red decks or to those that capitalize on combat tricks and extra attack phases.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with creatures that have on-attack triggers, effectively doubling their effects. Its synchrony with cards that untap all creatures can create unexpected win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo can decide the winner, Relentless Assault can disrupt opponent strategies by mounting pressure with additional combat phases, making it particularly effective in the current aggressive metagame.


How to beat

Relentless Assault stands out as a potent strategy enabler in Magic: The Gathering, allowing its caster an additional combat phase to overwhelm opponents. While the card does grant a rare advantage, overcoming its effect hinges on smart play and deck construction. A straightforward method involves using instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt the opponent’s attackers after they’ve declared the first round of combat but before the new phase begins. This minimizes the potential damage and neutralizes the main benefit of the card.

Counterspells also offer a clean solution by preventing Relentless Assault from resolving in the first place. For a more strategic approach, control decks often utilize board wipe spells. Played at the right moment, these can clear the battlefield of creatures, rendering extra combat phases moot. Keeping up a robust defense or constructing your deck around effects that limit combat opportunities, such as Ghostly Prison or propaganda-like effects, are also reliable ways to counteract the aggressive push that Relentless Assault aims to capitalize on.

Ultimately, any strategy against Relentless Assault requires anticipation and a balanced mix of defensive and reactive spells to effectively nullify the card’s impact on the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

The key to victory in MTG often lies in the element of surprise and the efficient utilization of your cards. Relentless Assault stands as a potent tool for players looking to maximize their creatures’ combat potential and turn the tides with an additional onslaught. Its capacity to forge sudden wins through aggressive playstyles cannot be overstated. As you craft your deck or refine your collection, consider harnessing the power of this dynamic card. Its ability to synergize with on-attack triggers and its place in the meta makes it a valuable asset. Dive deeper into our resources to discover strategic deck-building tips and ways to optimize your gameplay with Relentless Assault as your ally. The battlefield awaits your command.


Cards like Relentless Assault

Relentless Assault is a card that stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its ability to offer players an additional combat phase. This is similar to cards like World at War, which also grants another opportunity to attack in a turn. However, Relentless Assault doesn’t require an investment past the initial casting cost, unlike World at War that has rebound, allowing it to be cast for free on the subsequent turn if it was cast from the hand.

Another card to consider is Seize the Day. While it offers a comparably advantageous extra combat phase, its uniqueness lies in its flashback ability, which can be a game changer by allowing it to be played from the graveyard. However, Seize the Day only untaps a single creature, whereas Relentless Assault readies all creatures for another round of combat. Fury of the Horde is a card that shares the concept of an additional combat phase, and can be cast for no mana at the expense of exiling two red cards from your hand, making it a risky but potentially more powerful play.

Considering these points, Relentless Assault holds its place amongst other turn manipulation spells, valued for its straightforward and impactful effect on gameplay without the variable costs of its counterparts.

World at War - MTG Card versions
Seize the Day - MTG Card versions
Fury of the Horde - MTG Card versions
World at War - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Seize the Day - Odyssey (ODY)
Fury of the Horde - Coldsnap (CSP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Relentless Assault MTG card by a specific set like Visions and Portal Second Age, 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 Relentless Assault and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Relentless Assault Magic the Gathering card was released in 12 different sets between 1997-02-03 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by 8 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-02-03VisionsVIS 911997normalblackGeofrey Darrow & I. Rabarot
21998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 1151997normalblackTom Wänerstrand
31999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2021997normalwhiteGeofrey Darrow & I. Rabarot
41999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 1191997normalwhiteHe Jiancheng
51999-07-01Starter 1999S99 1151997normalwhiteGeofrey Darrow & I. Rabarot
62001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 2141997normalwhiteGreg Hildebrandt
72001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 214★1997normalblackGreg Hildebrandt
82003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 214★2003normalblackGreg Hildebrandt
92003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2142003normalwhiteGreg Hildebrandt
102005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 2122003normalwhiteGreg Hildebrandt
112005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 212★2003normalblackGreg Hildebrandt
122007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 2252003normalblackGreg Hildebrandt
132009-09-04PlanechaseHOP 622003normalblackGreg Hildebrandt
142017-10-24Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. GoblinsDDT 542015normalblackChristopher Moeller
152020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 4162015normalblackChristopher Moeller

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Relentless Assault has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 A creature that must attack each turn, must only attack once that turn. It is not forced into each attack that turn.
2004-10-04 Abilities that trigger when a creature attacks, blocks, or is blocked will trigger during each combat that turn. Thus, a creature with Rampage will get the bonus added during each attack.
2004-10-04 If you manage to cast this during a main phase of your opponent's turn, that opponent's creatures will untap and that opponent will be able to attack again. It will not allow you to attack during their turn.
2004-10-04 It only creates an additional combat and main phase if it resolves during a main phase.

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