Plague Boiler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Plague Boiler functions as a crucial reset button, providing leverage by wiping nonland permanents from the board.
  2. Its select mana costs fit well in Golgari decks but may limit versatility across various MTG deck builds.
  3. While other cards like Nevinyrral’s Disk offer similar effects, Plague Boiler uniquely balances delay and destruction.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a plague counter on Plague Boiler. : Put a plague counter on Plague Boiler or remove a plague counter from it. When Plague Boiler has three or more plague counters on it, sacrifice it. If you do, destroy all nonland permanents.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Plague Boiler offers a unique method for board control, allowing you to wipe the slate clean. Once fully charged, it can eliminate all nonland permanents, potentially leaving you with the most resources in hand for rebuilding.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating your resources, Plague Boiler can effectively decelerate your opponents’, setting them back and giving you an opportunity to take the lead in the race for board superiority.

Instant Speed: The ability to pop Plague Boiler doesn’t have to be used right away. You can charge it up and wait for the ideal moment, giving you the flexibility to act in response to your opponents’ moves, disrupting their strategies and board presence at the most opportune time.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Plague Boiler demands precise timing and a certain board state to be fully effective, potentially causing you to discard other cards from your hand to control its counters and get the most value from its activation.

Specific Mana Cost: Plague Boiler requires a mix of black and green mana, potentially restricting it to Golgari-themed decks or those that can accommodate its specific mana demands, thus limiting its flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a three-mana investment to get it on the field and additional mana to control its counters, Plague Boiler can prove costly in a game where a faster-paced strategy or lower-cost removal spells might serve a similar purpose with greater efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Plague Boiler offers a flexible solution for players dealing with a wide range of threats on the board. It can seamlessly integrate into decks that need a reset button, capable of wiping out all nonland permanents without prejudice.

Combo Potential: This card can act as a nucleus for various combo builds, particularly those that thrive on controlling the board state. Manipulating counters to control the timing of its effect can turn the tide in your favor during a closely fought match.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where enchantments, creatures, and artifacts heavily influence the battlefield, Plague Boiler becomes an essential trump card. Its presence alone can deter opponents from over-committing to the board, making it a potent strategic addition to any collection.


How to Beat Plague Boiler

Plague Boiler is a unique artifact known for its potential to clear the board in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a slow ticking time bomb that can make opponents reluctant to play their best cards. To counter this artifact, proactive measures are needed. For direct disruption, enchantment and artifact removal like Naturalize or Disenchant can be invaluable, letting you remove the Plague Boiler before it’s charged up. Alternatively, counter magic such as Negate can prevent it from hitting the battlefield in the first place.

Playing around Plague Boiler’s strengths is also key. Since it requires three mana of any one color to activate, you can take advantage of this by pressuring your opponent’s mana base. Land destruction or cards that restrict mana usage, like Damping Sphere, can delay or prevent the activation of Plague Boiler, buying you crucial turns. Finally, instant speed spells that grant indestructible, like Boros Charm, can protect your key creatures from the Plague Boiler’s board wipe effect, allowing you to preserve your board presence and push for victory.


Cards like Plague Boiler

Plague Boiler stands out among card wipe mechanisms within Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels with similar cards such as Nevinyrral’s Disk, known for its ability to clear the board of creatures, artifacts, and enchantments. Plague Boiler shares this comprehensive sweep attribute but offers a unique twist with its cumulative upkeep cost, allowing for strategic planning and the element of surprise.

Another analogous card is Ratchet Bomb, which ticks up to wipe out permanents with a specific mana cost. Ratchet Bomb can be more selective in its destruction, unlike Plague Boiler’s indiscriminate purge once it’s activated. Oblivion Stone also finds a place in this comparison, providing a similar devastating effect. However, Oblivion Stone’s immediate impact can be unfurled at will with its activation cost, contrasting with Plague Boiler’s gradual build-up through counters.

Ultimately, Plague Boiler provides a unique blend of delaying tactics and inevitable doom that requires foresight from both the player who wields it and their opponents. This positions Plague Boiler in its own niche among MTG board-clearing options, catering to players who appreciate a delayed, yet absolute, form of control over the game state.

Nevinyrral's Disk - MTG Card versions
Ratchet Bomb - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Stone - MTG Card versions
Nevinyrral's Disk - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Ratchet Bomb - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Oblivion Stone - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Plague Boiler by color, type and mana cost

Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst - MTG Card versions
Golgari Keyrune - MTG Card versions
Golgari Cluestone - MTG Card versions
Golgari Locket - MTG Card versions
Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)
Golgari Keyrune - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Golgari Cluestone - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Golgari Locket - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plague Boiler MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Commander 2013, 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 Boiler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plague Boiler Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2013-11-01. Illustrated by Mark Tedin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 2692003normalblackMark Tedin
22013-11-01Commander 2013C13 2542003normalblackMark Tedin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plague Boiler has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2005-10-01 If the third ability triggers, removing a counter in response won’t stop the effect. However, somehow removing Plague Boiler from the battlefield in response would stop the effect because then you wouldn’t be able to sacrifice Plague Boiler.
2005-10-01 The sacrifice is done on resolution of the triggered ability.
2005-10-01 You choose whether to add or remove a counter when the second ability resolves. You can’t choose to remove a counter if there isn’t one there.

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