Impale MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set name	Rivals of Ixalan
Set code	RIX
Number	76
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Josh Hass

Key Takeaways

Impale provides direct creature removal, crucial for maintaining a tactical advantage during gameplay.
Its specific mana requirements and sorcery speed impose certain deck-building and strategic constraints.
Despite alternatives, Impale’s simple destruction ability can be significant in the right meta and deck.

Text of card

Destroy target creature.

Never let the glitter of gold distract you from the gleam of steel in the shadows.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Impale directly eliminates a creature from the battlefield, effectively giving you a one-to-one trade and preserving your hand while depleting your opponent’s resources. This removal can tip the scale in your favor, especially when targeting high-value targets.

Resource Acceleration: While Impale itself does not accelerate your resources, it helps maintain your board presence by removing potential blockers or threats, which indirectly accelerates your path to victory.

Instant Speed: Despite being a sorcery, planning your strategy around Impale allows you to be decisive on your turn, managing threats on the board before they can become a problem during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Piloting your strategy effectively with Impale can be hindered if you’re forced to discard valuable cards from your hand. This diminishes your resources and can leave you at a disadvantage in the later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Impale’s mana cost requires two black mana, which ties it firmly to black-focused or dual-color decks. This constraint restricts its inclusion only to those builds that can consistently provide the necessary colored mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Four mana for a single-target removal spell can be a tough sell when there are alternatives available that either cost less or offer additional benefits. Players often seek more efficient removal options to maximize their mana usage each turn.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Impale is a robust removal option, capable of dealing with nearly any bothersome creature your opponents have on the battlefield. It’s a simple but effective tool for any black deck that needs to clear the way for its own creatures or safeguard its life total.

Combo Potential: While Impale is not directly a combo piece, it can indirectly contribute to combo strategies by removing potential threats or disrupting opponents’ creature-based combos, ensuring your combo pieces remain uninterrupted.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with heavy-hitter creatures, Impale provides a straightforward solution. No matter how the creatures have been buffed or what abilities they may have, Impale offers a no-nonsense route to control and maintain dominance in the game.

How to beat

Overcoming the card Impale in your MTG matches requires strategic planning and a careful selection of cards. As a removal spell, Impale allows a player to target and destroy a creature for the cost of four mana. Unlike instant-speed removals, Impale works at sorcery speed, which is its Achilles’ heel. To best this card, consider employing creatures with hexproof or indestructible abilities, making them immune to such targeted removal.

Additionally, instant-speed spells that can protect or regenerate your creatures are invaluable as they can be cast in response to Impale, effectively nullifying its impact. Cards like Blossoming Defense or Selfless Spirit can provide the protection needed at a critical moment. Remember, being proactive with the threats on your board and keeping mana open for responsive plays are key to mitigating the effects of potent removal spells like Impale in MTG.

Timing your creature plays to avoid overextending into a potential Impale, maintaining diverse threats, and understanding the pace at which your opponent may be able to cast their removal are all part of the intricate dance that is navigating around high-impact spells in the world of MTG.

Cards like Impale

Impale stands as a notable removal option within Magic: The Gathering, serving a critical role in disrupting opponent’s strategies. It’s often seen in the same light as Murder, a card revered for its simple yet effective “destroy target creature” directive. While both spells are straightforward in their purpose, Impale is distinguished by its limitation to destroying only tapped creatures, and at a higher mana cost. This added condition creates a strategic layer in gameplay, influencing when to execute the kill.

Comparatively, other removal spells like Lash of Malice provide versatility with their cheaper mana cost and the ability to target creatures irrespective of their status, though at the cost of reduced destructive power. Similarly, Deadly Allure grants not only the takedown of an adversary’s creature but also ensures it’s tapped through its lure effect, allowing a more selective approach than Impale’s broad targeting criteria.

Assessing these options holistically, Impale is a solid, if situational, choice within the realm of black removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. Despite its costlier investment and conditional activation, it retains effectiveness in the right deck setup and match conditions.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Impale MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Impale and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Impale has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal