Rush of Blood MTG Card


Rush of Blood excels in combat, offering massive temporary power boosts on demand. It’s efficient and versatile, fitting well into aggressive MTG deck strategies. Requires strategic hand and battlefield management to leverage its full potential.
Rush of Blood - Avacyn Restored
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set nameAvacyn Restored
Set codeAVR
Number154
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byCynthia Sheppard

Text of card

Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is its power.

Sometimes it's not for sustenance or to feed the dependence. Sometimes it's just to feel again.


Cards like Rush of Blood

Exploring the vast array of sorcery spells in Magic: The Gathering, Rush of Blood stands out with its potential for game-ending bursts of damage. Comparable in effect, we can see the kinship it shares with cards like Assault Strobe, which also doubles a creature’s power for the turn. However, Assault Strobe is limited to only doubling the creature’s base power, lacking Rush of Blood’s added scaling bonus from the creature’s power itself.

Another similar card is Uncaged Fury, which not only gives the targeted creature a power boost but also confers trample, an advantage if the creature doesn’t already have a way to deal with blockers. Unlike Rush of Blood, it offers a fixed power/toughness increase and trample, but doesn’t amplify the effect with the creature’s existing power.

When compared, Rush of Blood occupies a unique position in player’s decks, particularly in strategies keen on harnessing the full potential of a single, powerful creature for a surprise victory. It is especially potent in decks that easily beef up a creature’s power, as Rush of Blood’s effect scales multiplicatively, potentially leading to explosive turns that can clinch a game from the brink of defeat.

Assault Strobe - MTG Card versions
Uncaged Fury - MTG Card versions
Assault Strobe - MTG Card versions
Uncaged Fury - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Rush of Blood by color, type and mana cost

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Fatal Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Seismic Strike - MTG Card versions
Staggershock - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Blood Hand - MTG Card versions
Rally the Forces - MTG Card versions
Solfatara - MTG Card versions
Trumpet Blast - MTG Card versions
Urza's Rage - MTG Card versions
Turf Wound - MTG Card versions
Char - MTG Card versions
Chaos Warp - MTG Card versions
Merchant of the Vale // Haggle - MTG Card versions
Seething Song - MTG Card versions
Unforge - MTG Card versions
Aura Barbs - MTG Card versions
Path of Anger's Flame - MTG Card versions
Smash - MTG Card versions
Fiery Temper - MTG Card versions
Orcish Cannonade - MTG Card versions
Chaos Wrap - MTG Card versions
Fatal Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Seismic Strike - MTG Card versions
Staggershock - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Blood Hand - MTG Card versions
Rally the Forces - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Rush of Blood doesn’t draw cards directly, it significantly amplifies the power of a single creature which can translate to overwhelming combat damage, potentially drawing you closer to victory in a single attack phase.

Resource Acceleration: Rush of Blood is a cost-effective spell, with a low mana expenditure relative to the potential damage output. This allows players to execute high-impact plays without heavily investing resources, leaving mana available for other strategic moves.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Rush of Blood at instant speed provides the element of surprise, enabling it to be used as a combat trick. This ensures you can adapt to battlefield changes and opponent actions, potentially turning the tides of battle in your favor during the crucial moments of a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rush of Blood increases the complexity of your play decisions by demanding a careful hand management strategy, potentially causing a setback if you’re running out of cards in your hand and need them for other crucial plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Calling for a precise combination of red mana narrows the card’s versatility, locking it into decks with a red mana base and possibly excluding it from multicolored decks that can’t easily accommodate its mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the necessity to spend three mana for a single turn effect, the card’s cost-effectiveness is questioned when other spells or creatures might provide a more sustained or substantial advantage for a similar or lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Rush of Blood in Your Collection

Versatility: Rush of Blood is adaptable across numerous deck builds, with its ability to massively amplify the power of your creatures for a single turn. This makes it a game-changer in turning the tides of combat, particularly in aggressive or tempo-based decks.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures that have high base power or those that have abilities scaling with power. Combo it with creatures that benefit from dealing combat damage to a player to potentially end games out of nowhere.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy with creature-based strategies or where games tend to swing in a single turn, Rush of Blood can be a pivotal trick to have up your sleeve. It can single-handedly help steal wins and is thus a valuable asset for any red strategy that pressures life totals aggressively.


How to beat

Rush of Blood is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering that offers a dramatic temporary boost in power, often enough to turn the tides of a game or deliver a knockout blow. To effectively counter this card, players need to maintain a strategic defense with instant removal spells or damage prevention measures. Employing cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can disrupt the setup and prevent the opponent from connecting with a lethal strike. Counterspells, such as Mana Leak or Negate, are also an efficient way to negate the Rush of Blood before its effect can materialize. It’s crucial to anticipate the timing of the card and keep mana available for these responses.

Another strategy is to control the battlefield by removing threats before they can become targets for Rush of Blood’s amplifying ability. This proactive control can be achieved through board wipes like Wrath of God or spot removal spells. Lastly, cards with lifelink or those that can create a significant buffer of life, such as those found in many white and black deck strategies, can help you survive an opponent’s surprise surge of power and maintain a presence on the board.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rush of Blood MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, 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 Rush of Blood and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rush of Blood has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2012-05-01 The value of X is determined when Rush of Blood resolves. The bonus won’t change later in the turn if the creature’s power changes.