Viper's Kiss MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set name	Theros
Set code	THS
Number	109
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Svetlin Velinov

Key Takeaways

Offers indirect card advantage by diminishing opponent creatures without actual removal.
Instant-speed play allows for strategic flexibility and combat phase disruption.
Mana cost and deck compatibility considerations can influence its utility.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets -1/-1, and its activated abilities can't be activated.

"I could heal a snakebite. Looks like you got bitten by a constellation." —Aescalos, healer of Pharika

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Viper’s Kiss shines in its ability to handicap an opponent’s creature, which can potentially create indirect card advantage. By diminishing an opposing creature’s abilities or nullifying its power, this card can effectively turn your opponent’s resources into a non-threat without having to remove the creature from the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While Viper’s Kiss itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it helps in stabilizing the board by deterring your opponent from investing more into their weakened creature. This can lead to a slower pace for your opponent and give you the time needed to marshal your resources effectively.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment with a low casting cost, Viper’s Kiss can be played at instant speed, allowing for flexibility in your plays. You can wait for the perfect moment to target a key creature during the combat phase or in response to an opponent’s actions, which can disrupt their strategy and provide you with a tactical advantage.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Viper’s Kiss comes with a strict mana requirement, needing both a black mana source and a generic one. This makes the card specifically suited for black-themed decks or those capable of producing black mana, restricting its flexibility in a diverse Magic: The Gathering landscape.

Discard Requirement: While Viper’s Kiss does not require the discard of a card, its utility in controlling an opponent’s creature may not always warrant a slot in your deck, particularly if you’re playing a strategy that values card quantity over targeted disruption.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When examined against other enchantments or removal spells available within the game, Viper’s Kiss can feel costly for its limited effect. In competitive play, where efficiency and impact are critical, the mana spent on Viper’s Kiss could potentially be allocated to more impactful cards that provide greater utility and board presence.

Reasons to Include Viper’s Kiss in Your Collection

Versatility: Viper’s Kiss is not just a straightforward enchantment; its flexibility lies in its ability to disrupt opponent’s creatures. It can be a valuable card in a variety of decks, serving both as an inexpensive creature debuff and as a method for shutting down creatures with powerful abilities.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on locking down opponent resources. It can be paired with cards that benefit from creatures being tapped or unable to untap, multiplying its impact in the right combo-oriented deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta teeming with decks that rely on creatures with activated abilities, Viper’s Kiss serves as a cost-effective countermeasure. Keeping those key creatures at bay, it can significantly hinder your opponent’s game plan while you advance your own.

How to beat

Viper’s Kiss is a black enchantment aura card in Magic: The Gathering that can subtly disrupt your opponent’s creature strategy. When it comes to countering its effects, you must implement a multifaceted approach. Firstly, consider playing cards that can remove enchantments from your creatures. Green is rich with such options. Enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Return to Nature can eliminate Viper’s Kiss, freeing your creature from its venomous grip.

Beyond direct removal, utilizing hexproof creatures can prevent Viper’s Kiss from latching onto your valuable creatures in the first place. If Viper’s Kiss has already landed, consider using cards that can bounce your own creatures back to your hand, effectively resetting their status and leaving Viper’s Kiss with no target when they return to the battlefield.

Counterspells are also handy. By keeping mana open, you can deny Viper’s Kiss the opportunity to resolve, preserving your creature’s abilities and power. Cards like Negate or even targeted protection spells like God’s Willing can ensure your creatures remain unaffected by such debilitating auras. Therefore, with a judicious mix of enchantment removal, bounce spells, and protective counters, you can adeptly navigate past the challenge posed by Viper’s Kiss.

Cards like Viper's Kiss

Viper’s Kiss stands out among Magic: The Gathering’s array of enchant creature spells. Its closest relative is Dead Weight, which is also a one-mana black enchantment that reduces a creature’s power and toughness. However, Viper’s Kiss has an edge by not only weakening the creature but also restricting its activated abilities, a feature Dead Weight lacks. This can be crucial in shutting down potential threats or combos that rely heavily on those abilities.

Another comparable card is Lignify, which not only reduces power and toughness to zero but also changes the creature’s type to Treefolk and eliminates all abilities. While this transformation is more comprehensive than Viper’s Kiss, it costs double the mana. Containment also fills a similar role, being capable of locking down creatures or even planeswalkers, but at the higher cost of three mana and as an artifact, it’s more vulnerable to removal than an enchantment.

Acknowledging these comparisons, Viper’s Kiss demonstrates its value in Magic: The Gathering as a low-cost, efficient tool for controlling opponents’ creatures by disabling their abilities and making them less formidable in combat.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Viper's Kiss MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Viper's Kiss and other MTG cards: