Traitorous Instinct MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Traitorous Instinct doesn’t inherently draw you cards, it effectively negates an opponent’s card for a turn, providing a swing in board presence. This tempers the battlefield to your favor without losing card equity from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By gaining temporary control of a creature, you can utilize its abilities or inherent mana abilities for a burst in resources. This can expedite your game plan substantially.

Instant Speed: Traitorous Instinct operates at sorcery speed, which while not as flexible as an instant, allows for planned and impactful turns, letting you catch opponents by surprise and maximize your turn’s potential.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limiting factors of Traitorous Instinct is the absence of a card disadvantage mechanism. Unlike some spells that offer card draw or replacement, using this card does not replenish your hand, potentially leaving you with fewer options later.

Specific Mana Cost: Traitorous Instinct requires both generic and red mana to play, which can be restrictive. Decks not heavily invested in red mana might find it challenging to cast this spell at the crucial moment, reducing its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana, Traitorous Instinct is somewhat costly for a temporary gain. Players might consider the investment steep when there are alternatives that permanently affect the board or provide more substantial and lasting advantages.

Reasons to Include Traitorous Instinct in Your Collection

Versatility: Traitorous Instinct offers a unique twist to red’s aggressive strategy, allowing you to momentarily take control of an opponent’s creature and benefit from its power on the battlefield. It fits seamlessly into various red decks, including those focused on stealing opponents’ resources or requiring a temporary blocker.

Combo Potential: The ability to gain control and untap a creature makes this card a perfect combo enabler. It can synergize with sacrifice outlets, essentially letting you use an opponent’s creature for your gain before offering it up as a tribute for your effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where larger threats dominate, Traitorous Instinct can turn an opponent’s high-value creature against them. This can result in significant life swings and potentially game-ending plays, particularly relevant if the meta favors creature-heavy decks.

How to Beat Traitorous Instinct

Traitorous Instinct takes center stage as a game-shifting card, offering a temporary control of an opponent’s creature along with a notable power boost. This can lead to surprising swings in board control, especially if the creature in question has a powerful attack or a valuable ability. However, this move is not without its counters.

One effective strategy to counteract Traitorous Instinct involves instant-speed removal spells. By eliminating the creature targeted by Traitorous Instinct before the power bonus becomes relevant, you negate the card’s effects and maintain the equilibrium on the battlefield. Similarly, flashing in creatures with abilities like ‘Sacrifice another creature: You gain life equal to that creature’s power’ can prove to be a savvy maneuver. It can turn your opponent’s attack into an advantage for you.

Additionally, counter magic should not be underestimated. Cards such as Negate or Essence Scatter can be used to prevent Traitorous Instinct from resolving in the first place. Lastly, cards with hexproof or shroud can protect your valuable creatures from being snatched away, ensuring the consistency of your board presence against such surprise tactics.

The key to overcoming Traitorous Instinct lies in preparedness and timing. By keeping these counters in mind and managing resources wisely, players can turn the tides against an opponent attempting to leverage your own creatures against you.