Untamed Hunger MTG Card

Boosts creature power, offers tactical shifts in combat, indirectly leading to card advantage. Casting at instant speed can surprise opponents, altering power dynamics unexpectedly. Despite mana and discard costs, it amplifies creatures’ threat level, making them harder to block.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+1 and has menace. (It can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

"Mindlessness is not weakness. When we are lost to hunger we are unstoppable." —Drana, Kalastria bloodchief

Cards like Untamed Hunger

Untamed Hunger finds its niche in Magic: The Gathering as an aura that boosts creatures with a notable enhancement of +2/+1 and trample. This card echoes the effects of other creature augmenting auras like Madcap Skills from the Gatecrash set, which also grants a significant power increase and an additional combat ability, though it’s menace instead of trample. Both enchantments serve to overwhelm opponents with hard-hitting creatures made more evasive and potent in combat.

When comparing with other auras, Rancor stands out as a classic magic card that also bestows trample. However, Rancor has the added advantage of returning to a player’s hand when it goes to the graveyard from the battlefield, making it a recurring threat. Although Untamed Hunger doesn’t possess the same resilience, its power boost is more significant, giving it a chance to swing combats in favor of the enchanted creature.

To sum up, while Untamed Hunger might not have the renown of Rancor, it’s a formidable aura for those looking to amplify their creature’s combat capabilities in an aggressive strategy. It fulfills a specific role in creature enhancement within Magic: The Gathering, ensuring that any creature it adorns becomes a pressing issue for your adversaries.

Madcap Skills - MTG Card versions
Rancor - MTG Card versions
Madcap Skills - MTG Card versions
Rancor - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Untamed Hunger can boost the size of your creature, thus potentially drawing removal attention away from other valuable creatures on your board. This tactical shift can preserve your more critical threats, indirectly contributing to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: As Untamed Hunger gives a creature +2/+1, it can notably speed up the clock against your opponent, accelerating resource depletion by hastening the game’s conclusion.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Untamed Hunger at instant speed offers a significant advantage, allowing you to surprise an opponent during combat or in response to actions by altering the power dynamic on the board when least expected.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Untamed Hunger demands players to discard a card, a trade-off that can deplete your hand and negatively impact your game strategy, particularly when you’re already struggling for card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that requires both black and generic mana, Untamed Hunger can be incompatible with multicolored decks that may struggle to meet the specific mana requirement, hence limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of three mana for this enchantment aura might seem steep when compared to other options. Players may find that other cards at a lower mana cost can provide a similar or better effect, making Untamed Hunger a less economical choice for deck building.

Reasons to Include Untamed Hunger in Your Collection

Versatility: Untamed Hunger can be a flexible addition to various deck types, most notably those looking to boost creature power consistently. With its enchant creature ability, it enhances your creatures’ threat level in any game.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergy with setups that capitalize on enhanced attack power or require creatures to be beefed up for sacrificial or damage-dealing strategies. It adds incremental advantage that can sometimes tip the scales in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta that favors aggressive play styles, Untamed Hunger’s ability to provide a creature with menace makes it harder for opponents to block effectively. This can be key in overtaking defensive decks that rely on creating creature-based roadblocks.

How to beat Untamed Hunger

Untamed Hunger is a card that brings a competitive edge to creature-focused decks in the game. The card grants a significant boon to a creature, giving it a power boost along with trample, allowing it to potentially overwhelm opponents with increased damage and the ability to crush through defenses. To effectively counter Untamed Hunger, players should consider using instant-speed removal spells or abilities that can disrupt the equipped creature before it declares an attack.

Playing cards with efficient spot removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can be an excellent method to deal with threats augmented by Untamed Hunger. Alternatively, keeping creatures with flash on hand, such as Brazen Borrower, can provide a flexible response to minimize the impact of the card’s buffing ability. Managing the battlefield, maintaining control, and being prepared for key moments when opponents attempt to capitalize on Untamed Hunger’s advantage are central to turning the tide in your favor.

Overall, understanding the timing and keeping the right cards ready are essential strategies in nullifying the potential danger posed by Untamed Hunger, ensuring that your foes never fully satisfy their voracious appetite for victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Untamed Hunger MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Welcome Deck 2017, 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 Untamed Hunger and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Untamed Hunger Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Willian Murai.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 912015NormalBlackWillian Murai
22017-04-15Welcome Deck 2017W17 202015NormalBlackWillian Murai
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 8062015NormalBlackWillian Murai
42020-09-26The ListPLST OGW-912015NormalBlackWillian Murai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Untamed Hunger has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal