Parasitic Bond MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Saga
Set code	USG
Number	145
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Scott Kirschner

Key Takeaways

Parasitic Bond strengthens gameplay through card draw and life manipulation, fostering a tactical edge.
While potent, the required card discard and specific mana costs restrict its deck compatibility.
It exerts influence on the meta by curtailing creature-heavy strategies, optimizing matchup outcomes.

Text of card

During the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, Parasitic Bond deals 2 damage to that player.

"All bonds are parasitic. Only rulership is pure." —Gix, Yawgmoth praetor

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Parasitic Bond offers the benefit of drawing an extra card when certain conditions are met, helping you sustain or pull ahead in the long game by providing additional resources.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially reducing your opponent’s life total while increasing yours, this card has the indirect effect of accelerating your game plan, giving you more leeway to deploy threats or answers.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting this enchantment at instant speed allows for strategic plays and interactions during your opponent’s turn, enhancing its utility in response to the ever-changing battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Parasitic Bond requires the controller to discard a card upon activation, potentially depleting your hand and weakening strategic options during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a precise combination of mana to cast, which could complicate its integration into decks not specifically designed to generate such mana efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding a significant mana investment, players might find the payoff of Parasitic Bond not worth the resources, especially when less taxing alternatives are available.

Reasons to Include Parasitic Bond in Your Collection

Versatility: Parasitic Bond serves as a flexible piece in both enchantment-focused decks and those aiming to stabilize via life gain. Its utility extends across various formats where enchantments matter.

Combo Potential: By harnessing the recurrent life drain offered by Parasitic Bond, savvy players can construct combinations that capitalise on life total discrepancies or enable specific triggers each turn.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where creature-centric decks are prevalent, Parasitic Bond gains value as a deterrent, discouraging opponents from flooding the board. This relevance can give you an edge in specific matchups.

How to beat

Parasitic Bond is a unique card within the realm of MTG, providing players with a continuous source of life drain from their opponents. When faced with this challenge, the key is to focus on disruption and removal. Instant-speed enchantment removal spells can be your lifeline, allowing you to respond before significant damage is inflicted. Cards such as Disenchant or Naturalize are prime examples of accessible solutions that can dismantle the Parasitic Bond swiftly.

Additionally, countering this card upon cast is another effective strategy. Holding up mana for spells like Negate or Cancel can ensure that the Bond never secures its grip on the battlefield. If Parasitic Bond does resolve and starts to affect the game, turning to life gain strategies can mitigate its impact. Cards like Sphinx’s Revelation or Absorb can help you stabilize your life total while dealing with other threats.

Ultimately, the key to beating Parasitic Bond lies in preparedness and reaction speed. Having the right answers at the right time will prevent this card from sapping away your chances of victory, highlighting the importance of a versatile and responsive deck construction.

Cards like Parasitic Bond

Parasitic Bond finds its place within the realm of enchantments that offer incremental life-draining abilities in Magic the Gathering. Cards like Exquisite Blood also capitalize on draining life from opponents, yet Exquisite Blood carries a broader triggering condition, activating whenever an opponent loses life regardless of the source. This can set off a potent combo with Sanguine Bond, which stands as another card that shares a similar conceptual design with Parasitic Bond. Sanguine Bond allows you to drain life whenever you gain life, potentially creating a self-sustaining loop of life exchange.

Furthermore, Underworld Dreams presents an alternative passive damage effect in the black enchantment lineage, although it targets only card drawing mechanisms to chip away at an opponent’s life total. Unlike Parasitic Bond’s one-time trigger upon being cast, Underworld Dreams can persistently erode an opponent’s health over several turns dependent upon their card draw actions, a different strategic angle to consider.

Each of these enchantments offers a strategic approach to passive damage and life gain, although they vary in application and flexibility. In assessing Parasitic Bond and its competitors, we note its straightforward impact, which can integrate well into decks that focus on targeted spells or quick aggression.

Cards similar to Parasitic Bond by color, type and mana cost

Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Parasitic Bond MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Parasitic Bond and other MTG cards: