Wild Instincts MTG Card

Combines creature elimination with a +2/+2 bonus, effectively pivoting board control in your favor. Instant speed grants tactical advantage, allowing surprise maneuvers or pivotal defensive actions. Demands deck adaptability due to specific mana and discard requirements, potentially limiting versatility.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Fight
Released	2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Origins
Set code	ORI
Number	206
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Igor Kieryluk

Text of card

Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. It fights target creature an opponent controls. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

Nissa had only the space of a heartbeat to react, her instincts steering her blade.

Cards like Wild Instincts

Within the landscape of green spells in Magic: The Gathering, Wild Instincts stands out as a card that enables both creature control and potential for engaging combat scenarios. Examining similar cards, we can look towards Rabid Bite, another spell that applies direct damage through a creature without causing it to receive damage in return. Unlike Wild Instincts, Rabid Bite lacks the added benefit of granting a temporary boost to the creature’s power and toughness.

Furthermore, Prey Upon offers a comparable effect by allowing a creature to fight another. However, it is important to note that Prey Upon doesn’t provide the stat enhancement that Wild Instincts does, making it less valuable in scenarios where your creature’s survival is crucial. On the more strategic end, there’s Epic Confrontation which not only lets a creature fight another but also gives a modest +1/+2 until end of turn, sitting somewhere between the effects of Rabid Bite and Wild Instincts.

Considering these alternatives, Wild Instincts offers a unique blend of creature targeting and empowerment, making it a versatile choice for players looking to strengthen their control within the similar vein of green creature spells in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Wild Instincts by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wild Instincts provides not only a way to remove an opponent’s creature but also bolsters your own by strengthening it with an additional +2/+2 counter. This offers a significant boost to your battlefield presence while potentially reducing your opponent’s.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating a threat and powering up your own creature, Wild Instincts potentially clears a path for more aggressive plays, indirectly leading to an acceleration of your in-game resources through increased damage to your opponent and maintaining board control.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Wild Instincts at instant speed is crucial, allowing you to react during your opponent’s turn or make decisive plays right before your attack, catching an opponent off guard and often swinging the tide of the match in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wild Instincts necessitates discarding a card, presenting a strategic drawback when you’re conserving key pieces in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise blend of mana types, potentially complicating your deck’s mana base and hindering its flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tapping out four mana might leave you vulnerable, especially when facing decks that capitalize on tempo or deploy threats at a faster rate.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wild Instincts slots into various green-centric decks, serving as a key spell for both creature control and power buffs. It adapts to the needs of your game whether you’re pressing the advantage or protecting your board.

Combo Potential: This card excels in decks that capitalize on fight mechanics or those that benefit from targeting your own creatures, such as those with enrage or when aiming to trigger enter-the-battlefield abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where creature-based decks prevail, Wild Instincts proves to be a crucial inclusion for its ability to remove threats while strengthening your creatures, keeping you one step ahead in the power dynamic.

How to beat

Wild Instincts is a card that can shift the tide of battle in the favor of any player using creatures as their primary strategy. This powerful sorcery not only allows your creature to fight another creature without the fear of backlash but also gives it a notable boost to its power. With the right play, it can take down significantly larger threats.

Despite its strength, there are ways to ensure that Wild Instincts doesn’t wreak havoc on your board. Counterspells, such as Negate or Essence Scatter, shut down this sorcery before it can be a problem. Instant speed removals, like Murder or Path to Exile, can also remove the targeting creature before the spell resolves, negating its effect. Another tactic is to maintain a board presence with creatures that have indestructible or ones that provide value when they are targeted or die, thereby offsetting the potential loss.

The key to beating Wild Instincts is to always be prepared with a response or to structure your play such that it remains a low threat. By considering these strategies and building your deck with them in mind, Wild Instincts won’t stand a chance at overpowering your well-crafted defenses.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wild Instincts MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Wild Instincts and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wild Instincts has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-06-22	If the creature an opponent controls is an illegal target as Wild Instincts tries to resolve, but the creature you control is still a legal target, the creature you control will get +2/+2, but the creatures won’t fight. Neither creature will deal or be dealt damage during the resolution of Wild Instincts.
2015-06-22	You must target both a creature you control and a creature an opponent controls to cast Wild Instincts.