Rend Flesh MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant — Arcane

Key Takeaways

  1. Rend Flesh can shift board advantage without drawing cards by targeting non-Spirit creatures.
  2. Instant speed allows Rend Flesh to disrupt opponents’ plays during their turn.
  3. Its specific black mana cost may limit flexibility in multicolored MTG decks.

Text of card

Destroy target non-Spirit creature.

"The Reito Massacre was a testament to the kami's unstoppable power. The human defenders might as well have been moths battling a forest fire." —*Great Battles of Kamigawa*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Rend Flesh doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its ability to selectively remove a non-Spirit creature can swing the board in your favor, essentially countering your opponents play and preserving your card resources while depleting theirs.

Resource Acceleration: Rend Flesh itself isn’t a resource acceleration tool, but by removing a key creature, it can often remove an opponent’s ramp or utility creature, slowing their progress and indirectly preserving your mana efficiency and momentum in the game.

Instant Speed: Rend Flesh’s instant speed grants you the flexibility to respond to threats on the fly. Being able to disrupt your adversary’s strategy during their turn can be pivotal, potentially saving your creatures from combat or interfering with their combos before they have a chance to complete them.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rend Flesh doesn’t actually require a card to be discarded, which makes it a straight-forward removal spell. However, this means that it lacks the potential for card advantage that could come from synergizing with graveyard strategies or spells that benefit from discard.

Specific Mana Cost: Carrying a cost that includes three specific black mana can strain mana resources in multicolored decks. This limitation makes Rend Flesh less flexible than removal spells with more generic mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not overly expensive, Rend Flesh does have a mana cost of three, which is a considerable investment in the early game. There are other removal spells that cost less and offer similar, or in some cases, more versatile removal options.


Reasons to Include Rend Flesh in Your Collection

Versatility: Rend Flesh is a reliable removal option in any deck that runs black mana. Its ability to target non-Spirit creatures ensures that it’s rarely without a target in a diverse creature environment.

Combo Potential: Rend Flesh works seamlessly in strategies that revolve around creature deaths, synergizing with cards that capitalize on creatures being sent to the graveyard, such as triggering Morbid or Death’s trigger effects.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many competitive decks revolve around powerful non-Spirit creatures, Rend Flesh maintains relevance by being able to remove key threats efficiently, ensuring your decks can compete in various meta scenarios.


How to beat

Rend Flesh is a uniquely restrictive removal spell in Magic: The Gathering. The card’s specific condition, which only allows for the destruction of non-Spirit creatures, sets it apart from more flexible removal spells in the game. For players looking for reliable defense against this card, strategically including Spirits in your creature lineup can often stymie an opponent’s Rend Flesh play, effectively protecting your critical assets on the board.

Then consider the role of indestructible or hexproof creatures. These attributes rightly make your creatures invulnerable to targeted removal spells like Rend Flesh, affording your deck resilience against it. Similarly, leveraging counterspells or utilizing abilities that grant temporary hexproof can shield your key creatures at crucial moments, negating the impact of removal spells and preserving your board presence.

Ultimately, while Rend Flesh may pose a threat due to its ability to take out significant non-Spirit creatures, strategic deck building and situational awareness can significantly diminish this threat, allowing you to maintain an upper hand. Adaptability and the right combination of creatures and spells are essential in outmaneuvering opponents who rely on cards like Rend Flesh.


Cards like Rend Flesh

Rend Flesh holds its place as a noteworthy removal spell in the vast library of Magic: The Gathering options. Standing shoulder to shoulder with this card, we have Go for the Throat, a targeted destruction spell reserved for non-artifact creatures. Both cater to eliminating threats on the battlefield, yet, Go for the Throat’s limitation to non-artifact creatures stands in contrast to Rend Flesh’s focus on non-Spirit targets, giving players different angles to strategize around.

Delving further, Doom Blade enters the conversation, offering removal for non-black creatures at the same cost. The narrow scope of Doom Blade’s application compared to Rend Flesh suggests a more situational use. Then, there’s the debate around Murder, an all-encompassing solution that grants the freedom to target any creature, no questions asked, albeit for an additional mana. This difference in cost and flexibility is a crucial factor for players weighing their removal options.

Ultimately, Rend Flesh earns its merit through restrictive yet capable creature control, aligned with a specialized niche that makes it a compelling choice for many decks. Its distinct limitation breeds creativity and can be seen as an advantage or drawback based on the deck construction and the nature of the game being played.

Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Doom Blade - Magic 2010 (M10)
Murder - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Rend Flesh by color, type and mana cost

Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Dismember - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions
Necrobite - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions
Spoils of Evil - Ice Age (ICE)
Dark Banishing - Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic (DVD)
Carrion - Mirage (MIR)
Sick and Tired - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Corpse Dance - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Bone Harvest - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Slay - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Afflict - Odyssey (ODY)
Dismember - Modern Event Deck 2014 (MD1)
Body Count - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Reaping the Graves - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Execute - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Kill! Destroy! - Unhinged (UNH)
Sudden Death - Time Spiral (TSP)
Footbottom Feast - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Fevered Strength - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Hideous End - The List (PLST)
Corpse Lunge - Innistrad (ISD)
Necrobite - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Murder - Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rend Flesh MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and The List, 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 Rend Flesh and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Rend Flesh Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-10-01 and 2004-10-01. Illustrated by Stephen Tappin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12004-10-01Champions of KamigawaCHK 1402003normalblackStephen Tappin
22020-09-26The ListPLST CHK-1402003normalblackStephen Tappin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rend Flesh has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks