Urge to Feed MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Acts as a dual-purpose tool, combining creature removal with Vampire buffs, urging strategic deck integration.
  2. While powerful, the card demands specific conditions, making it less versatile in non-Vampire themed decks.
  3. Presents a niche within Vampire tribal strategies, outshining similar cards in synergy and potential power shifts.

Text of card

Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. You may tap any number of untapped Vampire creatures you control. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each of those Vampires.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When used effectively, Urge to Feed can remove opposing creatures while strengthening your own board. It encourages strategic play and can tip the scales in your favor by selectively thinning out opponents’ threats.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana, efficiently removing an opponent’s key creatures can indirectly accelerate your game plan by clearing the way for your offensive strategies to take the lead without resistance.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Urge to Feed at instant speed gives players the flexibility to act during the opponent’s turn. It allows you to keep mana untapped for other actions and respond to threats as they arise, increasing reactive play capabilities and maintaining the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Urge to Feed is the necessity to sacrifice a creature which can set you back in maintaining board control. This cost becomes particularly taxing when your creature count is low, making it a situational card that can sometimes be a liability rather than an asset.

Specific Mana Cost: Another limitation of this card is its specific mana requirements, demanding black mana exclusively. This not only restricts it to black or black-inclusive decks but also can be a challenge in multicolor decks where mana bases can be less consistent.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands two black mana and an additional cost, Urge to Feed can be considered costly for the effect it provides. Competitive play often has alternatives that offer removal or creature strengthening at a more efficient mana cost, making Urge to Feed less appealing in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is key to victory.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Urge to Feed exhibits flexibility as it performs dual functions of creature removal and vampire strengthening. This essential trait allows it to adapt to various game scenarios, making it a useful asset in diverse deck builds.

Combo Potential: With its ability to give vampire creatures a boost, Urge to Feed works well with strategies that capitalize on counter accumulation or synergize with vampire-centric mechanics, creating opportunities for powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where small to medium creatures dominate, this instant can be a game-changer. It effectively removes threats while simultaneously empowering your board presence, keeping you competitive in a fluctuating meta.


How to beat

Urge to Feed is a potent card present in many black decks in Magic: The Gathering. This vampire-centric instant allows players not only to bolster their own creatures but also to weaken or even remove threats on the opponent’s side of the battlefield. By targeting and reducing the power of enemy creatures, Urge to Feed can facilitate favorable exchanges or outright eliminate key pieces of the opponents’ strategy.

To effectively counter Urge to Feed, it’s crucial to manage the timing and deployment of creatures. Since it’s an instant, be wary of playing significant creatures before Urge to Feed could be cast. Utilizing cards that grant hexproof or indestructibility can offer protection against such targeted removal. Additionally, instant-speed removal or bounce effects in response to Urge to Feed can save a threatened creature and neutralize the vampire empowerment by ensuring there are no viable targets for the +1/+1 counters.

Understanding the nuances of black control and removal spells is key to maintaining board presence against decks employing Urge to Feed. By anticipating and intelligently navigating around this removal tool, you can preserve your creatures and maintain an advantage over vampire-themed strategies.


BurnMana Recommendations

Discovering the intricacies of Urge to Feed can elevate your MTG experience significantly, especially if your playstyle resonates with cunning and precision. This card not only disrupts your opponent’s board but also bolsters your vampire legion, cleverly intertwining offence and defence within a single action. By incorporating Urge to Feed into your collection, you gain a multifaceted tool that can adapt to the evolving battlefield. Ready to absorb more strategies and make each play count? Delve deeper with us to harness the full potential of your deck and outmaneuver your adversaries at every turn.


Cards like Urge to Feed

Urge to Feed holds a unique position in the realm of creature removal spells in MTG. It shares similarities with Diabolic Edict, as both cards force a player to sacrifice a creature. Where Urge to Feed carves its niche is within the Vampire tribe, offering an additional benefit of empowering your Vampires, not just mere destruction. Unlike Urge to Feed, Diabolic Edict doesn’t offer tribal synergies or buffs. This can be a game-changer in Vampire-themed decks, transforming a simple removal spell into a potential win condition.

Comparatively, Feast of Blood is another Vampire-centric card that requires you to control two Vampires before it can be cast, but it destroys a creature outright with no additional sacrifice required. Urge to Feed, however, provides a bit more flexibility since its activation isn’t contingent on having those Vampires on the battlefield right away. Furthermore, Go for the Throat is another commonly mentioned spell that destroys a nonartifact creature at the same cost. Yet, it also lacks the tribal benefits and the ability to strengthen your vampire forces present in Urge to Feed.

When evaluating Urge to Feed against its counterparts, its appeal becomes clear for players running Vampire decks. It serves as a strategic tool that combines removal and buffs, potentially shifting the board’s power balance in your favor.

Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Feast of Blood - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - Tempest (TMP)
Feast of Blood - Zendikar (ZEN)
Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Cards similar to Urge to Feed by color, type and mana cost

Word of Command - MTG Card versions
Terror - MTG Card versions
Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Transmutation - MTG Card versions
Headstone - MTG Card versions
Wicked Reward - MTG Card versions
Urborg Justice - MTG Card versions
Imps' Taunt - MTG Card versions
Rapid Decay - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Toxic Stench - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Cast Down - MTG Card versions
Smother - MTG Card versions
Hero's Demise - MTG Card versions
Sickening Shoal - MTG Card versions
Chill Haunting - MTG Card versions
Grim Harvest - MTG Card versions
Word of Command - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Terror - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Simulacrum - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Transmutation - Legends (LEG)
Headstone - Homelands (HML)
Wicked Reward - Visions (VIS)
Urborg Justice - Weatherlight (WTH)
Imps' Taunt - Tempest (TMP)
Rapid Decay - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Diabolic Edict - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Tainted Pact - Odyssey (ODY)
Toxic Stench - Judgment (JUD)
Doom Blade - Magic 2012 (M12)
Go for the Throat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cast Down - Commander Legends (CMR)
Smother - Worldwake (WWK)
Hero's Demise - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Sickening Shoal - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Chill Haunting - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Grim Harvest - Coldsnap (CSP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Urge to Feed MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake and Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt, 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 Urge to Feed and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Urge to Feed Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-02-05 and 2021-11-19. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-02-05WorldwakeWWK 702003normalblackJohann Bodin
22013-03-15Duel Decks: Sorin vs. TibaltDDK 222003normalblackJohann Bodin
32017-11-24Explorers of IxalanE02 212015normalblackJohann Bodin
42021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1392015normalblackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Urge to Feed has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-03-01 If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time Urge to Feed resolves, the entire spell doesn't resolve. You can't tap any Vampires.
2010-03-01 If you cast Urge to Feed targeting an untapped Vampire creature you control with toughness 3, its toughness will be reduced to 0 by the -3/-3 effect. However, state-based actions aren't checked until the spell has finished resolving. You may then tap that Vampire and put a +1/+1 counter on it, raising its toughness to 1. It will remain on the battlefield.
2010-03-01 You don't choose which untapped Vampire creatures you control to tap (if any) until Urge to Feed resolves.

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