Accelerated Mutation MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set name	Scourge
Set code	SCG
Number	109
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Edward P. Beard, Jr.

Key Takeaways

Accelerated Mutation provides a substantial power increase at instant speed, potentially flipping the game in your favor.
It accelerates your creature’s stat growth, often surprising opponents and swiftly changing the battlefield dynamics.
Despite a high mana cost and specific requirements, its versatility and combo potential make it a valuable asset.

Text of card

Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control.

Its food just got a lot smaller and its stomach a lot bigger.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Accelerated Mutation shines when it comes to adding valuable creatures to the battlefield. This card skillfully turns the tide by not only enhancing one of your creatures but potentially overshadowing an opponent’s threat with a massive power boost. The advantage gained can often lead to dominating the board state.

Resource Acceleration: By adjusting a creature’s power in proportion to the highest power among creatures you control, Accelerated Mutation can serve as a resource accelerator. It significantly ramps up your creature’s stats, allowing you to bring formidable pressure against your adversaries swiftly and unexpectedly.

Instant Speed: The beauty of this spell lies in its instant speed, giving you the flexibility to alter the course of battle on the fly. Whether you’re toying with combat math, surmounting a defensive wall, or setting up a surprise block, the instantaneous nature allows for strategic plays that can swing the game in your favor at pivotal moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to playing Accelerated Mutation is that it necessitates discarding a card from your hand, which can often lead to a loss of tempo or reduce your strategic options, especially if your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: This card also demands a specific mana combination to cast, including both green mana and one additional mana of any color. This requirement can restrict deck building and integration in multicolored decks that may have a more diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side, Accelerated Mutation may not always be as cost-effective compared to other buff spells in MTG. The fact that it costs a total of five mana could potentially delay your game plan when quicker alternatives might be available, potentially giving your opponents the opportunity to stabilize or counter your strategy.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Accelerated Mutation excels in its ability to adapt to various game situations. As a scalable spell, it can not only boost your own creatures to overwhelming sizes but also serve as a flexible answer to your opponent’s threats.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that focus on +1/+1 counters, enabling you to amplify the power of creatures exponentially or combine with cards that have abilities triggered by the placement of counters.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-based strategies commonly seen in the game, having Accelerated Mutation could give you the edge you need to outpace the opponent’s development or swiftly adapt to the ever-changing battlefield conditions.

How to beat

Accelerated Mutation is a unique spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering that can catch players off guard by rapidly enhancing a creature’s power and toughness. The key to overcoming this unexpected surge of strength lies in anticipation and the strategic use of removal or counter spells before the mutation can take effect. Employing instant speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can efficiently deal with a creature targeted by Accelerated Mutation, especially when cast in response to the spell. Another effective tactic is to negate the spell entirely with counter magic such as Counterspell or Mana Leak, ensuring that the mutation never materializes on the battlefield.

Players should also consider the role of board wipes, which can reset the game state and nullify the effects of Accelerated Mutation. Supreme Verdict and Wrath of God are classic examples that can clear the board regardless of how large the mutated creature has become. By keeping these strategies in mind and maintaining versatility in your deck to address sudden threats, players can effectively tame the beast that is Accelerated Mutation and secure their position in the game.

Cards like Accelerated Mutation

Accelerated Mutation shines within the niche of creature enhancement spells in MTG. It stands alongside cards like Giant Growth, which also provide a temporary boost in power and toughness. However, the Mutation offers a unique upper hand by delivering a permanent increase based on the number of lands one controls, presenting a potential for a much larger growth. Giant Growth, while instant, gives only a transient +3/+3 increase, lacking the scalability of Accelerated Mutation.

Digging deeper, we can compare Mutagenic Growth, another spell that offers a +2/+2 increase to a creature. It’s similar in speed as an instant, and can also be paid for with life instead of mana, which offers flexibility. Yet again, it falls short of the long-term impact that Accelerated Mutation potentially provides. Adaptation spells like Invigorate must also enter the discussion, which provides a free buff if an additional condition is met, but none of these spells quite match the potential for sustained, significant power boost that Accelerated Mutation can achieve–especially in land-heavy decks.

Ultimately, while there are many spells that provide power and toughness buffs in MTG, Accelerated Mutation is distinct in its ability to provide a scalable and lasting increase, solidifying its place as a powerful tool in creature-focused strategies.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Accelerated Mutation MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Accelerated Mutation and other MTG cards: