Charge of the Forever-Beast MTG Card


Charge of the Forever-Beast - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set nameIkoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set codeIKO
Number147
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byFilip Burburan

Key Takeaways

  1. Efficiently removes threats by revealing a creature card, tilting card advantage towards you.
  2. Encourages resource conservation, potentially accelerating your overall game plan.
  3. Immediate effect after casting can decisively change the flow of the match.

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast this spell, reveal a creature card from your hand. Charge of the Forever-Beast deals damage to target creature or planeswalker equal to the revealed card's power.

The Zagoth wetlands are fertilized by centuries of Brokkos's former challengers.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Charge of the Forever-Beast enables players to reveal a creature card from their hand, assessing its power to remove a threat on the battlefield. This strategic reveal can shift the game dynamics by neutralizing a major threat on the other side, often resulting in a favorable exchange that tips card advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This card may not directly provide mana, yet it facilitates resource acceleration by efficiently dealing with potent threats for a relatively low cost. This conservation of resources allows players to invest mana into other pivotal game moves, setting the stage for accelerated gameplay and bigger plays sooner than opponents might expect.

Instant Speed: While Charge of the Forever-Beast operates at sorcery speed, its swift impact on the game mirrors the tactical advantage of instant speed spells. After casting, it immediately resolves the threat, enabling you to plan your next move with assurance. Although you must commit to it during your main phase, the immediacy of its effect can decisively alter the flow of the match, akin to how an instant speed spell would.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Charge of the Forever-Beast necessitates that you discard a creature card to activate its effect. This can potentially set you back if you’re at a point in the game where your hand is running empty or if the creature cards you possess are vital to your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost demands one green mana, which means it slots specifically into green decks or those that can reliably produce green mana. This restricts its flexibility across various deck strategies and can be a deal-breaker for decks that don’t run green mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana including one green, Charge of the Forever-Beast may seem steep for its ability to only target a single creature. Other removal options in the game potentially offer more versatility or lower costs which could make them more appealing choices when building a deck.


Reasons to Include Charge of the Forever-Beast in Your Collection

Versatility: Charge of the Forever-Beast offers a dynamic approach to removal, allowing players to target creatures based on the power of a creature card in their hand. This adaptability makes it a valuable asset in decks that vary in creature power levels.

Combo Potential: This card functions well with strategies that manipulate the top of the library or benefit from knowing what’s in hand, furthering combo potential with set-up cards or creature synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that sees creatures of various sizes taking center stage, having a removal tool such as Charge of the Forever-Beast might be essential. It’s especially potent in creature-centric decks, ensuring your threats stay on the board while dealing with theirs.


How to beat

Charge of the Forever-Beast presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as it allows a player to showcase a creature card from their hand, dealing damage equal to that creature’s power to a target creature or planeswalker. To counteract this potent removal, it is crucial to either limit the value of the revelation or employ strategies that dissipate its impact. A way to curb its effectiveness is by deploying creatures with high toughness, which could survive the damage dealt by the revealed creature’s power.

Another effective tactic involves charming or bouncing your significant threats back to your hand, thus protecting them from being targeted by Charge of the Forever-Beast. Additionally, utilizing instant speed hexproof giving spells can render your key creatures temporarily immune to the spell’s effects, mitigating potential losses. Lastly, employing counter magic when your opponent casts Charge of the Forever-Beast can not only neutralize the spell but also waste the mana and card resources committed by your opponent, leaving you in a favorable position to take control of the game.


Cards like Charge of the Forever-Beast

Charge of the Forever-Beast brings a unique twist to creature-oriented removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. It draws a comparison to classic removal spells such as Prey Upon, capitalizing on a creature’s power to determine the outcome. What distinguishes Charge from Prey Upon is the reveal aspect, which is not a combat engagement but a pure damage infliction based on revealed creature card power. However, Prey Upon allows the creature to deal damage equal to its power, potentially eliminating a target without the need for a card reveal.

Another similar card, Rabid Bite, gives a one-sided fight effect that, like Charge of the Forever-Beast, doesn’t put your creature in danger. While Rabid Bite doesn’t offer the flexibility of using the power of a card in hand, it provides the benefit of knowing the exact outcome since it’s based on the creature in play. Conversely, Savage Stomp deserves mention for its synergy with Dinosaurs, offering both a cost reduction and a +1/+1 counter, all while doing something akin to Charge by not engaging in actual combat.

In summary, while Charge of the Forever-Beast presents a novel means for damage-based removal in Magic: The Gathering, it stands tall among alternatives with its distinct method of employing the power of creatures in hand, offering strategic depth to gameplay.

Prey Upon - MTG Card versions
Rabid Bite - MTG Card versions
Savage Stomp - MTG Card versions
Prey Upon - Innistrad (ISD)
Rabid Bite - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Savage Stomp - Ixalan (XLN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Charge of the Forever-Beast MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Charge of the Forever-Beast and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Charge of the Forever-Beast has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-04-17 As Charge of the Forever-Beast resolves, it deals damage based on the revealed card’s power if it’s still in your hand. If that card has left your hand, Charge of the Forever-Beast deals damage based on the card’s power immediately before it left your hand.
2020-04-17 You must reveal exactly one card to cast Charge of the Forever-Beast; you can’t cast it without revealing a card, and you can’t reveal additional cards. The revealed card remains revealed until Charge of the Forever-Beast resolves.

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