Dirge Bat MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Bat
Abilities Flying,Mutate, Flash
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Dirge Bat offers both aerial threat and removal, enriching your strategic options during a match.
  2. Mutation mechanic at instant speed disrupts opponents, forcing them to adapt or falter.
  3. Despite its power, savvy play using instant-speed removal can effectively manage Dirge Bat.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Mutate (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.) Flash Flying Whenever this creature mutates, destroy target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dirge Bat presents a meaningful addition to hand and battlefield dynamics when mutating. As the mutation allows you to destroy an opponent’s creature or planeswalker, it essentially gives you a two-for-one advantage – remove their resources while developing your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Dirge Bat itself doesn’t directly generate mana or tokens for resource acceleration, its mutation cost can be reduced by having a non-Human creature on the field. This synergistic interaction can effectively accelerate your gameplay by allowing higher impact moves earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: The flexibility to mutate at instant speed affords you the tactical advantage of being responsive and adaptive. You can initiate the mutation during your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their strategy by removing a key creature or planeswalker at a crucial moment or even in response to an opponent’s spell or ability, adding a layer of surprise and complexity to your gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Dirge Bat ability necessitates a discard to trigger the mutate mechanic, which might diminish your hand and reduce future play options, especially in decks that already have a tight grip on their resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Dirge Bat’s casting and mutating cost include black mana, which means it integrates only into decks that run black or have a sufficient mana base for color fixing—a limitation for non-black or multicolored decks that prefer a smoother mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The creature comes with a relatively steep total mana cost—six for the mutate ability. In a game where efficiency can be everything, some players might find better value in lower-cost creatures or alternate removal spells that can be used more flexibly throughout the game.


Reasons to Include Dirge Bat in Your Collection

Versatility: Dirge Bat offers effective adaptability for players who seek a dynamic card to fit into a variety of decks. Its mutate ability allows it to become a threat in the air while retaining the ability to destroy an opponent’s creature or planeswalker when it mutates.

Combo Potential: This creature can be a linchpin in decks that capitalize on mutate synergies or those that aim to use its creature removal effect repeatedly. Pairing Dirge Bat with cards that bounce creatures to your hand can lead to a powerful loop of control and damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where powerful creatures and planeswalkers dominate, Dirge Bat’s targeted removal when it mutates is invaluable. It enables you to keep pace with the evolving battlefield and remain competitive.


How to beat

Dirge Bat serves as a unique and multifaceted creature card in Magic: The Gathering, combining both a flying threat and a removal tool. Upon first glance, it may seem daunting with its mutate ability, allowing a player to destroy a target creature or planeswalker when mutating. However, dealing with Dirge Bat involves a strategy emphasizing timing and resource management.

To effectively counter Dirge Bat, consider holding onto instant-speed removal spells that can interrupt the mutate sequence – cards like Heartless Act or Rapid Hybridization are prime examples. Another key is to minimize the number of nonland permanents on the board, reducing the impact of its triggered ability upon mutating. Additionally, utilizing graveyard hate cards like Scavenging Ooze can disrupt the recursion strategies often paired with mutation mechanics. Lastly, keeping pressure with your own threats can force your opponent to use the bat defensively, thereby limiting its offensive capabilities. Overall, understanding when to interact with your opponent’s plays and managing board presence are crucial in overcoming the versatility of Dirge Bat.

While Dirge Bat can definitely become a game-changing card when played effectively, an informed and prepared player can navigate around this nocturnal predator and maintain control of the match with the right strategies and cards.


BurnMana Recommendations

As MTG enthusiasts, we revel in the complexity and strategic depth each card brings to the game, and Dirge Bat is no exception. With its ability to mutate and remove threats at instant speed, it offers a mix of agility and control that can be a boon to any deck incorporating black mana. Incorporating Dirge Bat into your strategy can elevate your gameplay, allowing for surprise maneuvers and advantageous board state shifts. Embrace the tactical flexibility it provides and consider the ways it could synergize with your existing deck components. Eager to optimize your MTG tactics and collection? Dive deeper with us to discover how Dirge Bat could be the game-changer you need.


Cards like Dirge Bat

Dirge Bat serves as a multifaceted tool in the vast collection of creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It echoes many of the abilities found in other creatures but with a unique twist. If we consider Vampire Nighthawk, the bat-like fiend also offers flying and deathtouch, a common pairing for mid-game control. Dirge Bat, however, scales its impact with its mutate capability, which can remove key threats the moment it mutates.

Another creature worth mentioning is Cloudshift Falcon, a card that takes to the skies and offers flexibility through its flicker effect, though lacking the permanence removal that Dirge Bat can claim. In contrast, Dirge Bat’s mutation not only introduces a creature with a robust ability but combines board impact with incremental creature presence. Finally, let’s look at Skinrender, which similarly exerts control over the board by doling out negative counters. While Skinrender provides immediate creature reduction, it does not share Dirge Bat’s potential growth and aerial superiority.

In evaluating Dirge Bat against its counterparts, it becomes clear that its mutation mechanic sets it apart, presenting both a tactical evolution and trigger-based removal that is rare in the MTG meta, elevating its strategic value among creature spells.

Vampire Nighthawk - MTG Card versions
Skinrender - MTG Card versions
Vampire Nighthawk - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Skinrender - Wizards Play Network 2010 (PWP10)

Cards similar to Dirge Bat by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Cabal Surgeon - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Gixian Puppeteer - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Akuta, Born of Ash - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Cabal Surgeon - Torment (TOR)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Gixian Puppeteer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Akuta, Born of Ash - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dirge Bat MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online Promos, 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 Dirge Bat and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Dirge Bat Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2020-04-24. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 809972015mutateblackKev Walker
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 809352015mutateblackKohei Hayama
32020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths PromosPIKO 84p2015mutateblackPaul Scott Canavan
42020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths PromosPIKO 84s2015mutateblackPaul Scott Canavan
52020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 3862015mutateborderlessKohei Hayama
62020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 842015mutateblackPaul Scott Canavan
72020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 2892015mutateborderlessKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dirge Bat has restrictions

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

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks