Endemic Plague MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	142
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nelson DeCastro

Key Takeaways

Endemic Plague excels at board control by removing numerous creatures and gaining an upper hand over opponents.
The instant-capable card responds to threats in real time, enhancing strategic play with its surprise elimination.
Despite advantages, its casting requirements and specific mana cost may limit its versatility in certain decks.

Text of card

As an additional cost to play Endemic Plague, sacrifice a creature. Destroy all creatures that share a creature type with the sacrificed creature. They can't be regenerated.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Endemic Plague provides a robust control mechanism by enabling you to potentially clear multiple creatures from the board, thus disrupting your opponent’s battlefield presence and gaining card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card functions as a preemptive strike against token strategies, helping to swiftly eliminate a swath of opposing resources and keep the board state in your favor, thereby indirectly accelerating your own position.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Endemic Plague can be cast in response to an opponent’s actions, like the creation of tokens or the casting of creatures, allowing for strategic timing and surprise factor that can shift the game’s momentum in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Endemic Plague’s casting prerequisites can present a hurdle, as it necessitates the relinquishing of another card from your hand. This can prove particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted, hindering your ability to maintain strategic flexibility and momentum during the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The demand for a precise combination of mana to cast Endemic Plague might pose restrictions in deck construction. Its mana cost necessitates black mana, which constrains its deployment to decks that are heavy in black or have sufficient mana fixing to accommodate its requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Endemic Plague’s effect can be impactful, its mana cost is on the higher end of the spectrum. This could potentially slow down your game plan as you allocate a significant portion of your resources in the early to mid-game to cast it, potentially missing out on other pivotal plays.

Reasons to Include Endemic Plague in Your Collection

Versatility: Endemic Plague offers a unique advantage as it can be utilized in decks that aim to control the board. Its ability to persistently hinder your opponent’s creatures makes it a multifaceted tool in various match-ups.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that capitalize on sacrificing creatures, such as triggering morbid abilities or enabling death-triggered effects, thus broadening its utility in your deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a creature-heavy metagame, Endemic Plague becomes a crucial card, keeping the tide of opposing threats at bay while you advance your board state. Its capacity to continuously affect the battlefield makes it a contender for inclusion in a well-prepared collection.

How to beat

Endemic Plague presents a unique challenge for Magic the Gathering players. The card enforces a persistent threat, demanding an answer to its ability to weaken creature presence on the board. Overcoming this requires a strategic approach, emphasizing the use of non-creature spells or selecting creatures that are resilient to its effects.

Utilizing spells that can remove enchantments is a direct tactic to counter Endemic Plague. Naturalize or Disenchant, for instance, provide a straightforward solution by allowing players to destroy the problematic enchantment. Another strategy involves leveraging creatures with hexproof or indestructible attributes, thereby nullifying the plague’s impact. Creatures with the ability to regenerate or those that have ‘enter the battlefield’ effects can also offer recurring value despite the plague’s presence.

Moreover, adapting a playstyle that minimizes the reliance on creature-based strategies could diminish the Plague’s relevance. Incorporating potent direct damage spells, control elements or planeswalkers adjusts the game plan away from the plague’s influence. In this context, Endemic Plague becomes a manageable obstacle, reinforcing the importance of flexibility and strategic card selection in Magic the Gathering.

Cards like Endemic Plague

Endemic Plague stands out within its niche in Magic: The Gathering, aligning closest to cards like Pox and Smallpox, both of which demand sacrifices from all players. Where Endemic Plague differs significantly is its specificity – selectively targeting creatures with the same name, eradicating redundancy on the battlefield. In comparison, Pox is broader, impacting life totals, land, and cards in hand, while Smallpox scales down the effect but retains its broad reach.

Another card that echoes the disruptive nature of Endemic Plague is Engineered Plague. Engineered Plague impacts creatures of a chosen type, which can be repeatedly detrimental across multiple turns. It lacks the instant board impact of Endemic Plague but offers persistent control. Lastly, Extinction is a card to consider. It delivers a similar outcome by destroying creatures of a specific name, but unlike Endemic Plague, its effect is not limited to one-sided removal, providing a swing in board advantage that could be more pronounced.

When evaluating the strategic role and adaptability in game scenarios, Endemic Plague presents itself as a tool for precision strikes against creature-driven redundancy, carrying the capability to turn the tides in a match where duplicating creatures cast long shadows.

Cards similar to Endemic Plague by color, type and mana cost

Terisiare's Devastation - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Endemic Plague MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Endemic Plague and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Endemic Plague has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	Players can only respond once this spell has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.
2013-04-15	You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you cannot cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you cannot sacrifice additional creatures.