Primal Boost MTG Card
2002-10-07 - Number 277
2023-01-13 - Number 173
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Key Takeaways
- Grants card advantage and disrupts the opponent, making late-game matches tilt in your favor.
- Accelerates resource placement, allowing faster board development and threat deployment.
- The instant speed of Primal Boost offers tactical adaptability and surprise elements in battles.
Text of card
Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn. Cycling o G (o G, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.) When you cycle Primal Boost, you may have target creature get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Enhancing your hand while simultaneously disrupting your opponent’s strategy, Primal Boost provides a notable edge. During the late game, this advantage can be critical as it ensures you have the necessary resources to conclude the match in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: With Primal Boost’s capability of potentially putting additional lands onto the battlefield, it encourages a faster development of your board presence. This acceleration can be pivotal in outpacing your opponent and deploying threats ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: Primal Boost’s instant speed is a tactical advantage allowing for reactive play. It gives you the flexibility to adapt to the battlefield on the fly and can catch an opponent off-guard, turning the tide of battle in your favor at a crucial moment.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Primal Boost asks players to discard a card to trigger its bonus effect. This can be a hefty price when hand resources are already depleted, making it less appealing in tight game moments.
Specific Mana Cost: This spell demands a precise mana arrangement to cast—two generic and one green. This requirement may restrict its inclusion to green-centric decks, possibly limiting its versatility across the vast MTG multiverse.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a total cost of three mana including one from green, Primal Boost’s price tag is weighty considering alternate spells that may provide similar—or even greater—advantages for the same or lower investment, making the cost-efficiency of the card questionable in competitive play.
Reasons to Include Primal Boost in Your Collection
Versatility: Primal Boost is a flexible addition to any green-focused MTG deck. With its ability to provide a creature with a +3/+3 bonus and the potential for card draw if its cycle condition is met, it offers dual utility as both a combat trick and a card advantage tool.
Combo Potential: Its cycle ability can be an enabler in decks that capitalize on drawing cards or discarding for benefits, allowing you to trigger various effects while bolstering your creatures’ power.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature combat is significant, Primal Boost can be the difference-maker, giving your creatures the edge over opposing creatures, thus aligning well with the meta that favors aggressive strategies.
How to Beat Primal Boost
Primal Boost is a green instant spell that can be a game-changer in MTG due to its ability to give a creature +3/+3 until end of turn. Moreover, if it’s kicked with an additional cost, it can also give that creature trample, making it a formidable threat especially during the late game where mana is less of an issue. This instant can turn even the smallest creature into a significant threat.
To navigate around Primal Boost’s potential, focus on maintaining control of the battlefield. Employ removal spells that can zap a creature before the boost takes effect. Alternatively, saving a counter spell specifically for moments when Primal Boost is cast ensures you don’t have to deal with an empowered creature at all. It’s also essential to manage your opponent’s mana availability, as interrupting their resources can negate the opportunity for them to cast Primal Boost with its kicker. Remember, timing is critical—responding to Primal Boost rather than the creature it’s targeting often yields the best results.
Navigating around such combat tricks like Primal Boost involves a blend of foresight and instant-speed interaction. By keeping these strategies in mind, you can effectively temper the boost and maintain the upper hand in your matches.
Cards like Primal Boost
Primal Boost is an intriguing creature enhancer in the realm of MTG, exhibiting parallels with a variety of existing cards in its category. Cards like Giant Growth stand out, offering creatures a substantial power and toughness boost for just one mana. Although Primal Boost requires more mana, its cycle ability compensates, providing players with an alternative when a boost isn’t needed.
Beastmaster’s Magemark is another card showing resemblance by also focusing on creature buffs. It costs alike and grants a continual power increase while rewarding players for controlling multiple creatures. Unlike Primal Boost, the Magemark lacks the flexibility of cycling, but it offers a persistent effect. Then there is Invigorate, a free spell if you control a Forest, granting a significant power surge while also giving your opponent life – a stark contrast to Primal Boost’s no strings attached enhancement.
Scrutinizing these cards unveils that Primal Boost’s strength lies in its versatility and the ability to adapt to the fluctuating tides of a match. Its cycling feature ensures that even when it’s not the ideal time for a boost, it can still contribute to the player’s tactical arsenal.
Cards similar to Primal Boost by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Primal Boost MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Dominaria Remastered, 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 Primal Boost and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Primal Boost Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by Eric Peterson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-10-07 | Onslaught | ONS | 277 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Eric Peterson | |
| 2 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 173 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eric Peterson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Primal Boost has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Primal Boost card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-12-08 | The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn’t resolve (because, for example, it has been countered, or all of its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve and you’ll draw a card. |
| 2022-12-08 | When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability. |
| 2022-12-08 | You can cycle this card even if there are no legal targets for the triggered ability. |
