Necrotic Plague MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2010-07-16
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2011
Set code	M11
Number	107
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jaime Jones

Key Takeaways

Recurring creature control disrupts opponents’ board without depleting your hand.
Its board presence indirectly accelerates resources by stalling enemies.
Instant-like flexibility allows strategic spreads during any game phase.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature has "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature." When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard, its controller chooses target creature one of his or her opponents controls. Return Necrotic Plague from its owner's graveyard to the battlefield attached to that creature.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Necrotic Plague’s mechanic provides a recurring advantage as it jumps from creature to creature, effectively dealing with multiple threats over time. This allows savvy players to thin out their opponent’s board presence without spending additional cards from their hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although Necrotic Plague itself does not directly provide mana, controlling the board indirectly leads to resource acceleration. By eliminating key creatures, players can stall opponents long enough to develop their resources and establish a dominant position in the game.

Instant Speed: While Necrotic Plague operates at sorcery speed, its ability to automatically attach to another target creature upon the death of the enchanted one catches opponents off-guard. It offers strategic flexibility, letting the contagion spread and affect the board at any moment of the game cycle, similar to the outcomes you’d expect from instant-speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of this card is that it needs an initial creature sacrifice to get onto the battlefield. This can put you at a disadvantage, especially if your board state is already weak or if you are sacrificing a key piece of your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Necrotic Plague requires both black and generic mana, which can be restrictive. It’s specifically demanding in terms of black mana, so it might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks that aren’t heavily biased towards black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, which includes three black mana, it’s a hefty price for an enchantment that may not affect the board immediately. In fast-paced games, the steep cost could hinder your ability to develop a strong board presence or respond to your opponent’s threats efficiently.

Reasons to Include Necrotic Plague in Your Collection

Versatility: Necrotic Plague can adapt to multiple strategies, serving as a constant threat on the board. Its ability to jump between creatures ensures that it can be a part of various control or attrition-based decks.

Combo Potential: This enchantment thrives in environments where you can exploit its bouncing nature. Pairing it with cards that benefit from death triggers or creature control can create a potent combination that disrupts your opponents’ plans.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that’s creature-heavy, Necrotic Plague can be a defining tool. It deals effectively with indestructible creatures and those resistant to other forms of removal, providing a unique form of board control.

How to beat Necrotic Plague

Necrotic Plague stands as a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, presenting a challenge with its ability to jump from creature to creature, decimating armies as it spreads. Dealing with this plague requires strategy, such as opting for an approach with fewer creatures to minimize its impact. Cards that grant indestructibility or regeneration to your creatures can serve as a countermeasure, effectively nullifying the Plague’s lethal touch.

Another tactic involves leveraging this card against your opponent by using control magic or borrowing effects—once the Plague is on an opponent’s creature, it’s only a matter of time before their forces dwindle. A flexible defense is invaluable, so versatility in your deck can make all the difference. Instant-speed removal or sacrifice outlets also prove useful by removing your own creatures from play before the Plague can claim them, disrupting its intended cycle.

Upholding board presence against Necrotic Plague demands adaptability and preemptive play, ensuring this treacherous enchantment becomes a weapon in your arsenal, rather than a sentence to your own downfall.

Cards like Necrotic Plague

Necrotic Plague stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering as an aura that brings cyclical destruction to the battlefield. It compares closely with other contagion-themed cards such as Lethal Vapors, which disrupts the pace of play by destroying creatures that come into play, but without the recurring aspect. Whereas Necrotic Plague jumps from one creature to the next upon the death of its host.

Another similar card is Contagion Clasp, which spreads -1/-1 counters to weaken opponents’ creatures. Contagion Clasp offers more control since its proliferate ability can be activated multiple times, while Necrotic Plague focuses on a death and rebirth cycle. Corrupted Zendikon, while not spreading disease, transforms lands into creatures that are returned to a player’s hand upon death, mirroring the idea of reusability seen in Necrotic Plague.

Finally, considering cards like Dead Weight, which provides a static debuff in the form of -2/-2 to creatures, showcases a straightforward approach. Necrotic Plague adds a strategic depth with its mobility and potential to disrupt multiple enemy units. It encapsulates the ongoing battle against formidable creatures and reshapes how players tackle creature threats on the board.

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

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Necrotic Plague MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011, 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 Necrotic Plague and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Necrotic Plague has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-08-15	If no legal target can be chosen for Necrotic Plague’s last ability, it just remains in its owner’s graveyard. Similarly, if the targeted creature becomes an illegal target by the time the ability resolves, the ability doesn’t resolve and Necrotic Plague remains in its owner’s graveyard.
2010-08-15	Necrotic Plague grants the sacrifice ability to the creature it’s enchanting. That means it triggers at the beginning of the upkeep of the creature’s controller (not necessarily Necrotic Plague’s controller).
2010-08-15	Necrotic Plague’s last ability triggers when the enchanted creature is put into a graveyard for any reason, not just when it’s sacrificed due to the ability it grants to that creature. It triggers if it and the creature it’s enchanting are both put into the graveyard at the same time, or if the creature it’s enchanting is put into the graveyard but Necrotic Plague isn’t. (In the second case, Necrotic Plague is then put into the graveyard as a state-based action.)
2010-08-15	The player that controls Necrotic Plague at the time the enchanted creature is put into a graveyard is the player who controls the last ability (even though that creature’s controller is the one who chooses its target). The first player returns Necrotic Plague to the battlefield under their control, regardless of whose graveyard it was put into. Note that the ability is mandatory; a target must be chosen if able, and Necrotic Plague must be returned to the battlefield if able.