Wild Instincts MTG Card


Wild Instincts - Magic Origins
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Fight
Released2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set nameMagic Origins
Set codeORI
Number206
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byIgor Kieryluk

Key Takeaways

  1. Combines creature elimination with a +2/+2 bonus, effectively pivoting board control in your favor.
  2. Instant speed grants tactical advantage, allowing surprise maneuvers or pivotal defensive actions.
  3. Demands deck adaptability due to specific mana and discard requirements, potentially limiting versatility.

Text of card

Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. It fights target creature an opponent controls. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

Nissa had only the space of a heartbeat to react, her instincts steering her blade.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wild Instincts provides not only a way to remove an opponent’s creature but also bolsters your own by strengthening it with an additional +2/+2 counter. This offers a significant boost to your battlefield presence while potentially reducing your opponent’s.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating a threat and powering up your own creature, Wild Instincts potentially clears a path for more aggressive plays, indirectly leading to an acceleration of your in-game resources through increased damage to your opponent and maintaining board control.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Wild Instincts at instant speed is crucial, allowing you to react during your opponent’s turn or make decisive plays right before your attack, catching an opponent off guard and often swinging the tide of the match in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wild Instincts necessitates discarding a card, presenting a strategic drawback when you’re conserving key pieces in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise blend of mana types, potentially complicating your deck’s mana base and hindering its flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tapping out four mana might leave you vulnerable, especially when facing decks that capitalize on tempo or deploy threats at a faster rate.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wild Instincts slots into various green-centric decks, serving as a key spell for both creature control and power buffs. It adapts to the needs of your game whether you’re pressing the advantage or protecting your board.

Combo Potential: This card excels in decks that capitalize on fight mechanics or those that benefit from targeting your own creatures, such as those with enrage or when aiming to trigger enter-the-battlefield abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where creature-based decks prevail, Wild Instincts proves to be a crucial inclusion for its ability to remove threats while strengthening your creatures, keeping you one step ahead in the power dynamic.


How to beat

Wild Instincts is a card that can shift the tide of battle in the favor of any player using creatures as their primary strategy. This powerful sorcery not only allows your creature to fight another creature without the fear of backlash but also gives it a notable boost to its power. With the right play, it can take down significantly larger threats.

Despite its strength, there are ways to ensure that Wild Instincts doesn’t wreak havoc on your board. Counterspells, such as Negate or Essence Scatter, shut down this sorcery before it can be a problem. Instant speed removals, like Murder or Path to Exile, can also remove the targeting creature before the spell resolves, negating its effect. Another tactic is to maintain a board presence with creatures that have indestructible or ones that provide value when they are targeted or die, thereby offsetting the potential loss.

The key to beating Wild Instincts is to always be prepared with a response or to structure your play such that it remains a low threat. By considering these strategies and building your deck with them in mind, Wild Instincts won’t stand a chance at overpowering your well-crafted defenses.


Cards like Wild Instincts

Within the landscape of green spells in Magic: The Gathering, Wild Instincts stands out as a card that enables both creature control and potential for engaging combat scenarios. Examining similar cards, we can look towards Rabid Bite, another spell that applies direct damage through a creature without causing it to receive damage in return. Unlike Wild Instincts, Rabid Bite lacks the added benefit of granting a temporary boost to the creature’s power and toughness.

Furthermore, Prey Upon offers a comparable effect by allowing a creature to fight another. However, it is important to note that Prey Upon doesn’t provide the stat enhancement that Wild Instincts does, making it less valuable in scenarios where your creature’s survival is crucial. On the more strategic end, there’s Epic Confrontation which not only lets a creature fight another but also gives a modest +1/+2 until end of turn, sitting somewhere between the effects of Rabid Bite and Wild Instincts.

Considering these alternatives, Wild Instincts offers a unique blend of creature targeting and empowerment, making it a versatile choice for players looking to strengthen their control within the similar vein of green creature spells in Magic: The Gathering.

Rabid Bite - MTG Card versions
Prey Upon - MTG Card versions
Epic Confrontation - MTG Card versions
Rabid Bite - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Prey Upon - Innistrad (ISD)
Epic Confrontation - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

Cards similar to Wild Instincts by color, type and mana cost

Tsunami - MTG Card versions
Taste of Paradise - MTG Card versions
Splendid Genesis - MTG Card versions
Unyaro Bee Sting - MTG Card versions
Elven Cache - MTG Card versions
Bee Sting - MTG Card versions
Rejuvenate - MTG Card versions
Titania's Boon - MTG Card versions
Splinter - MTG Card versions
Pack Hunt - MTG Card versions
Reverent Silence - MTG Card versions
Creeping Mold - MTG Card versions
Nature's Resurgence - MTG Card versions
Invigorating Falls - MTG Card versions
Natural Order - MTG Card versions
Scapeshift - MTG Card versions
Reap and Sow - MTG Card versions
Fertile Imagination - MTG Card versions
Harmonize - MTG Card versions
Eureka - MTG Card versions
Tsunami - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Taste of Paradise - Alliances (ALL)
Splendid Genesis - Celebration Cards (PCEL)
Unyaro Bee Sting - Mirage (MIR)
Elven Cache - Visions (VIS)
Bee Sting - Portal Second Age (P02)
Rejuvenate - Urza's Saga (USG)
Titania's Boon - Urza's Saga (USG)
Splinter - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Pack Hunt - Nemesis (NEM)
Reverent Silence - Nemesis (NEM)
Creeping Mold - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Nature's Resurgence - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Invigorating Falls - Torment (TOR)
Natural Order - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Scapeshift - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Reap and Sow - Darksteel (DST)
Fertile Imagination - Dissension (DIS)
Harmonize - Fallout (PIP)
Eureka - Masters Edition (ME1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wild Instincts MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Wild Instincts and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wild Instincts has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-06-22 If the creature an opponent controls is an illegal target as Wild Instincts tries to resolve, but the creature you control is still a legal target, the creature you control will get +2/+2, but the creatures won’t fight. Neither creature will deal or be dealt damage during the resolution of Wild Instincts.
2015-06-22 You must target both a creature you control and a creature an opponent controls to cast Wild Instincts.

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