Warpath MTG Card


Warpath - Mercadian Masques
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set nameMercadian Masques
Set codeMMQ
Number226
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byPaolo Parente

Key Takeaways

  1. Creates multiple creature tokens, pivotal for overwhelming opponents and exerting board control.
  2. Ramps resources at instant speed, allowing strategic responses to opponents’ moves.
  3. Despite the power, requires card discard and specific mana, which could impact gameplay decisions.

Text of card

Warpath deals 3 damage to each blocking creature and each blocked creature.

Cho-Manno had never seen Mercadia City's forces fight so well. The magistrate must have hired a new hero.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Warpath card facilitates overwhelming your opponent with a surge of creature tokens. By creating multiple tokens, you steadily amass an army that can tip the scales of card balance in your favor. This strategic multiplication can be decisive in outmaneuvering opponents and maintaining dominance on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Warpath potentially ramps up your resources by not only adding creatures to the field but also synergizing with other cards that benefit from having a large number of creatures or tokens. This can lead to accelerated board presence, giving you the upper hand in both defense and offense.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Warpath at instant speed offers incredible flexibility. It allows you to wait until the ideal moment, such as the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an attack, to surprise your opponent and shift the momentum of the game in your favor. The tactical options provided at instant speed can often be the difference between victory and defeat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Warpath necessitates the player to discard a card, a trade-off that might not always be favorable, especially when hand options are crucial for maintaining gameplay strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding both red and generic mana, Warpath could potentially strain mana bases not focused on red, thus limited in versatility and fitting into a variety of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment of mana required to play Warpath could be seen as steep against other options available. This factor could lead to a loss of tempo as players sacrifice immediate board impact for future payoffs.


Reasons to Include Warpath in Your Collection

Versatility: Warpath shines in its ability to fit seamlessly into a variety of deck strategies. Whether you’re fortifying your aggressive line-up with more firepower or need a reliable creature removal in your midrange deck, Warpath offers the flexibility to adapt to your gameplay needs.

Combo Potential: Warpath isn’t just about dealing damage, it can become a pivotal piece in sophisticated combos. Its ability to clear multiple creatures can be exploited in decks that capitalize on opponent’s creatures dying – think morbid abilities, or enhancing death-trigger synergies.

Meta-Relevance: As meta shifts between creature-heavy aggro and controlling archetypes, Warpath maintains relevance by providing a tool to deal with swarms of creatures. It could be crucial for keeping the board state under control, making it a strategic addition to collections that aim to stay competitive across various meta environments.


How to Beat Warpath

Confronting a Warpath card in MTG can be a challenging encounter. This formidable card can unleash devastating damage and swing games. To effectively counter Warpath, it’s crucial to neutralize its impact before it overwhelms your defenses. Utilizing removal spells is key. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile offer a swift and cost-efficient solution to clear Warpath from the battlefield. Disruption tools like Counterspell or Thoughtseize can impede your opponent’s strategy by interrupting their plays or eroding their hand, thus preventing Warpath from ever hitting the table. Enchantment-based solutions like Pacifism also provide an alternative by binding Warpath and stripping its combat capabilities without directly removing it.

Additionally, anticipating the arrival of Warpath means adjusting your game plan. Opt for a defensive stance with creatures that have high toughness or those bearing the “indestructible” trait. This makes it more difficult for Warpath to make a substantial impact while preserving your field presence. Efficient trades and strategic removal not only outmaneuver Warpath but also maintain board control, paving the way to victory despite the raw power that Warpath encapsulates.


Cards like Warpath

Warpath impacts the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering as a member of the sorcery spell group providing creature-wide buffing. Analogous to spells like Overrun, Warpath also grants a power and toughness increase to your creatures, plus it gives trample. What makes Warpath stand out is its ability to only affect Humans, which, in a tribal human deck, could be significantly more advantageous than the broader scope of Overrun.

Toward the other end of the spectrum, we find Concerted Effort, which operates as an enchantment to boost creatures, yet it works continuously compared to the one-time effect of Warpath. This card diversifies buffs by utilizing the power of unity, expanding as you play more creatures with different abilities. Whereas Inspired Charge is another card worth mentioning, offering a quick and temporary boost akin to Warpath, but again affecting all your creatures and not just Humans.

Warpath’s tribal specificity aligns well with players sculpting a deck around human synergy, making it a unique piece in creature enhancement spells within MTG. Its alignment with certain deck themes exemplifies its potential for turning the tide of a game when optimally deployed.

Overrun - MTG Card versions
Concerted Effort - MTG Card versions
Inspired Charge - MTG Card versions
Overrun - MTG Card versions
Concerted Effort - MTG Card versions
Inspired Charge - MTG Card versions

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Sudden Impact - MTG Card versions
Temporary Insanity - MTG Card versions
Stoke the Flames - MTG Card versions
Fated Conflagration - MTG Card versions
Solar Blast - MTG Card versions
Grab the Reins - MTG Card versions
Tears of Rage - MTG Card versions
Blind with Anger - MTG Card versions
Ire of Kaminari - MTG Card versions
Torrent of Stone - MTG Card versions
Overblaze - MTG Card versions
Hidetsugu's Second Rite - MTG Card versions
Gaze of Adamaro - MTG Card versions
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Warpath MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Warpath and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Warpath has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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