Incite War MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Entwine |
| Released | 2003-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirrodin |
| Set code | MRD |
| Number | 96 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Alex Horley-Orlandelli |
Key Takeaways
- Facilitates combat manipulation, turning the tide with strategic multi-player attacks.
- Incite War demands discard and specific mana, impacting its playability.
- It holds potential for versatile deck strategies and metagame relevance.
Text of card
Choose one Creatures target player controls attack this turn if able; or creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn. Entwine (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Incite War provides strategic depth by allowing players to manipulate combat. By forcing a multi-player attack, you can shift the game’s power balance and open opportunities for follow-up plays.
Resource Acceleration: This card can be a subtle catalyst for resource acceleration. When your opponents are compelled to attack, it can lead to advantageous trades on your part, potentially clearing the way for your own creatures or preserving your resources for pivotal moments.
Instant Speed: The instant speed of Incite War grants you the flexibility to disrupt your opponents’ strategies at the most opportune time. This can interfere with their plans, leaving them vulnerable and giving you the advantage even when it’s not your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Incite War demands a card to be discarded upon casting. This can be detrimental during gameplay, particularly if your hand is already dwindling or if you’re trying to maintain card advantage over your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes not just one, but two red mana symbols. This specificity can create a stumbling block in mana bases that aren’t heavily skewed towards red, thereby restricting it to red-centric or two-color decks that can reliably produce the necessary mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Incite War falls into a more costly mana bracket. When you consider the card’s overall impact on the game, it may not hold up against alternatives that could provide a similar or enhanced effect at a lower mana investment, thereby affecting its viability in fast-paced matches where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Incite War can be a dynamic addition to any collection as it has the potential to swing matches in your favor across various deck archetypes. Its ability to manipulate combat can turn the tides in both aggressive and control strategies.
Combo Potential: This card excels at creating sudden shifts in board state that can be leveraged to synergize with cards that react to creature combat, capitalize on enemy creatures becoming tapped, or even benefit from surprise battlefield changes.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, a card like Incite War can gain importance in metagames that focus on creature-based strategies. Having it in your arsenal allows you to preempt or disrupt your opponents’ combat calculations, making it a timely play in many game scenarios.
How to beat
Incite War is one of those intriguing spells in MTG that can dramatically sway the flow of a match. It creates a situation where your opponent is forced into a warlike stance, having their creatures attacking each turn if able. To effectively navigate around this card, it’s important to have a strategy that focuses on board control. Creatures with vigilance or those that can quickly replenish your ranks are key. You might also consider spells or abilities that neutralize or pacify opponents’ creatures, ensuring they can’t leverage the aggressive push Incite War provides.
Another effective method is to use instant-speed removals or damage spells to take out key attackers during the combat phase before they have a chance to inflict damage. This will not only mitigate the effect of Incite War but also potentially leave your opponent’s board exposed. Additionally, cards that grant you life for each attacking creature can turn the tide in your favor, using your opponent’s aggressive strategy to bolster your own life total and outlast their onslaught.
Ultimately, dealing with Incite War means anticipating aggression and having a plan to counteract it. Focus on maintaining a strong defensive line while punishing overextension, and you’ll find the tables turned against this war-provoking spell.
Cards like Incite War
Incite War carves its niche in the pantheon of MTG combat manipulation spells. With echoes reminiscent of cards like Warmonger’s Chariot and Total War, Incite War brings a twist by encouraging aggressive combat phases. Unlike Warmonger’s Chariot, which bolsters a single creature’s ability to attack fortified foes, Incite War prods every able creature into the fray, ramping up the battlefield tension.
In comparison, Total War pushes the concept further by opening the floodgates, ensuring that all creatures must attack if able during the owner’s turn. While Total War’s relentless onslaught is broader, Incite War offers a more targeted approach, affecting only your opponent’s creatures and marking it as a strategic tool for specific situations. Then, looking at Incendiary Command, which also fosters combat chaos by forcing creature engagement, Incite War distinguishes itself with its singular focus rather than offering multitude options at a higher mana cost.
Assessing cards of this thematic strand, Incite War finds its footing among MTG’s clever combat instigators, offering a strategic edge to players who thrive in turning their opponent’s creatures against them.
Cards similar to Incite War by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Incite War MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Incite War 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Incite War has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |