Flesh to Dust MTG Card

Magic 2015 (M15)
2014-07-18 - Number 98

Magic Origins (ORI)
2015-07-17 - Number 280

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 663

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number ORI-280

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Permanent removal with Flesh to Dust provides a distinct card advantage, crucial for controlling the game.
Instant speed of this removal spell allows for flexible and impactful decisions during any phase.
Though costly mana-wise, its ability to target any creature justifies Flesh to Dust in many black decks.

Text of card

Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated.

"Pain is temporary. So is life." —Liliana Vess

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flesh to Dust ensures the permanent removal of a target creature. By doing this, you’re effectively gaining card advantage as you reduce your opponent’s resources without the risk of the creature coming back, which is especially meaningful in long game formats.

Resource Acceleration: While Flesh to Dust itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its definitive nature means you effectively conserve future resources you might have used to deal with the same threat. This indirect resource saving can be pivotal in maintaining a lead or catching up.

Instant Speed: The power of Flesh to Dust is significantly magnified by its instant speed. This allows for flexibility and strategic depth in gameplay, as you can remove threats on the fly, whether during your opponent’s attack phase, end step, or in response to a game-changing ability being activated. It’s the kind of disruption that can turn the tide of a match when used judiciously.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Flesh to Dust doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s essential to recognize the tactical value of each card in hand. Cards that require discarding as a cost can offer a strategic edge in enabling graveyard mechanics or triggering effects based on the number of cards in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Flesh to Dust demands three black mana in its cost, making it a commitment in decks. This specificity restricts flexibility, especially for multicolor deck strategies that may struggle to produce the necessary black mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of five, including three of a single color, Flesh to Dust can be on the expensive side for removal spells. In a game where speed and efficiency are vital, players might prefer lower-cost alternatives for creature removal that allow for a more dynamic playstyle and leave resources available for other spells within the same turn.

Reasons to Include Flesh to Dust in Your Collection

Versatility: Flesh to Dust offers reliable creature removal that can be a crucial part of your control arsenal. Its ability to destroy any target creature regardless of power, toughness, or abilities makes it a perfect fit for almost any black deck that aims to maintain board control.

Combo Potential: While not directly combo-driven, Flesh to Dust complements strategies that capitalize on creature deaths, such as triggering morbid abilities, powering up graveyard-based mechanics, or clearing the way for your win conditions.

Meta-Relevance: This card holds its value in environments where indestructible or regeneration abilities are prevalent. Being able to permanently deal with otherwise hard-to-remove threats makes Flesh to Dust a worthy addition for players contending with a diverse and resilient creature meta.

How to Beat Flesh to Dust

Flesh to Dust is a potent removal spell that can disrupt your board presence in Magic: The Gathering. As an instant, players can use the card to destroy a creature regardless of whether it can regenerate, making it a formidable tool for controlling the battlefield. Nonetheless, with the correct strategies and card choices, you can mitigate the impact of Flesh to Dust.

One approach is to deploy creatures with hexproof or shroud, thereby preventing them from being targeted by such spells. Cards like Gladecover Scout or Invisible Stalker can slip through unchecked, maintaining your field advantage. Additionally, countering the spell is a straightforward tactic; holding up mana for a Negate or a Counterspell when you suspect your opponent might have a Flesh to Dust can save your creature and keep you ahead in the game.

Moreover, understanding your opponent’s mana is crucial. Since Flesh to Dust requires five mana to cast, pressuring your opponent before they can accumulate enough resources can be an effective strategy. In this way, early aggression or disruption of their mana base through cards like Stone Rain can stave off this removal and give you the upper hand. By tailoring your playstyle to either protect your assets or proactively handle your opponent’s mana, you can effectively nullify the threat of Flesh to Dust.

Cards like Flesh to Dust

Flesh to Dust stands as a solid removal option in Magic: The Gathering, offering an unambiguous solution to creatures that would otherwise threaten your game plan. When pitted against other removal spells, such as Murder, the comparison illuminates some key differences. Flesh to Dust ensures that the creature it destroys cannot be revived, setting it apart from Murder which simply destroys without affecting the possibilities of creature recursion.

Looking towards Doom Blade, we see a cost-effective alternative, with its cheaper mana requirement of just two. However, Doom Blade’s limitation is that it can’t destroy black creatures, which is a non-issue for Flesh to Dust. On the battlefield, there’s also the presence of Ultimate Price, another manageable spell focusing on single-colored creatures, yet it struggles where Flesh to Dust shines — in its versatility and the ability to target any creature, regardless of its color or attributes.

In the grand scheme of things, Flesh to Dust offers a high degree of certainty in dealing with threats on the battlefield, making it a reliable tool in a player’s arsenal even though it comes at a higher cost and speed compared to some of its counterparts.

Cards similar to Flesh to Dust by color, type and mana cost

Death of a Thousand Stings - MTG Card versions

Rescue from the Underworld - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flesh to Dust MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and 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 Flesh to Dust and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Flesh to Dust Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Julie Dillon.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2014-07-18	Magic 2015	M15	98	2015	Normal	Black	Julie Dillon
2	2015-07-17	Magic Origins	ORI	280	2015	Normal	Black	Julie Dillon
3	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	663	2015	Normal	Black	Julie Dillon
4	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	ORI-280	2015	Normal	Black	Julie Dillon