Execute MTG Card

Odyssey (ODY)
2001-10-01 - Number 133

Eighth Edition (8ED)
2003-07-28 - Number 132

Eighth Edition (8ED)
2003-07-28 - Number 132★

Ninth Edition (9ED)
2005-07-29 - Number 128★

Ninth Edition (9ED)
2005-07-29 - Number 128

Card sets	Released in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Execute offers control by removing key creatures, often shifting board advantage in your favor.
Its instant speed allows flexible, reactive plays, disrupting opponents’ battle plans effectively.
The card’s dual mana requirement and discard cost may limit its use to specific deck types.

Text of card

Destroy target white creature. It can't be regenerated. Draw a card.

"Any fool who would die for honor is better off dead." —Cabal Patriarch

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Execute provides an ideal way to maintain control of the board. By removing a crucial threat from the game, it often leads to a favorable shift in card parity, and in some cases, can even net you an extra card from effects that trigger upon the destruction of a creature.

Resource Acceleration: While Execute itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its cost effectiveness for its removal capability can indirectly accelerate your game plan. By dealing with an opponent’s key creature efficiently, you free up your mana to develop your own board or hold up other important spells.

Instant Speed: The fact that Execute operates at instant speed adds an extra layer of versatility, allowing for reactive plays. Holding up mana for Execute keeps opponents guessing and provides the flexibility to respond to threats in the most optimal window, often disrupting the opponent’s tempo and planned plays during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Execute requires parting with another card from your hand, possibly depleting your vital resources that could be essential for later plays or reactions.

Specific Mana Cost: Execute demands both black and white mana, which could restrict its inclusion to only multi-colored decks, potentially causing consistency issues for mono-colored strategists.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combined mana cost that’s on the higher end, players might find Execute a weighty investment, especially when there are lower-cost removal alternatives available.

Reasons to Include Execute in Your Collection

Versatility: Execute is adaptable across various deck types, offering targeted removal that can be essential in multiple game situations. Its ability to handle problematic creatures makes it a reliable choice for any player.

Combo Potential: This card can easily slot into strategies focused on controlling the battlefield or synergize with decks that capitalize on death triggers and graveyard mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: With creatures being a staple in many meta decks, having Execute on hand ensures you’re prepared to disrupt your opponent’s board and maintain the upper hand during critical moments of play.

How to beat

The Execute MTG card presents unique challenges on the battlefield, drawing parallels to other removal spells like Murder or Hero’s Downfall. However, it requires a keen understanding of timing to outmaneuver. Unlike its counterparts, which offer more straightforward removal options, Execute demands more tactical play to counter its effects.

Playing around Execute involves a mix of baiting out the card early or keeping your most valuable creatures back until it’s safe. Additionally, spells like Duress can be key in stripping this threat from your opponent’s hand before it can be used against you. Similarly, creatures with hexproof or indestructible can serve as additional buffers, providing you with resiliency against such targeted removal.

In essence, mitigating the impact of Execute requires a strategy that combines proactive defense with patient, insightful play. When executed correctly, your deck can maintain its formidable presence on the board even in the face of this powerful spell, ensuring that your path to victory remains clear.

Cards like Execute

Execute is a tactical removal spell in Magic: The Gathering, resonating with the mechanics of other popular elimination choices. Similar in intent to Fatal Push, which allows for a swift creature takedown, Execute requires a tapped creature as its target, demanding strategic timing compared to Fatal Push’s broader criteria which only requires a condition of a permanent leaving your battlefield this turn.

A close relative in strategy, though not in mana cost, is Murderous Cut. Both are catered to disrupting creature-based tactics, but Murderous Cut swings with Delve, offering a reduction in its mana cost which may outweigh Execute’s limitation to only creatures that have been tapped. Conversely, Go for the Throat stands out for its mana efficiency and ability to exterminate nonartifact creatures regardless of their state, presenting a robust alternative without the tapped requirement.

While each spell delivers distinctive advantages, Execute occupies a niche in MTG where precision and tactical play merge, aligning it with players who favor control and timing in their elimination spells. Balancing cost against conditions and effects reveals where Execute may shine within the realm of black removal cards.

Go for the Throat - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Cards similar to Execute by color, type and mana cost

Dark Banishing - Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic (DVD)

Corpse Dance - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)

Reaping the Graves - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)

Fevered Strength - Masters Edition III (ME3)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Execute MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Eighth Edition, 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 Execute and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Execute Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by Gary Ruddell.

#	Release	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2001-10-01	Odyssey	ODY	133	1997	normal	black	Gary Ruddell
2	2003-07-28	Eighth Edition	8ED	132	2003	normal	white	Gary Ruddell
3	2003-07-28	Eighth Edition	8ED	132★	2003	normal	black	Gary Ruddell
4	2005-07-29	Ninth Edition	9ED	128★	2003	normal	black	Gary Ruddell
5	2005-07-29	Ninth Edition	9ED	128	2003	normal	white	Gary Ruddell