Bile Urchin MTG Card


Bile Urchin - Betrayers of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Released2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameBetrayers of Kamigawa
Set codeBOK
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number61
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDany Orizio

Key Takeaways

  1. Roles in combat decisions and opponent’s strategy can indirectly create card advantage.
  2. Instant-speed sacrifice ability augments the adaptability of interactive game plans.
  3. Mana cost and card requirement considerations affect deck building and play style.

Text of card

Sacrifice Bile Urchin: Target player loses 1 life.

"The two youths argued and tempers flared. One youth opened his mouth to utter a vile curse, but what he spat out instead was a kami of poison and filth." —Sensei Golden-Tail


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Bile Urchin may not directly allow you to draw cards, its presence can be a deterrent, subtly influencing your opponent’s strategy. Small utility creatures that affect board decisions can indirectly contribute to card advantage by forcing your opponent to deal with them unfavorably.

Resource Acceleration: Although Bile Urchin isn’t designed for resource acceleration in the traditional sense, it slots easily into decks with low mana curves, maintaining a smooth and efficient deployment of threats and responses throughout the game.

Instant Speed: This creature may not operate at instant speed itself, but it can complement instant-speed interactions. Its sacrifice ability can be activated at any time, allowing you to weave its effect into the fabric of your instant-paced game plan, catching opponents off guard and disrupting their strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In some game situations, having the ability to sacrifice Bile Urchin to deal damage can backfire if you’re forced to discard valuable cards from your hand. This can leave you at a disadvantage, particularly against decks that capitalize on reduced hand sizes.

Specific Mana Cost: Bile Urchin requires black mana to play, which can restrict deck building options. Players will need to factor in mana sources dedicated to generating black mana, potentially complicating the mana base for multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a single point of damage, Bile Urchin’s mana cost may not be the most efficient use of resources, especially when other one-drop creatures or spells could offer more immediate impact on the game state without needing to be sacrificed.


Reasons to Include Bile Urchin in Your Collection

Versatility: Though seemingly unassuming, Bile Urchin provides a flexible role in various deck builds. This one-drop creature from the Betrayers of Kamigawa set offers utility in strategies focused on sacrificing creatures for beneficial effects.

Combo Potential: Bile Urchin works well within combos that capitalize on life point manipulation or death triggers. Its ability to deal damage when sacrificed can be the keystone to a winning strategy in the right deck configuration.

Meta-Relevance: In local or casual metas where unconventional decks find a foothold, Bile Urchin can serve as an impactful tool, catching opponents off guard. This card’s efficacy increases in environments where low-cost creatures are pivotal.


How to beat

Bile Urchin may not seem like the most intimidating creature on the battlefield, but its ability to whittle down an opponent’s life total can be subtly effective. This one-drop creature from the Betrayers of Kamigawa set has a unique sacrifice ability that lets its controller trade it for a direct hit to an opponent’s life total. But how does one counteract this pesky creature’s effect? The key to beating Bile Urchin is to employ swift removal or utilize blockers that make sacrificing it less beneficial. Enchantments that prevent life loss or cards that replace life loss with card gain are also effective in negating the urchin’s sting. Additionally, graveyard disruption can further erode its impact, ensuring that once it leaves the battlefield, it stays gone. Such strategies can diminish the Urchin’s potential and leave your opponent with one less nuisance to leverage against you.

Always be mindful of the potential for Bile Urchin to be used as a tool for combo strategies, where its sacrifice might trigger other effects harmful to your gameplay. Staying one step ahead by maintaining board control and preserving your life total can ensure that this unassuming urchin doesn’t end up tipping the scales.


Cards like Bile Urchin

Bile Urchin from Betrayers of Kamigawa stands as an intriguing creature card in the vast MTG universe. It draws close parallels with Festering Goblin from Onslaught, a card that also carries a single black mana cost and offers a one-point swing in life totals upon death. Where Bile Urchin differentiates itself is in its ability to target any player, offering a modicum of strategic flexibility.

Moving to the enchantment realm, Seal of Doom from Nemesis presents a related concept. Both cards enable delayed payoffs, yet Seal of Doom requires more mana investment and crucially rids the battlefield of a nonblack creature. The trade-off between immediate life point reduction and potential creature removal is worth noting for deck builders.

Comparing these cards, Bile Urchin might not boast the board impact of Seal of Doom or the creature trade utility of Festering Goblin. However, its simplicity and direct damage approach can be unexpectedly potent in the right deck. This minute terror offers a unique blend of sacrifice trigger and life point manipulation, carving its niche among MTG black cards.

Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Seal of Doom - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)
Seal of Doom - Nemesis (NEM)

Cards similar to Bile Urchin by color, type and mana cost

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Sewer Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Dark Supplicant - MTG Card versions
Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions
Stone-Throwing Devils - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Will-o'-the-Wisp - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Vampire Bats - Renaissance (REN)
Bog Rats - Chronicles (CHR)
Sewer Rats - Mirage (MIR)
Muck Rats - Portal Second Age (P02)
Vebulid - Urza's Saga (USG)
Urborg Skeleton - Invasion (INV)
Carrion Rats - Torment (TOR)
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dark Supplicant - Legions (LGN)
Rimebound Dead - Coldsnap (CSP)
Plague Beetle - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Festering Goblin - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sleeper Agent - Tenth Edition (10E)
Knucklebone Witch - Lorwyn (LRW)
Nightshade Stinger - Lorwyn (LRW)
Smolder Initiate - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Kjeldoran Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Deathgreeter - Shards of Alara (ALA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bile Urchin MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, 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 Bile Urchin and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bile Urchin has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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