Prey Upon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 13 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Fight

Key Takeaways

  1. Prey Upon can tip the scales by eliminating threats without spending extra cards from your hand.
  2. Its low mana cost allows for flexible resource management and board development.
  3. Strategy using Prey Upon involves timing and creature selection to disrupt opponents effectively.

Text of card

Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

"You don't find many old werewolf hunters." —Paulin, trapper of Somberwald


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Prey Upon doesn’t allow you to draw cards directly, it does help you remove opposing creatures which could otherwise result in your loss of cards or board presence. This efficient removal can shift the game in your favor without costing a card from hand, maintaining your resources while depleting an opponent’s.

Resource Acceleration: Prey Upon isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration like artifact mana or ramp spells, but it’s low mana cost facilitates use of bigger threats or additional spells in the same turn. By costing only one green mana, it keeps your resources free to develop your board and strategy further.

Instant Speed: Although Prey Upon is played at sorcery speed, it allows for strategic timing during your own turn to set up favorable fights. This can result in removing blockers before they become a problem or taking out a creature your opponent was depending on for their next move, effectively disrupting their plans at a critical moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Prey Upon doesn’t ask for a card to be discarded, it does necessitate having a creature in play. This requirement can backfire if you’re facing removal-heavy decks, essentially losing two cards (creature and Prey Upon) for one of your opponent’s removal spells.

Specific Mana Cost: Prey Upon requires green mana to play. This specificity means it fits best in mono-green or green-inclusive decks, potentially limiting its versatility in other deck types that might benefit from similar effects.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing a single green mana may seem cheap, when considering the setup needed — a creature on the field that’s sizable enough to win a fight — the true cost becomes greater. There are other removal options in MTG that, for a similar or slightly higher mana investment, don’t come with the condition of relying on a creature to be effective.


Reasons to Include Prey Upon in Your Collection

Versatility: Prey Upon offers a straightforward way to remove threats by leveraging your creatures’ power, making it a valuable addition to decks that feature strong creatures.

Combo Potential: This spell pairs well with creatures that have “enters the battlefield” effects or when played just before your creature would fight another in combat, often allowing you to get two-for-one value.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that favors creature-heavy decks or when creature removal is at a premium, Prey Upon stands out as an efficient and cost-effective way to clear the board and swing the game in your favor.


How to beat

Prey Upon presents itself as a straightforward means of creature removal within the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a green spell that forces one of your creatures to fight another creature an opponent controls, it’s an excellent way to leverage the strength of your larger creatures. But how do you overcome this predatory tactic? The key lies in maintaining creatures with higher toughness or having instant-speed responses.

Consider using spells that can bolster your creature’s toughness before the fight resolves, or holding onto removal spells that can interrupt the Prey Upon process by removing one of the creatures from combat. Additionally, creature abilities like Hexproof or Indestructible can render your creatures immune to such forced confrontations, effectively nullifying Prey Upon’s impact on the game. It’s crucial to manage your resources wisely and anticipate when your opponent might have this spell in their arsenal, allowing you to protect your valued creatures from becoming easy prey.

Ultimately, awareness and strategic forethought can be your greatest allies against Prey Upon, empowering you to retain control of the battlefield and counteract this green spell’s predatory nature.


BurnMana Recommendations

Stepping into the green mana realm of MTG, Prey Upon emerges as a powerful tool for those who know how to wield it. Using your creatures strategically to clear a path to victory can be just as thrilling as drawing that game-winning card. Whether you’re reinforcing your collection or tailoring your deck with finesse, understanding how simple spells can have complex impacts is key. Delve deeper into the strategies that will hone your skills and join us for a continuous journey into the heart of MTG. Discover how cards like Prey Upon can shift the tide of battle in your favor and take your gameplay to the next level.


Cards like Prey Upon

In the realm of creature-on-creature action, Prey Upon stands out as a straightforward and cost-effective removal option. Much like Prey Upon, the card Pounce offers a very similar effect, allowing two creatures to fight each other at instant speed. While Prey Upon requires only one green mana and is a sorcery, Pounce requires an additional generic mana, providing the flexibility of being an instant.

Another parallel can be drawn with Savage Stomp, which also prompts a fight between creatures but comes with a significant advantage when used on Dinosaurs, reducing its cost and placing a +1/+1 counter on the creature. This not only resolves the fight but can possibly leave a stronger creature on the board. In contrast, Prey Upon, being more straightforward and less situationally advantageous, does not provide any additional benefits beyond the fight mechanism.

Ultimately, while they share the fundamental premise of forcing creatures to fight, each card offers nuances that can better fit different strategies and scenarios. Prey Upon’s simplicity and low cost make it an enduring choice in decks that leverage creature strength effectively.

Pounce - MTG Card versions
Savage Stomp - MTG Card versions
Pounce - Ixalan (XLN)
Savage Stomp - Ixalan (XLN)

Cards similar to Prey Upon by color, type and mana cost

Hurricane - MTG Card versions
Stream of Life - MTG Card versions
Metamorphosis - MTG Card versions
Winter Blast - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Tutor - MTG Card versions
Fruition - MTG Card versions
Salvage - MTG Card versions
Rofellos's Gift - MTG Card versions
Thrive - MTG Card versions
Chatter of the Squirrel - MTG Card versions
Dwell on the Past - MTG Card versions
Insist - MTG Card versions
Primal Might - MTG Card versions
Scale Up - MTG Card versions
Glimpse of Nature - MTG Card versions
Ancient Stirrings - MTG Card versions
Gelatinous Genesis - MTG Card versions
Corrosive Gale - MTG Card versions
Slime Molding - MTG Card versions
Green Sun's Zenith - MTG Card versions
Hurricane - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Stream of Life - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Metamorphosis - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Winter Blast - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Sylvan Tutor - Portal (POR)
Fruition - Portal (POR)
Salvage - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Rofellos's Gift - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Thrive - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Chatter of the Squirrel - The List (PLST)
Dwell on the Past - Torment (TOR)
Insist - Torment (TOR)
Primal Might - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Scale Up - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Glimpse of Nature - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ancient Stirrings - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Gelatinous Genesis - Double Masters (2XM)
Corrosive Gale - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Slime Molding - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Green Sun's Zenith - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Prey Upon MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad and Magic 2013, 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 Prey Upon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Prey Upon Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2011-09-30 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-09-30InnistradISD 2002003normalblackDave Kendall
22012-07-13Magic 2013M13 1812003normalblackDave Kendall
32013-09-06Duel Decks: Heroes vs. MonstersDDL 622003normalblackDave Kendall
42016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 1662015normalblackDave Kendall
52016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1912015normalblackDave Kendall
62017-01-20Aether RevoltAER 1202015normalblackRyan Pancoast
72017-11-24Explorers of IxalanE02 342015normalblackDeruchenko Alexander
82018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 1432015normalblackG-host Lee
92018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1782015normalblackDave Kendall
102019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 12982015normalblackG-host Lee
112020-07-17Jumpstart Arena ExclusivesAJMP 1432015normalblackG-host Lee
122020-09-26The ListPLST GRN-1432015normalblackG-host Lee
132022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 7102015normalblackDave Kendall

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Prey Upon has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Prey Upon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2018-12-07 If either target is an illegal target as Prey Upon resolves, no creature will deal or be dealt damage.

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