Infest MTG Card


Infest provides a mass removal option, pivotal for controlling opponent’s swarm strategies or token generation. Its non-discriminatory nature means planning for Infest’s impact on your own board is essential. While powerful, Infest competes with alternative black cards offering additional utility or broader impact.
Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.

"It is from Phage that this evil springs, and to her it shall return." —Akroma, angelic avenger


Cards like Infest

Infest stands out in the arena of board control cards in MTG. It sweeps the field by giving all creatures -2/-2 until end of turn. This bears similarity to other black cards like Drown in Sorrow, which has the same effect, but also scrys 1, allowing for a slight glance at future draws. Yet, Infest lacks this potential deck manipulation.

Comparably, Cry of the Carnarium has a similar creature weakening effect, but it goes a step further by exiling all creatures it kills, ensuring that they can’t return from the grave. While Infest strictly affects the board at the moment, Cry of the Carnarium’s impact stretches into future turns. Another card in this conversation is Languish, which gives creatures -4/-4, a more severe reduction, capable of sweeping away even sturdier foes that Infest would fail to dispatch.

In essence, while Infest is an efficient way to clear out hoards of smaller creatures, its comparison with other cards highlights MTG’s diversity in providing players with different means of controlling the battlefield, each with their unique advantages and strategic uses.

Drown in Sorrow - MTG Card versions
Cry of the Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions
Drown in Sorrow - MTG Card versions
Cry of the Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Infest by color, type and mana cost

Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Noxious Vapors - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Crippling Fatigue - MTG Card versions
Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Noxious Vapors - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Crippling Fatigue - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Infest. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Jund ControlJund Control LegacyCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 2

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Infest, you can deal with multiple creatures at once, potentially clearing the opponent’s board. This card can shift the numbers on the field in your favor, effectively offering a form of card advantage as it can eliminate several of an opponent’s cards with just one of yours.

Resource Acceleration: Though Infest itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, it enables you to disrupt your adversary’s pace. By removing a number of creatures, you’re slowing down their ability to build up their field presence, which in turn impedes their resource acceleration, giving you an indirect advantage.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Infest requires strategic planning; it allows you to set up your turn with the certainty that your opponent will face a cleared board, or following your opponent’s turn, to reset the field. This can be crucial for dictating the tempo of the match, ensuring that you capitalize on its sweeping effect at the moment that best disrupts your opponent’s strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Infest requires a setup where you benefit from nonselective creature removal, which can be limiting in multi-creature strategy games. Additionally, it doesn’t discriminate between your creatures and your opponents’, potentially disrupting your board presence as well.

Specific Mana Cost: Infest necessitates precise mana allocation with its black mana cost, potentially restricting its inclusion exclusively to mono-black or black-dominant decks and thereby reducing its versatility across various archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Infest’s utility competes with other board sweepers and removal spells. Considering this, players might find other alternatives that offer more targeted or extensive creature control, which may dilute Infest’s appeal in deck building.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Infest is a useful card for any collection due to its ability to clear the battlefield of smaller creatures, making it a fit for decks that need to manage opponent’s early game aggro or token strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that profit from death triggers, such as triggering morbid abilities or adding value to graveyard-based mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by swarm strategies, Infest rises in value as an efficient means of resetting the board, keeping the pace in favor of control or attrition decks.


How to beat

Infest is known for its sweeping impact on the battlefield, capable of clearing out numerous creatures with just one spell. A black sorcery card, it deals two damage to each creature, which can be devastating to decks that rely on a swarm of low-toughness creatures. When facing an opponent with Infest, the strategy shifts to resilience.

One effective countermeasure is to deploy creatures with toughness greater than two. This simple approach ensures that your creatures can withstand the damage from Infest, preserving your board presence. Another strategy involves utilizing indestructible creatures, as they are immune to any damage dealt, which includes the sweeping effect of Infest.

Counterspells are also a valuable tool to keep in your arsenal when going up against black decks that may cast Infest. By holding up mana for a well-timed counterspell, you can prevent Infest from resolving and protect your creature-based strategy. Additionally, using instant-speed creature buffs in response to Infest’s casting can save your creatures and possibly leave your opponent at a disadvantage, having wasted a valuable removal spell.

Ultimately, by anticipating Infest and preparing your deck with these tactics, you can maintain control of the board and minimize the impact of this potent MTG card.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Infest MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Onslaught, 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 Infest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Infest Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 435682003NormalBlackPete Venters
22002-10-07OnslaughtONS 1571997NormalBlackBen Thompson
32008-10-03Shards of AlaraALA 802003NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
42010-01-01Magic Player Rewards 2010P10 42003NormalBlackPete Venters
52010-06-18ArchenemyARC 192003NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
62013-11-01Commander 2013C13 812003NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
72016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1392015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
82019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6922015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
92020-09-26The ListPLST CN2-1392015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
102024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1142015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Infest has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal