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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!

Virulent Wound
Image from Wizards.com

Virulent Wound
Mirrodin Besieged

Reviewed March 7, 2011

Constructed: 3.83
Casual: 3.87
Limited: 4.13
Multiplayer: 3.75

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Virulent Wound

It seems like a lot of sets in the past few years have had a one-mana black instant that gives -1/-1. This one has two good things going for it-- its -1/-1 is permanent, and it can deliver a poison counter if its victim dies that turn. Well, for one thing, most -X/-X spells are usually calculated to kill their target, so usually this will indeed poison an opponent. But if the spell somehow fails to kill its target, the -1/-1 will stay. And in a set full of proliferate, that means that the creature just might die after all. But ideally you'll want to kill a creature and inject its controller with a poison for one card, and one mana, if you at all can.

Constricted- 3.5
Casual- 3.5
Limited- 4
Multiplayer-  3.25

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Virulent Wound which is a one mana Black spell that can be used as removal or support removal and Infect decks. 
It isn't overly powerful at either, but doing both for a single mana at instant speed is quite efficient and it should see a decent level of play in Infect builds.  As Black has many other stronger removal options for just one mana more other decks are unlikely to run this card as the main appeal is the effective two for one of removal and the extra poison counter.
 
For Limited almost any removal is useful and if your pool includes any Infect or Proliferate then having another and early source of a poison counter is always welcome.  This is a nice common to see in multiples when opening your Sealed packs and can be drafted after the bigger threats in Booster as a solid support threat.
 
Constructed: 3.0
Casual: 3.0
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3.0

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

    Welcome to another week of card of the day here on Pojo.com. I am excited to say that Virulent Wound is what we are reviewing for you today. Virulent Wound is a black instant that costs only one black mana. Virulent Wound gives target creature -1/-1 and if it is put into a graveyard from play this turn, it’s controller gets a poison counter.

   I personally love this card, and honestly do not know how it is only a common. Pretty much for four mana you can clear an opponent’s board while hitting them with some early poison. This also means there is an increased chance of getting your early infect creatures a clear path through. And that can mean early game domination with infect, and then late game clinch with proliferate. Oh, and don’t forget that the abilities would stack. Meaning you target a 2/2 with two wounds, and the controller would get two poison counters. And in standard it can only get better. Run a black and blue infect/proliferate deck, and just use Echo Mage for some real fun. At level four, you would get three copies for one black and two blue mana. Multiple Echo Mages could only lead to more copies, more dead creatures, and more poison. And of course Twincasts would work the same way.

    No need to get into vintage combos, I think that the standard combos are quite enough.

     Like I said, I love this card, and cannot believe that it is so often overlooked, and not anything more than a common. Easily the Lightning Bolt for infect decks.
 
Limited: 5/5
Casual: 5/5
Multiplayer: 5/5
Constructed: 5/5


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