Feed the Swarm – Zendikar Rising MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

I think the only reason this card isn’t more controversial is because everyone is too infuriated by the combination of the Walking Dead Secret Lair and Omnath towering over Standard like the shadow of Sauron. It represents a significant color pie shift, and I suspect that black will make good use of it. This may not be the most obviously powerful example of the effect, as being a sorcery will sometimes make a big difference in a game’s progression, but black decks no longer have to fear cards like Sphere of Safety, and that is a big deal to a lot of casual metagames if nothing else.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Commander: 3/5 

Continuing the toe-dipping of Pharika’s Libation, Feed the Swarm is possibly the first time black has gotten unconditional, targeted enchantment removal; while it’s sorcery speed and with a bit of a downside, as well as unable to hit your own enchantments, it’s still enchantment removal all the same and a new weapon in black’s toolbox. It’s not the strongest spell, but it gives black an out to troublesome enchantments without having to dip its toes into other colors, and that alone will let it see play in several formats. And a halfway decent kill spell against non-enchantment decks doesn’t hurt, either.

Constructed: 3.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 4 (almost all removal is good here)
Multiplayer: 3
Commander: 4 (unique, good effect for mono-black)