Pursued Whale – Core Set 2021 MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

Pursued Whale has a drawback that looks pretty nominal, on its face. It might turn against you if you were unable to clear the opponent’s side of the table before casting it (or neglected to do so!), but it’s a very resilient creature to be opposed by just one pirate per opponent. That’s only the beginning, though – in multiplayer settings, it will often incite some chaotic and ultra-violent situations which you can profit on (and you should be able to find a way to do so, since you have an 8/8 whale) Combine with the promo Mogg Fanatic with literary flavor text for maximum effect!

Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Commander: 3/5

Pursued Whale is definitely a card built around flavor, sort of capturing the feel of Moby Dick. The elusive whale brings an admirer that wants it very dead, and it’s possible for Pursued Whale to, for seven mana, force an opponent to overcommit and die on the backswing. Because being forced to attack is annoying, but attacking into an 8/8 with a bit of resistance to targeted removal is even more annoying. Seven mana makes this more of a “fun” card, but it can definitely end games in short order, and it can even sort of protect itself.

Constructed: 2.75 (a bit too expensive, but I can see it having its uses)
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4 (resists lots of removal, forces poor decisions…what’s not to love?”
Multiplayer: 3
Commander: 3.25