Needlebite Trap
Instant — Trap
The traps around the vampire city of Malakir hint at the thirst of its inhabitants.
- Border
- black
- Frame
- 2003
- Pull rate
- about 1 per booster–1 in 1067
- Illustrator
- Daarken
- Found in
- Zendikar MTGO Redemption Foil · Zendikar MTGO Redemption · 2 more
rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Target player loses 5 life and you gain 5 life.Plays as: Cost Alternative · Drain
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Rulings
4 · latest Oct 1, 2009 · one tap opens all
- WotCOct 1, 2009
Casting a Trap by paying its alternative cost doesn't change its mana cost or mana value. The only difference is the cost you actually pay.
- WotCOct 1, 2009
Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast a Trap will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay.
- WotCOct 1, 2009
Needlebite Trap's alternative cost condition checks only whether life was gained. It doesn't care whether life was also lost. For example, if an opponent gained 4 life and lost 6 life during the turn, that player will have a lower life total than they started the turn with — but you can still cast Needlebite Trap by paying
. - WotCOct 1, 2009
You may ignore a Trap's alternative cost condition and simply cast it for its normal mana cost. This is true even if its alternative cost condition has been met.