Tracing Ferocity of the Wilds: Evolution of Its MTG Mechanic

In TCG ·

Ferocity of the Wilds card art from Throne of Eldraine

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

A new spark in red’s repertoire: the arc of Ferocity’s evolving mechanic

Magic has always danced between raw aggression and carefully measured risk, and Ferocity of the Wilds sits at a fascinating crossroads of that balance 🧙‍♂️🔥. When you read its text—Attacking non-Human creatures you control get +1/+0 and have trample—you’re looking at a designed moment where the game rewards a specific battlefield posture: a red enchantment that makes your board feel “pushier” the moment you declare an attack. It’s not just a stat line; it’s a philosophy shift in how designers approach buffing mechanics. Over the decades, MTG has walked from broad, blanket boosts to more nuanced, subtype-sensitive effects, and this card is a crisp, modern illustration of that trend ⚔️💎.

In the earliest days of the game, red often delivered aggression in a straightforward fashion: direct damage, fast starts, and occasional temporary boosts that could swing combat—but rarely did a card say, “Your attackers matter in a very selective way.” The evolution happened as designers began to value deck archetypes that revolve around specific creature subtypes, or a particular combat role. The idea of a buff attached to attacking creatures is a familiar one, but pinning that buff to “non-Human attackers” is a stylish pivot. It nudges players toward building around beasts, dragons, and other non-Human threats rather than simply flooding the board with raw power. The mechanic nudges you to think not just about power, but about who’s wielding it and why they matter on a narrative level 🧙‍♂️🎲.

Ferocity of the Wilds in Throne of Eldraine: lore, color, and design notes

Released in 2019 as part of Throne of Eldraine, Ferocity of the Wilds is a red enchantment with a clear martial-eye toward battlefield dominance. It costs {2}{R}, a three-mana commitment that keeps the spell within reach of early to mid-game tempo, while delivering a meaningful combat edge if you’re leaning into a non-Human-led board. Rarity-wise, it’s uncommon, which gives it a gentle but resonant presence in limited formats and a steady, if modest, stake in eternal formats where it can shine in curated red-heavy decks. The card’s art, by Josu Hernaiz, captures that Eldraine aesthetic—castles, wilds, and the clash between courtly knights and untamed talons of nature—perfectly blending flavor with function 🎨.

From a mechanical standpoint, the enchantment’s text is clean but cunning. It grants +1/+0 and trample to attacking non-Human creatures you control. That means your opponent can’t simply chump with a single blocker and call it a day—the trampling threat pushes damage through, often forcing awkward blocks or lethal swings even when blockers line up to blunt a single menace. The “non-Human” qualifier invites subtypes like Beasts, Dragons, Phyrexian oddities, and more into the buffing orbit, shaping a tribal or semi-tribal identity around red’s ferocity. In effect, Eldraine’s fairy-tale world is offering you a tactical option that feels thematically appropriate: beasts roaring forward as knights’ tournaments tremble in their wake 🐉🗡️.

Strategic angles: how to make this mechanic sing on the battlefield

The card excels when you maximize the number and quality of attacking non-Humans. Look for ways to present multiple threats that your opponent must contend with, especially if you’ve already fuelled the board with non-Human bodies—Beasts often pair nicely with this aura because their creaturescape can snowball quickly. Since the buff is attached to attacking actions, the synergy with combat tricks, pumps, or double-strike-like effects becomes central. A well-timed attack with a squad of non-Humans can turn a potential block into a fierce memory: you swing, you grant trample, and your foe finds their life total dropping faster than a goblin chorus line after a dragon roar 🧙‍♂️🔥.

Deck builders can lean into tempo by pairing Ferocity with cards that generate multiple attackers or help you untap and redeploy a second wave of threats. If you’re playing with non-Human tribes, the enchantment acts as a force multiplier, turning a handful of threats into a hammer that refuses to be dull. Conversely, you’ll want to guard against the trap of overextending into a mass removal window—being locked into a single frontline can make you vulnerable if your buffed attackers are swept away. The beauty of this mechanic is its clarity: you know exactly what you’re committing to each combat phase, and the payoff is a bold, cinematic swing if your math lines up 🧭⚒️.

Flavor, art, and the feel of Eldraine’s design language

Flavor text on Throne of Eldraine often hints at the tension between courtly bravado and the raw forces of nature. Ferocity of the Wilds distills that tension into a combat-centric spell: it’s about knights who discover a side of the wilds that cannot be tamed with parade armor alone. The line “Attacking non-Human creatures you control get +1/+0 and have trample” is a playful nod to how the realm’s creatures can surge past etiquette and etiquette’s defenses when the moment demands it 💎⚔️. The art and the mechanics sit in harmony: the enchantment captures the moment when a non-Human force breaks through the last line of defense and roars into the open field, trampling tradition in a single, glorious attack.

Collectibility, impact, and the broader MTG landscape

As an uncommon red enchantment, Ferocity of the Wilds sits at a comfortable intersection of playability and collectability. It sees play in casual red-based tempo decks and in more controlled formats where you lean into a non-Human board. Foils, of course, offer a glossy reminder of Eldraine’s storytelling vibe, and the card’s price point—while not explosive—reflects its thematic appeal and practical utility in the right shells. In a world where red often wants to burn and surge, this card offers a controlled, thoughtful path to aggression that feels both strategic and narratively satisfying 🧙‍♂️💥.

Design-wise, Ferocity of the Wilds marks a deliberate step toward subtype-aware buffs that reward players for building around a particular creature identity. It’s a microcosm of MTG’s broader evolution: a move from broad, broadside effects to nuanced, lore-infused interactions that reward careful deck-building and tactical play. The result is a mechanic that’s as much about storytelling as it is about damage, a synergy of flavor and function that fans love to discuss over a table full of delicious misplays and triumphant swings 🎲.

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Ferocity of the Wilds

Ferocity of the Wilds

{2}{R}
Enchantment

Attacking non-Human creatures you control get +1/+0 and have trample.

Knights who excel in tournaments sometimes underestimate threats beyond the realm.

ID: 8f7005fd-5917-4f7d-9a7d-7ccc044d0f87

Oracle ID: c75bdc5f-22f2-4558-bb8f-5a53ff7ab1ac

Multiverse IDs: 473085

TCGPlayer ID: 199095

Cardmarket ID: 401034

Colors: R

Color Identity: R

Keywords:

Rarity: Uncommon

Released: 2019-10-04

Artist: Josu Hernaiz

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 9033

Penny Rank: 15895

Set: Throne of Eldraine (eld)

Collector #: 123

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — legal
  • Timeless — legal
  • Gladiator — legal
  • Pioneer — legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.14
  • USD_FOIL: 0.32
  • EUR: 0.17
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.33
  • TIX: 0.03
Last updated: 2025-11-14