Feed the InfectionHow it works & interactions with other cards

Drawing and Paying the Price

When you cast Feed the Infection, the primary effect is straightforward: you draw three cards and lose 3 life. This happens regardless of the state of the board or your opponents' poison count. This loss of life is not a cost, but part of the spell's resolution, meaning you cannot avoid the life loss even if the card drawing is somehow restricted.

The Corrupted Bonus

The second half of the spell checks for the Corrupted condition. As the spell resolves, it looks at each opponent to see if they have three or more poison counters. For every opponent that meets this criteria, that player loses 3 life. This check happens only once, during the resolution of the spell, after you have already drawn your cards and lost your own life.

Strategic Timing

Because this is a sorcery, you generally want to play it during your main phase when you need to refill your hand. It is particularly effective in 'Politics' or Multiplayer games where multiple opponents might be poisoned, as the life loss applies to each corrupted opponent individually, potentially dealing a total of 9 or more damage in a four-player game.

Interaction examples

Digging for Answers

Toxic Deluge

If the board is overwhelmed with creatures, you can cast Feed the Infection to draw three cards. If you draw into Toxic Deluge, you now have the board wipe you needed, though you must be careful with your life total since Feed the Infection already cost you 3 life before you pay the X cost for the Deluge.

Setting Up the Graveyard

Victimize

You cast Feed the Infection and draw three cards, one of which is Victimize. Since you now have more resources in hand, you can use your next turn to sacrifice a small creature and use Victimize to bring back two powerful creatures you might have discarded or that died earlier, utilizing the card advantage gained to sustain your board presence.