Putrid ImpHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Reusable Discard Engine

The primary utility of Putrid Imp is its activated ability. By discarding a card, you give it flying until the end of the turn. This ability has no mana cost and no 'once per turn' restriction, meaning you can use it as many times as you have cards in your hand. This is a powerful way to put specific cards into your graveyard for later use.

Achieving Threshold

Once your graveyard contains seven or more cards, Putrid Imp's Threshold ability becomes active. This grants the creature a permanent +1/+1 buff, making it a 2/2. However, this power comes with a drawback: it loses the ability to block. Note that Threshold is a static ability that constantly checks the count of cards in your graveyard; if your graveyard size drops below seven, the buff and the blocking restriction disappear immediately.

When to Play Putrid Imp

This card is best played in the early game when you need to set up your graveyard for Reanimator or Madness strategies. It acts as a bridge, helping you reach the seven-card Threshold requirement quickly while providing an evasive attacker that can fly over ground-based blockers.

Interaction examples

Generating Evasion

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your opponent controls an Ornithopter of Paradise, your Putrid Imp cannot normally get past its high toughness. By activating Putrid Imp's ability and discarding any card from your hand, Putrid Imp gains flying. Now, both creatures have flying, and they can engage in combat together.

The Threshold Shift

Blood Artist

Suppose you have six cards in your graveyard and a Blood Artist on the battlefield. You attack with Putrid Imp. If your opponent blocks and kills your Blood Artist, the Artist's triggered ability moves it to the graveyard. Your graveyard now has seven cards, immediately granting Putrid Imp +1/+1. If this happens during the declare blockers step, the Imp might survive a combat it would have otherwise lost.