Ravenous Pursuit is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don't control. Choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gets +X/+X, where X is the amount of excess damage dealt this way.
Complete guide
Ravenous Pursuit is a powerful removal spell that turns your creature's strength into permanent growth for your next threat. By dealing damage and carrying the overflow into a perpetual buff, it ensures that no point of power goes to waste. This card is a staple for decks looking to maintain board presence while scaling their hand size.
What it Does
Ravenous Pursuit allows a creature you control to deal damage equal to its power to a creature you don't control. If the damage dealt exceeds the amount needed to destroy the target creature, you choose a creature card in your hand to receive a perpetual +X/+X bonus, where X is that excess damage.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, you target one creature you control and one creature you don't control. Second, upon resolution, your creature deals damage to the opponent's creature. Third, the game calculates 'excess damage,' which is the damage dealt minus the toughness of the target (accounting for any damage already marked on it). Finally, you choose a creature card currently in your hand, and it gains a permanent, perpetual stat boost equal to that excess.
Common Mistakes
A common error is forgetting that if the target creature you don't control is removed from the battlefield before Ravenous Pursuit resolves, the spell fizzles. No damage is dealt, and therefore no perpetual bonus is applied to a card in your hand. Additionally, 'perpetual' means the bonus stays with the card across all zones, including the graveyard or library.
When to Play It
The best time to cast Ravenous Pursuit is when you have a high-power creature on board and a small, high-value creature in your hand. This maximizes the 'excess' damage, allowing you to turn a simple removal spell into a massive power boost for your upcoming plays.
Interaction examples
If you control a 5/5 creature and target an opponent's 1/1 creature, Ravenous Pursuit deals 5 damage. The excess damage is 4. You then choose a creature card in your hand, and it perpetually gets +4/+4, even if you cast it later or it moves to the graveyard.
CultivateWhile Ravenous Pursuit requires a creature in hand for the bonus, you might use Cultivate first to ensure you have the mana to cast the newly buffed creature on your next turn. Note that Ravenous Pursuit cannot buff Cultivate because it is not a creature card.
FarseekIf Ravenous Pursuit buffs a creature card that requires a specific color of mana you don't currently have, using Farseek to fetch a missing land type ensures you can actually deploy your perpetually strengthened threat.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ravenous Pursuit
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
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Meta decks with Ravenous Pursuit
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