Friendly Rivalry (LTR)

Friendly Rivalry
Casting Cost: {R}{G}
Card Type: Instant
Card Text:
Target creature you control and up to one other target legendary creature you control each deal damage equal to their power to target creature you don't control.
Flavour Text:
"Forty-two, Master Legolas!"
-Gimli
Artist: Marc Simonetti

Card Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Strengths:

  • Instant-speed removal for one or two enemy creatures.
  • Can be a highly mana-efficient way to remove creatures if your creatures have high power.
  • Benefits from having legendary creatures on the battlefield.
  • Can potentially remove two creatures with one spell.
  • Fits well into decks that feature legendary creatures.

• Weaknesses:

  • Conditional on having creatures, particularly legendary ones, to utilize effectively.
  • Doesn't deal with creatures that have higher toughness than your creatures' power.
  • Can be a dead card if your board is empty.

Deck Utility:

• Gruul Aggro or Midrange: This card fits naturally into Gruul decks that look to maintain a strong board presence.

• Legendary-Themed Decks: The card gains extra utility in decks that naturally have a high concentration of legendary creatures.

• Limited: In limited formats like draft or sealed, the card can be powerful if you have some strong creatures, especially legendary ones.

Friendly Rivalry offers an interesting removal option for decks that like to maintain a board presence. Its effectiveness scales with the power of your creatures, making it a flexible option for aggressive or midrange decks. The added benefit for legendary creatures makes it particularly interesting for decks built around legendary synergies. Overall, the card offers good utility in creature-heavy decks, serving both as a removal and a way to leverage your board advantage.