Board Control through Aggravate's Repeated Triggers

In TCG ·

Aggravate — Magic: The Gathering card art (Avacyn Restored)

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

When damage becomes your ally: board control with Aggravate

Aggravate is a spicy slice of red aggression from the Avacyn Restored set. With a mana cost of 3 colorless and 2 red mana (totaling {3}{R}{R}), this uncommon instant arrives in a hurry to tilt the battlefield toward your favor. In a world of careful blockers and fragile life totals, a single well-timed Aggravate can flip the script by weaponizing the enemy’s own force. The spell reads simply: “Aggravate deals 1 damage to each creature target player controls. Each creature dealt damage this way attacks this turn if able.” A mouthful of rules intrigue hides in plain sight, and that intrigue is where true board control lives 🧙‍♂️🔥.

What makes Aggravate sing is not just the raw damage, but the timing and targeting. In a 1v1 duel, you choose the opponent's side you want to pressure, whittling down their defenses and forcing their creatures to compelledly swing at you. In multiplayer formats, the choice becomes even richer: you can push an overgrown board of many attackers onto a specific player, turning a crowded board into a trap that compels reactions from multiple players. The result is a temporary lull in their offensive potency, a chance to reset the board, and a window to secure your next decisive play — perhaps a well-timed sweeper or a follow-up burn spell that closes the game 🔥.

There’s a delicate geometry to this spell: you’re not wiping out their creatures outright, but you’re orchestrating a forced-movement phase where damage begets attackers. The damage itself is small in numeric terms, but the ripple effect—creatures attacking their owner or other players—can swing momentum dramatically. If you’ve got a red-heavy plan that loves tempo, or you’re running a token-laden board that’s ripe for disruption, Aggravate becomes a surprisingly effective lever to tilt the battlefield in a single, dramatic turn 🪄.

“Barbarians! They burned my favorite chair! We’ll kill them all!” —Anje Falkenrath

Design-wise, Aggravate embodies classic Avacyn Restored energy: big, impulsive red magic with a flavorful bite. The flavor text hints at a world where hotheadedness meets chaotic, all-in moments, and the card’s card-art and name reinforce that sense of roll-the-dice excitement. In the broader design space, it also showcases how a single spell can create forced-combat dynamics without needing to cascade into a mass-damage or mass-removal spell. The result is a card that invites clever sequencing and bold plays, especially in formats where players value aggressive, high-risk-high-reward interaction ⚔️.

Card details at a glance

  • Name: Aggravate
  • Set: Avacyn Restored (AVR), 2012
  • Type: Instant
  • Mana cost: {3}{R}{R}
  • Color identity: Red
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Text: Aggravate deals 1 damage to each creature target player controls. Each creature dealt damage this way attacks this turn if able.
  • Legalities (highlights): Modern and Legacy legal; Vintage legal; Commander legal
  • Flavor: “Barbarians! They burned my favorite chair!” —Anje Falkenrath
  • Price snapshot (as of data): USD 0.07; Foil USD 0.50

In terms of practical play, consider Aggravate in decks that lean into wide boards or token generation. If your plan includes quickly filling the battlefield, you can leverage the spell to force excessive combat on an opponent who can’t block effectively or doesn’t have the lifegain cushion to ride out an additional round of pressure. It’s not a panacea for every matchup, but when used judiciously, Aggravate becomes a surgical strike that punishes creature-rich boards and creates openings for your follow-up disruption or policy-violating red spells that end the game on the next swing 💎.

For players who approach deckbuilding with a collector’s eye, Aggravate also fits a certain nostalgic niche. Its Avacyn Restored-era art and print run (including nonfoil and foil options) are quintessentially mid-2010s MTG—dauntless, loud, and a little chaotic in the best possible way. If you’re chasing that era’s vibe or looking to add a spicy surprise to a red-heavy list, this spell checks the nostalgic box while delivering a practical, on-brand payoff 🎨.

If you’re curious about how others frame similar ideas in their own metas, a quick dive into related reads from our network can provide broader context. The five linked articles below explore ramp tactics, cohort-tracking in software projects, beginner mistakes in other games, AI-assisted scaling, and MTG foil-chase culture—each offering a different lens on strategy, collection, and play style 🧭.

Round-rectangular neon vibes for your desk and deck alike

As a nice counterpoint to the tactical intensity of Aggravate, a high-contrast neon mouse pad can keep your setup as energized as your games. The Round Rectangular Neon Neoprene Mouse Pad pairs visual pop with practical grip, perfect for long nights of tuning mana bases and counting draws. If you’re streaming or writing about your builds, that pop of color isn’t just eye candy—it’s a small ritual that keeps you and your audience engaged between rounds. Check it out via the product link below and treat your desk to a glow-up that matches the glow-up potential of your red spells 🔥🎨.

Product link: Round Rectangular Neon Neoprene Mouse Pad

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