Virus Beetle – Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.00
Casual: 3.67
Limited: 3.50
Multiplayer: 3.25
Commander [EDH]: 3.20
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Ravenous Rats has seen constructed play. For a long time, it was the cheapest monocolored card that could force a discard consistently in the Standard format, to the point where Olivier Ruel played four of them at Pro Tour Honolulu in 2006. Virus Beetle is generally stronger than Ravenous Rats, because it’s also an artifact. There’s no affinity for Rats ability (yet), but there is affinity for artifacts and metalcraft. There’s also delirium, and Emry, and even those simple draft-focused creatures that get +1/+0 if you control an artifact. None of that really stands out in a world of $1000 burn decks and mythics with ten lines of text. But all of that can win games when used properly, and a card like Virus Beetle reminds us not to underestimate the simple things – both in Magic and in life.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3
Talk about a bug in the system. Virus Beetle may not look anything special on its surface, but discard can add up by tightening the screws against opponents by pulling options out of their hand. The chance of this backfiring is there, don’t get me wrong, but plenty of decks will still not be thrilled to see this on the other side on turn 2. It’s not a great body, but a 1/1 that triggers artifact synergies and can put on early pressure certainly can add up. Never the star, Virus Beetle can be a solid bit player that, if you hit something juicy, punches above its weight.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 3.75 (can be pretty variant, but I do not recall any of its outings being particularly graveyard focused)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.25 (graveyard decks show up more here, so use with care)
Thijs
We first saw Virus Beetle in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and now it has made a return in the far corners of the galaxy. It’s a teeny tiny creature that forces each opponent to discard a card.
I love little critters like this. They’re so inconspicuous, you hardly notice them, but they have a massive impact. Take for example the pauper deck ‘mono black sacrifice’. The deck runs on – surprise surprise – creatures that you sacrifice, and by the end of the turn you’ve cast this beetle, it has served its purpose. It’s even more powerful if you find a way to blink or reanimate it. Blink it enough times and you will have completely disrupted your opponent’s hand and strategy.
On top of all this horrible fun it’s an artifact. Like I’ve said before, EoE is an artifact-heavy set. That means this will be a useful creature in any deck that’s black (or splashes a little black). Useful in drafts and even beyond.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 3,8
Multiplayer: 3,2
Commander [EDH]: 3,3
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