Orcish Medicine is a Magic: The Gathering card, a common black instant from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR), a draft-focused set released in June 2023. It is collector number 104 in that set, with art by Irvin Rodriguez. It costs {1}{B} (one generic and one black mana) to cast, for a mana value of 2. Its colour identity is black. It is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Pauper Commander, Brawl, Historic, Timeless and Gladiator. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is its only printing so far. The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.21 (normal finish, as of 2026-11-12).
Card text
Target creature gains your choice of lifelink or indestructible until end of turn.
Amass Orcs 1. (Put a +1/+1 counter on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)
Market price
Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.21 (as of 2026-11-12).
The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.
Format legality
Legality of Orcish Medicine by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.
The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.
Printing
Rarity
Year
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR) #555
Common
2023
Official rulings
Seven official rulings apply to Orcish Medicine, newest first.
To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."
If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.
Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army.
Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs.
Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.
Similar cards
Other instant cards with a black colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.