Parasitic Impetus
Parasitic Impetus: Enchantment - Aura, Secrets of Strixhaven Commander. Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is goaded. On Mana Grove.
- Mana cost
- {2}{B}
- Mana value
- 3
- Type
- Enchantment - Aura
- Colour identity
- Black (B)
- Rarity
- Common
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven Commander (SOC)
- Released
- 2026-04-24
- Collector number
- 222
- Artist
- Mila Pesic
- Keywords
- Goad, Enchant
Build around this card with Grover
About Parasitic Impetus
Parasitic Impetus is a Magic: The Gathering card, a common black enchantment from Secrets of Strixhaven Commander (SOC), a Commander product released in April 2026. It is collector number 222 in that set, with art by Mila Pesic. It costs {2}{B} (two generic and one black mana) to cast, for a mana value of 3. Its colour identity is black. It is legal in Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker and Pauper Commander. It has been printed in 6 sets, from Commander 2020 (2020) to Secrets of Strixhaven Commander (2026). The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.23 (normal finish, as of 2026-10-23).
Card text
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, its controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Market price
Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.23 (as of 2026-10-23).
The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.
Format legality
Legality of Parasitic Impetus by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.
| Legacy | Legal |
|---|---|
| Vintage | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper Commander | Legal |
Other printings of Parasitic Impetus
Parasitic Impetus has been printed in 6 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.
| Printing | Rarity | Year |
|---|---|---|
| The List (PLST) #CLU-118 | Common | 2026 |
| Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU) #118 | Common | 2024 |
| Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB) #140 | Common | 2022 |
| Commander 2021 (C21) #150 | Uncommon | 2021 |
| Commander 2020 (C20) #46 | Uncommon | 2020 |
Official rulings
Seven official rulings apply to Parasitic Impetus, newest first.
- If a creature you control has been goaded by multiple opponents, it must attack one of your opponents that hasn't goaded it, as that fulfills the maximum number of goad requirements. If a creature you control has been goaded by each of your opponents, the creature must attack an opponent (rather than a planeswalker or battle), but you choose which opponent it attacks.
- If the creature doesn't meet any of the above exceptions and can attack, it must attack a player other than the controller of the spell or ability that goaded it if able. If the creature can't attack any of those players but could otherwise attack, it must attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, a battle an opponent controls, or a player who goaded it.
- Attacking with a goaded creature doesn't cause it to stop being goaded. If there is an additional combat phase that turn, or if another player gains control of it before it stops being goaded, it must attack again if able.
- Being goaded isn't an ability the creature has. Once it's been goaded, it must attack as detailed above even if it loses all abilities.
- If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature that player controls that's been goaded is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack a player, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack that player.
- If you are the attacking creature's controller, you lose 2 life and gain 2 life. You won't lose the game if your life total is 0 in between these two events.
- Parasitic Impetus causes you to gain life, not the attacking creature's controller.
Similar cards
Other enchantment cards with a black colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.