Panic Attack

Panic Attack was originally introduced in the Stronghold expansion of Magic: The Gathering in 1998, later being reprinted in the Ninth Edition core set in 2005. As a red sorcery, it was designed to capture the flavor of chaotic, overwhelming battlefield aggression, allowing a player to force all creatures their opponent controls to block if able. This mechanical design emphasizes the color red's philosophy of reckless, headlong combat, turning an opponent's defensive strategy against them.

The Ninth Edition illustration was provided by artist Greg Staples, whose work often leans into high-contrast, dramatic fantasy portraiture. In this iteration, Staples moved away from the more frantic, abstract depictions found in earlier cards to a more defined, visceral visual of a charging or erupting force. The card became a staple of limited gameplay environments where forcing unfavorable blocks could break a stalemate, though it remains a niche inclusion in broader constructed formats.