Aboroth MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Abilities | Cumulative upkeep |
| Released | 1997-06-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Weatherlight |
| Set code | WTH |
| Power | 9 |
| Toughness | 9 |
| Number | 117 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Brom |
Key Takeaways
- Aboroth’s upkeep generates card advantage through synergies, enhancing your board state with green creatures.
- Its imposing presence can be a resource accelerator by pressuring opponents, shifting game control.
- Instant speed responses are key to leveraging Aboroth’s power and sustaining board dominance.
Text of card
Cumulative upkeep— Put a -1/-1 counter on Aboroth
The *Weatherlight* banked sharply as the colossal beast rose up to crush the lone rider. "My bet's on the dirt," Gerrard said flatly.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The recurring nature of Aboroth’s cumulative upkeep can be turned into a card advantage with the right synergies. Every turn, certain cards could capitalize on the extra green creature entering or leaving the battlefield, providing you with opportunities to draw cards or trigger beneficial effects.
Resource Acceleration: Although Aboroth itself doesn’t directly provide mana, its substantial presence on the battlefield can be a form of resource acceleration. In MTG, applying pressure can force opponents to allocate resources to deal with threats, effectively slowing them down and accelerating your board state dominance.
Instant Speed: While Aboroth is not an instant speed spell, having access to instant speed responses becomes more important with it in play. Being able to react to your opponent’s actions while managing the upkeep of Aboroth can be crucial in maintaining control and gaining the upper hand in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Aboroth means adhering to a upkeep cost, effectively demanding the sacrifice of another green card from your hand. This can strain your hand especially during the late game when resources may already be running low.
Specific Mana Cost: Summons require a steep price of six green mana, making it challenging to slot Aboroth into multi-color decks without significant mana-fixing resources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the current metagame favoring efficiency, the six-mana investment for Aboroth is onerous despite its potent power. Players might find other creatures or spells that provide a better balance of cost and impact.
Reasons to Include Aboroth in Your Collection
Versatility: Aboroth boasts a monstrous power level, making it a strong contender for decks craving a dominant presence on the battlefield. Its ability to overwhelm opponents with sheer force makes it versatile as both a finisher and a formidable threat.
Combo Potential: This card’s synergies are notably impressive in decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters and those that manipulate or remove counters, unlocking various strategic plays and enhancing deck dynamics.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-based strategies prevail, Aboroth can outclass many creatures in combat. Its robust stats make it relevant in the gaming environment, particularly in formats where large creatures can dictate the pace of play.
How to beat
Aboroth is a powerful force within Magic: The Gathering decks renowned for its continuous growth. Each upkeep, it gains cumulative upkeep—put a -1/-1 counter on Aboroth, presenting a unique challenge to opponents. To effectively counter this formidable card, players must adopt strategies that target its weaknesses. Utilizing removal spells such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can handle creatures regardless of their size, can be an efficient method. Additionally, engaging in counter play during the casting phase with selections like Counterspell or Mana Leak may prevent this creature from hitting the board in the first place.
From another angle, exploiting the card’s cumulative upkeep cost is also a viable tactic. This can be done by prolonging the game and allowing Aboroth’s own mechanic to work against it. Cards capable of removing counters or redirecting damage can serve to manage this powerful creature as well. When facing Aboroth, the key lies in understanding the rhythm of the game and being prepared to disrupt, remove, or undermine its growth mechanic swiftly and decisively.
Masterfully navigating these strategies can transform the tide of a match, ensuring that, while imposing, Aboroth does not guarantee victory for the adversary across the tabletop.
Cards like Aboroth
Aboroth is a unique creature card that brings to the table a blend of power and a challenging drawback. Much like other high-powered creatures in Magic: The Gathering, such as the Phyrexian Negator, Aboroth offers players a significant battlefield presence. When you analyze Aboroth’s cumulative upkeep—placing a -1/-1 counter on it—you get a concept that is similar to the plight of the Negator, which requires a sacrifice whenever it’s dealt damage.
Likewise, Force of Nature presents an interesting comparison, as it also boasts formidable strength countered by an upkeep that demands a steady resource commitment. Whereas Aboroth’s cost comes in the form of its own declining health, Force of Nature requires a substantial mana investment to avoid inflicting damage to its controller. In the realm of green creatures with potent abilities that come at a price, these cards offer a glimpse into the delicate balance of risk and reward that players must navigate.
In weighing their options, players will find that Aboroth is a creature that can dominate if managed carefully, much like its card counterparts, each with their own risky yet potentially game-altering impacts.
Cards similar to Aboroth by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aboroth MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Aboroth and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aboroth has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aboroth card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it's not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can't be made. For example, if a permanent with "cumulative upkeep " has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay or sacrifice the permanent. |