Adaptive Snapjaw MTG Card

Adaptive Snapjaw excels in decks using the Evolve mechanic, growing stronger as you play larger creatures. It is vulnerable to removal spells, emphasizing the importance of strategic deck composition. While mana-intensive, its power makes it a notable contender for creature-heavy strategies.

Gatecrash (GTC)
2013-02-01 - Number 113

Adaptive Snapjaw - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)

Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
2021-08-26 - Number 537

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Lizard Beast
Abilities	Evolve
Power	6
Toughness	2

Text of card

Evolve (Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if that creature has greater power or toughness than this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

"Eh, needs more toad." —Gulistan, Simic biomancer

Cards like Adaptive Snapjaw

Adaptive Snapjaw is recognized for its fascinating evolutionary advantage in Magic: The Gathering games, carrying the Evolve keyword made famous in the Simic guild. Comparable to cards like Cloudfin Raptor, which boasts a lower mana cost and flies, Adaptive Snapjaw stands out with its significant 6/2 body, making it a more formidable ground creature. Cloudfin Raptor starts smaller but can incrementally grow, capturing the essence of the Evolve mechanic.

When considering other creatures in MTG with Evolve, Experiment One comes to mind. Although it’s initially weaker, it possesses the potential to grow stronger through multiple triggers and has the added benefit of regeneration. In contrast, Adaptive Snapjaw lacks such resilience but instead offers immediate high power for a single trigger. Another peer, Elusive Krasis, trades power for unblockability and doesn’t add to the battlefield presence the way Adaptive Snapjaw does with its sizeable attack stat.

Ultimately, in the ecosystem of MTG creatures with Evolve, Adaptive Snapjaw represents great potential power that can turn the tide of a match, especially for players looking to make an immediate impact with a large creature at a reasonable cost.

Cards similar to Adaptive Snapjaw by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though the Adaptive Snapjaw itself may not directly offer card draw, its hefty presence on the battlefield can lead to advantageous board states. Pairing it with card draw mechanics or evolve triggers in your deck can turn it into a formidable threat that can swing games in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Adaptive Snapjaw doesn’t produce additional resources, its synergy with cheaper evolve creatures provides a cost-effective way to escalate your threats on the board rapidly. It can act as a catalyst in decks that thrive on creature size and presence, enabling more significant plays as the game progresses.

Instant Speed: As a creature, Adaptive Snapjaw doesn’t operate at instant speed itself; however, its inclusion in decks with instant speed spells can surprise opponents. Its sizable stats make it an excellent follow-up to end-of-turn plays, pressuring opponents with a sudden uptick in board strength right before your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Adaptive Snapjaw may not require discarding as an inherent cost, it does bring to the forefront the reality of having to discard other potentially valuable cards for Evolve triggers in a tight game situation. This creates a scenario where each play must be carefully considered to avoid an unfavorable trade-off of resources.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for playing the Adaptive Snapjaw is color-specific, requiring both green mana and generic mana. This specificity can limit deck-building flexibility, making it less viable in multi-color decks that may not have a consistent enough mana base to accommodate such requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Adaptive Snapjaw tends to be on the higher side when compared to other creatures in the evolving Evolve mechanic’s chain. This steep cost for a 6/2 creature can be a deterrent, particularly when there are other lower cost creatures that offer a better power to mana cost ratio or more impactful abilities on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Adaptive Snapjaw in Your Collection

Versatility: Adaptive Snapjaw’s role in decks that capitalize on its Evolve mechanic allows it to continually grow stronger as you play larger creatures, making it a dynamic addition to your arsenal.

Combo Potential: Thanks to its high power, the Snapjaw synergizes well with cards that trigger off of dealing combat damage or creatures with power thresholds, unlocking new levels of strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies reign, Adaptive Snapjaw shines as a cost-effective behemoth that escalates in threat level with each subsequent creature play.

How to beat

Adaptive Snapjaw presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its Evolve ability, allowing it to potentially grow into a formidable creature whenever a larger creature enters the battlefield under your control. With a base power and toughness of 6/2, it can be an aggressive force for players using creature-heavy decks in MTG.

However, its primary weakness lies in its vulnerability to removal spells. Simple burn spells or targeted removal like Fatal Push and Path to Exile can easily handle the Snapjaw before it becomes too large to manage. It is also important to keep the battlefield clear of smaller creatures that could trigger its Evolve ability, negating its potential for growth. And, of course, countering it upon cast with instant spells like Negate or Essence Scatter can ensure it never even touches the board.

Playing around the Snapjaw’s strengths requires strategic planning and a good understanding of your removal spells and counters. Ensuring you have the necessary cards in your deck to address it is crucial for covering your bases and maintaining control of the game against creature-focused opponents in MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Adaptive Snapjaw MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Adaptive Snapjaw and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Adaptive Snapjaw Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Tomasz Jedruszek.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2013-02-01	Gatecrash	GTC		113	2003	Normal	Black	Tomasz Jedruszek
2	2021-08-26	Jumpstart: Historic Horizons	J21		537	2015	Normal	Black	Tomasz Jedruszek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Adaptive Snapjaw has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Adaptive Snapjaw card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2013-04-15	If a creature enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it, consider those counters when determining if evolve will trigger. For example, a 1/1 creature that enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it will cause the evolve ability of a 2/2 creature to trigger.
2013-04-15	If evolve triggers, the stat comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, the ability will do nothing. If the creature that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before evolve tries to resolve, use its last known power and toughness to compare the stats.
2013-04-15	If multiple creatures enter the battlefield at the same time, evolve may trigger multiple times, although the stat comparison will take place each time one of those abilities tries to resolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and two 3/3 creatures enter the battlefield, evolve will trigger twice. The first ability will resolve and put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. When the second ability tries to resolve, neither the power nor the toughness of the new creature is greater than that of the creature with evolve, so that ability does nothing.
2013-04-15	When comparing the stats as the evolve ability resolves, it's possible that the stat that's greater changes from power to toughness or vice versa. If this happens, the ability will still resolve and you'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and a 1/3 creature enters the battlefield under your control, it toughness is greater so evolve will trigger. In response, the 1/3 creature gets +2/-2. When the evolve trigger tries to resolve, its power is greater. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve.
2013-04-15	When comparing the stats of the two creatures for evolve, you always compare power to power and toughness to toughness.
2013-04-15	Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, check its power and toughness against the power and toughness of the creature with evolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, evolve won't trigger at all.