The Tarrasque MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost9
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Dinosaur
Abilities Fight
Power 10
Toughness 10

Key Takeaways

  1. The Tarrasque can be a solid advantage player, demanding resources from opponents to deal with its presence.
  2. It requires careful mana planning and can limit deck diversity due to its specific casting cost.
  3. This card’s mere existence on the board can influence the tempo and strategy of a game.

Text of card

The Tarrasque has haste and ward as long as it was cast. Whenever The Tarrasque attacks, it fights target creature defending player controls.

When it rises, nations fall.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Tarrasque is an imposing force capable of dealing with multiple threats at once. When it enters the battlefield, it demands immediate attention, often resulting in opponents spending numerous cards trying to remove it, which can lead to a significant card advantage for you.

Resource Acceleration: With its formidable casting cost, successfully unleashing The Tarrasque onto the battlefield is an achievement which reflects well on your resource management. Strategies involving ramp spells and artifact-based mana acceleration synergize well with this colossal creature, paving the way for an early and impactful presence.

Instant Speed: Although The Tarrasque itself does not operate at instant speed, its sheer presence can indirectly benefit your instant speed plays. Opponents may be forced to hold back mana and spells in anticipation of interacting with The Tarrasque, which allows you to capitalize on this hesitation with your own instant-speed responses and threats.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One significant drawback of The Tarrasque card hinges on a discard condition, compelling players to relinquish another card from their hand. This can put you in a tricky spot, especially during moments when your hand size is dwindling, or your options are valuable assets you’re hesitant to lose.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a demanding mana cost that includes double green, The Tarrasque requires a dedicated source of green mana to be cast. This narrows its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the necessary green mana, potentially sidelining it in more diverse or multicolored deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an imposing mana cost of nine, The Tarrasque stands at a higher echelon in terms of resource investment. This steep price can hinder its playability as there are other creatures or spells that provide significant impact at a lower mana investment, potentially leading players to favor more mana-efficient alternatives.


Reasons to Include The Tarrasque in Your Collection

Versatility: The Tarrasque is a formidable creature card that can be a game-changer in various deck types. Its ability to automatically escape from being countered or leaving the battlefield makes it a persistent threat in any match.

Combo Potential: Despite its already impressive might, this behemoth excels when paired with cards that manipulate or benefit from high power creatures. Its monstrous strength can be harnessed in combo strategies, potentially leading to swift victories.

Meta-Relevance: With its hefty stats and resistance to most forms of removal, The Tarrasque shines in a meta filled with control decks. It demands an answer from your opponent, or it will quickly dominate the battlefield.


How to beat

The Tarrasque is a behemoth that demands immediate attention on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its key characteristics include indestructible and a challenging requirement for opponents to sacrifice a creature each combat if they’re to block this colossal creature. Despite its seeming invulnerability, the card does have its Achilles’ heel.

One way to mitigate the Tarrasque’s impact is through enchantment-based removal that doesn’t destroy the creature but rather neutralizes it, such as Pacifism or Darksteel Mutation. Alternatively, reducing its stats to 0/0 with cards like Solemnity combined with Phyrexian Unlife can bypass its indestructibility. Bounce spells or effects that return The Tarrasque to its owner’s hand or library handle the threat temporarily, providing vital breathing room or even a window for victory.

The key to triumphing over The Tarrasque lies in clever deck building and strategic play. Understanding its strengths and crafting a strategy to exploit its weaknesses ensures that even the mightiest of creatures can be tamed. Whether it’s through enchanting, altering counters, or cleverly timing bounce spells, The Tarrasque is not an insurmountable obstacle. Proper preparation is the pathway to success against this monstrous force in the game of Magic: The Gathering.


Cards like The Tarrasque

The Tarrasque stands out as a behemoth among creatures in Magic: The Gathering. This enormous card draws parallels to other heavy hitters like Ghalta, Primal Hunger. Both require a significant amount of mana to cast, but The Tarrasque has the daunting hurdle of the Ward 10 ability, making it nearly untouchable by spells or abilities unless your opponent is willing to pay the steep price. Ghalta, meanwhile, can potentially be cast for less mana depending on the total power of creatures you control.

Another comparable creature is Darksteel Colossus, which boasts indestructibility and trample, similar to The Tarrasque. However, Darksteel Colossus also carries a shuffle back into the library ability when put into a graveyard from anywhere, guaranteeing a persistent threat. The Tarrasque, with its high power and toughness, situates itself as an impressive force, yet it lacks the recurring resilience of Darksteel Colossus.

Comparing these titans, The Tarrasque is recognized for its ability to dominate the battlefield and shrug off targeted disruption. Its unique combination of Ward and formidable stats makes it a noteworthy option for players seeking to unleash massive creatures and control the pace of the game.

Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions
Darksteel Colossus - MTG Card versions
Ghalta, Primal Hunger - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Darksteel Colossus - Darksteel (DST)

Cards similar to The Tarrasque by color, type and mana cost

Sproutback Trudge - MTG Card versions
Titanoth Rex - MTG Card versions
Krosan Colossus - MTG Card versions
Myojin of Life's Web - MTG Card versions
Body of Jukai - MTG Card versions
Mockery of Nature - MTG Card versions
Arboretum Elemental - MTG Card versions
Apex Altisaur - MTG Card versions
Sproutback Trudge - Commander 2021 (C21)
Titanoth Rex - The List (PLST)
Krosan Colossus - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Myojin of Life's Web - The List (PLST)
Body of Jukai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Mockery of Nature - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Arboretum Elemental - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Apex Altisaur - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Tarrasque MTG card by a specific set like The List and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 The Tarrasque and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Tarrasque Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-26The ListPLST AFR-2072015normalblackFilip Burburan
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 2072015normalblackFilip Burburan
32021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 207s2015normalblackFilip Burburan
42021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 207a2015normalblackFilip Burburan
52021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3332015normalblackJustine Jones
62021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 207p2015normalblackFilip Burburan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Tarrasque has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-07-23 Fighting is not optional. If there is at least one legal target for The Tarrasque's last ability, it must fight.
2021-07-23 If a player casts a spell that targets multiple permanents their opponent controls with ward, each of those ward abilities will trigger. If that player doesn't pay for all of them, the spell will be countered.
2021-07-23 The Tarrasque will have haste and ward even if it was cast from a zone other than your hand. May we suggest the command zone?
2021-07-23 The fight happens in the declare attackers step before blockers are declared. Unless the creature it is fighting survives, that creature won't be able to block that combat.

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