Ancient Crab MTG Card
2016-01-22 - Number 50
2017-04-28 - Number 40
2020-08-13 - Number 48
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Crab |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Cards like Ancient Crab
Ancient Crab has nestled itself into MTG as a resilient blocker with a simple yet effective role. With similar defensive capabilities, Murmuring Phantasm stands out due to its higher toughness. Both creatures excel in stalling the board, but the Phantasm, unlike our Nile-dwelling crustacean, has the spirit subtype adding strategic value with synergistic decks.
Another creature to consider is the Returned Phalanx. Although requiring mana to attack, it holds an advantageous position with its higher power compared to Ancient Crab. Thus, it’s not purely defensive but can occasionally transition into an offensive role when the tides of battle permit. Wall of Runes is in the mix too, sharing Ancient Crab’s low mana cost. It lacks the staying power but compensates with a Scry 1 ability, potentially smoothing out future draws.
Assessing Ancient Crab’s place within MTG, it’s clear it offers reliability for players seeking to fortify their defenses early on. Though it might not have the utility of some counterparts, its enduring presence on the field can be crucial for surviving the early onslaught of aggressive strategies.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Ancient Crab may not allow you to draw additional cards, its presence on the battlefield can be a defensive strategy that indirectly leads to card advantage. By blocking and surviving multiple attacks, it reduces the necessity to play more creatures and can maintain your hand size.
Resource Acceleration: Ancient Crab itself doesn’t provide mana ramp or treasure tokens, but its low casting cost means you can deploy it early in the game. This leaves your resources open for other strategies, such as casting higher-cost spells sooner in the game.
Instant Speed: Ancient Crab is played at sorcery speed, but its relevance at instant speed comes into play with its ability to survive combat during your opponent’s turn. This kind of durability can be an unforeseen advantage when you have effects on the board that can be triggered during the combat phase or at the end of your opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The card does not inherently require a discard to play, but as a low-impact creature, it might necessitate discarding it for more impactful plays or synergies, ultimately hindering its usefulness in your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Ancient Crab asks for a precise combination of mana—two blue and one colorless—which can be difficult to muster in a multi-colored deck, potentially slowing down your strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of three mana for a 1/5 creature, Ancient Crab’s defensive stats may not justify its spot when there are more potent creatures or spells you can cast for the same, or even lower, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Ancient Crab in Your Collection
Versatility: Ancient Crab is a solid defender with its three toughness, making it a surprising fit for decks that aim to stall the board while setting up their win conditions.
Combo Potential: In limited formats or niche constructed decks, Ancient Crab may synergize with cards that care about having creatures with high toughness or benefit from defenders on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Against aggressive decks with lots of early threats, Ancient Crab serves as an effective roadblock, potentially swaying the pace of the game in your favor until you can deploy your game-winning strategy.
How to beat
The Ancient Crab holds its ground with a formidable 1/5 stat line, making it a sturdy blocker in the game of Magic: The Gathering. Its primary role in a deck is to act as a defensive bulwark, thwarting swifter, but more fragile, creatures with its high toughness. To surpass this crustacean’s defense, there’s a need for a strategic approach that involves bypassing its formidable wall or using creature removal spells.
Combat tricks are an efficient way of doing this, as they can unexpectedly boost the power of your creatures during the battle phase or manipulate the Crab’s toughness, making it vulnerable. Another tactic is with direct removal spells, rendering the high toughness irrelevant. Spells that allow targeted creature destruction or -X/-X effects can efficiently dispose of even the most stubborn defenders.
Lastly, evasion abilities like flying or trample can enable your creatures to bypass Ancient Crab without having to engage it directly. In this light, while the Ancient Crab may pose a roadblock to certain strategies, an informed player with the right tools at their disposal can certainly find victory against this tenacious guardian of the coastal realms in MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ancient Crab MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Amonkhet, 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 Ancient Crab and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
Printings
The Ancient Crab Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-01-22 | Oath of the Gatewatch | OGW | 50 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | |
| 2 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 40 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Paick | |
| 3 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Paick |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ancient Crab 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 |