Penumbra Wurm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Wurm
Abilities Trample
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. The Wurm’s death-trigger ability secures board presence, making it a persistent threat in MTG.
  2. It offers indirect resource acceleration by strongly influencing opponent’s strategic resources.
  3. Synergizes with flash mechanics for unexpected plays, optimizing its late-game performance.

Text of card

Trample When Penumbra Wurm is put into a graveyard from play, put a 6/6 black Wurm creature token with trample into play.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Penumbra Wurm hits the graveyard from the battlefield, it creates a 6/6 black Wurm creature token. This creates a significant card advantage by effectively giving you two creatures for the price of one, maintaining your board presence even after losing the original Wurm.

Resource Acceleration: Although Penumbra Wurm doesn’t directly generate mana or Treasure tokens, its sheer size can be a form of resource acceleration. By forcing your opponent to address it, often at a higher resource cost than you spent, can indirectly accelerate your control over the game’s resources.

Instant Speed: While Penumbra Wurm itself is not an instant, it synergizes well with cards allowing you to flash it onto the battlefield at instant speed. This surprising entry can be a game-changer, especially during the late game where unexpected large creature deployment can shift the tide of battle in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Penumbra Wurm doesn’t directly ask for a card to be discarded, handling it when drawn from a dwindling hand can feel just as taxing. It’s not a card you typically want to draw into when searching for an immediate answer or when your hand is near empty.

Specific Mana Cost: Penumbra Wurm demands a specific investment of green mana, with a cost of 5GG. This can pose a challenge in multicolor decks that might struggle to generate the necessary green mana quickly or consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a total cost of seven mana, Penumbra Wurm is a significant investment, and its place on the curve can be rather high. There are other creatures or spells with lower mana costs that could potentially provide a similar board presence or immediate impact on the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Penumbra Wurm can be an advantageous inclusion in decks that emphasize resilience and creature presence. Its ability to replace itself with a token upon death means it seldom leaves the board without compensation, maintaining your board state even in the face of removal.

Combo Potential: The token it generates upon death is not only a formidable creature in itself but can also synergize with strategies that capitalize on creature death and token generation, offering substantial value in the right deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state favoring creature-based combat, Penumbra Wurm stands out due to its substantial size, acting as a deterrent. Additionally, as graveyard interaction becomes more prevalent, its post-mortem token ensures you’re never left without a threat.


How to beat

Penumbra Wurm is a formidable card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its resilience and the advantageous token it creates upon death. Facing this creature in battle can be daunting due to its end-game potential, not to mention the 6/6 black Wurm creature token it leaves behind. To effectively tackle this threat, consider employing exile effects or cards that specifically prevent death triggers. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can remove the creature from play without triggering its token-producing ability.

Cards that counter creature spells are also invaluable in this scenario. Essence Scatter or Negate, for example, can ensure that Penumbra Wurm never even touches the battlefield. Alternatively, imposing board control through sweepers like Wrath of God can clear away the creature and its token simultaneously, provided you time it after the token has been generated. It’s crucial to plan around its death trigger to minimize the advantage your opponent gains from the Wurm’s demise. With the correct strategy, you can turn the tide of the game in your favor despite the initial challenge Penumbra Wurm poses.


Cards like Penumbra Wurm

Penumbra Wurm is a creature card that brings resilience and endurance to the battlefield within Magic: The Gathering. It’s often measured against its kin such as Symbiotic Wurm which also boasts a hefty 7/7 body. Where Penumbra Wurm shines is in its death-triggered ability to create a 6/6 black Wurm creature token, ensuring your presence remains on the board even after a fatal blow. This mirrors the multiplicative nature of Symbiotic Wurm’s ability to produce multiple 1/1 tokens upon death.

Thicket Elemental introduces another comparison with its kicker cost that could put a creature card like Penumbra Wurm directly onto the battlefield. Although it doesn’t leave a lasting presence post destruction, the initial impact could turn the tides with the right creature. Then there’s Roaring Wurm, which while only a 6/6, possesses trample and also offers a card advantage when discarded.

Delving further into value, Pelakka Wurm stands out with its life-gain and card-draw abilities, although without a death-trigger effect. Ultimately, Penumbra Wurm offers a unique blend of power and resilience, making it a compelling choice for green-deck builders looking for tenacious and lasting threats.

Symbiotic Wurm - MTG Card versions
Thicket Elemental - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Symbiotic Wurm - Onslaught (ONS)
Thicket Elemental - Invasion (INV)
Pelakka Wurm - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Penumbra Wurm by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Maul Splicer - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - Odyssey Promos (PODY)
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - Judgment (JUD)
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Somberwald Beastmaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cultivator Colossus - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Garruk's Horde - Welcome Deck 2017 (W17)
Krosan Tusker - The List (PLST)
Avenger of Zendikar - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Hundroog - Legions (LGN)
Enormous Baloth - Tenth Edition (10E)
Ancient Ooze - Scourge (SCG)
Cytospawn Shambler - Dissension (DIS)
Panglacial Wurm - The List (PLST)
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - Archenemy (ARC)
Duskdale Wurm - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Pelakka Wurm - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Engulfing Slagwurm - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Kalonian Behemoth - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Maul Splicer - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Penumbra Wurm MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse and Vintage Masters, 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 Penumbra Wurm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Penumbra Wurm Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2001-06-04 and 2018-12-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-06-04ApocalypseAPC 841997normalblackJeff Easley
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2242015normalblackDaarken
32018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1772015normalblackDaarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Penumbra Wurm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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