Benthic Behemoth MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The sheer presence of Benthic Behemoth on the battlefield can deter opponents from attacking, indirectly defending your other creatures and helping you maintain board presence. Its substantial toughness also makes it an excellent blocker, often forcing your opponent to commit multiple resources to get past it.

Resource Acceleration: In decks focused on ramping, Benthic Behemoth serves as a top-tier creature that benefits from early game mana acceleration. Getting it out ahead of schedule can put you at a significant advantage, as it demands an immediate answer from your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Benthic Behemoth doesn’t have any abilities that operate at instant speed itself, it fits well in a control strategy that balances instant-speed responses with formidable threats. Having it in your arsenal means you can apply pressure while keeping your mana untapped for any surprises, ensuring you’re never caught off-guard.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Benthic Behemoth’s inclusion could pose a strategy dilemma due to its demanding discard obligation. To summon this leviathan, players may find themselves relinquishing valuable cards, which could hinder their game progression and momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: Wielding a specific mana combination with an emphasis on blue sources, Benthic Behemoth may not seamlessly integrate into multicolored decks. This requirement could constrain deck-building versatility and limit its application to dominantly blue or mono-blue oceanic-themed decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The summoning cost of Benthic Behemoth looms large, demanding a significant eight mana to call forth its might. When juxtaposed with other creatures in its mana range, it becomes apparent that there may be alternatives that offer either lower casting costs, greater impact, or additional abilities that provide enhanced utility and board presence.

Reasons to Include Benthic Behemoth in Your Collection

Versatility: Benthic Behemoth isn’t just a behemoth in name; this sea monster brings sheer power to your blue-themed decks. Its massive toughness makes it a formidable blocker, while its decent attack threatens any opponent unprotected by flyers.

Combo Potential: With its inherent islandwalk ability, the Benthic Behemoth pairs excellently with cards that turn opposing lands into islands, setting the stage for unstoppable attacks. Moreover, it serves as a robust enabler in reanimator strategies, ready to be summoned from the depths of your graveyard to the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As control decks often dominate the game, having a creature that can withstand common board wipes and fly under the radar of spot removal is a significant asset. The Benthic Behemoth ensures that you maintain a presence on the board even when the tides of the game are against you.

How to beat

The Benthic Behemoth is a formidable sea creature that commands the board with its sheer size in the watery depths of the Magic: The Gathering universe. With its heavyweight profile, handling the Benthic Behemoth may seem daunting at first glance. Nevertheless, every leviathan has its weakness, and this one is no exception. Your best strategy here is to take advantage of control spells that typically include bounce or removal effects to deal with large threats. Ensnaring spells like ‘Unsummon’ or ‘Path to Exile’ can effectively negate the Behemoth’s impact by removing it from the battlefield without having to engage it directly in combat.

Moreover, counter spells play a critical role in your arsenal against this titanic creature, shutting it down before it even hits the board. Timing is critical; having a counter like ‘Counterspell’ or ‘Dissolve’ in hand as your opponent casts the Benthic Behemoth can save you from its potential game-ending arrival. Lastly, cards that impose sacrifice effects can forcibly make your opponent give up their prized monster if they have no others on the field—’Diabolic Edict’ comes to mind. With the right timing and spell selection, the Benthic Behemoth’s reign of the seas can be cut short.