Bloated Contaminator MTG Card


Bloated Contaminator disrupts opponents while adding a creature to your board, offering both offensive and defensive value. Its requirement for a card discard and specific mana can restrict deck flexibility and hand advantage. Its infect ability and synergy with counter-manipulating cards make it a potent addition for certain MTG strategies.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Beast
Abilities Proliferate,Toxic,Trample
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Trample Toxic 1 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get a poison counter.) Whenever Bloated Contaminator deals combat damage to a player, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)


Cards like Bloated Contaminator

Within the realm of MTG, the Bloated Contaminator presents as an intriguing creature card. It finds its counterparts in cards like Proliferate which also focuses on multiplying counters, enhancing its impact on the battlefield. Unlike Proliferate, Bloated Contaminator specifically targets opponents by giving them a poison counter, a unique mechanic that can quickly escalate in toxicity for the adversary.

Delving into a related strategy, cards such as Viral Drake share a similarity by offering the Proliferate ability. What sets Viral Drake apart is its flying ability and direct Proliferate activation, though it does come with a higher mana investment. Corrupted Conscience is another ally in the quest to spread poison counters, effortlessly seizing control of an opponent’s creature while imbuing it with infect.

In the broader scope of MTG gameplay, Bloated Contaminator holds its place as a potentially game-altering threat. While not as versatile as Proliferate-focused cards, its targeted poison counter distribution is a formidable tool that can lead players to a swift victory if played strategically.

Viral Drake - MTG Card versions
Corrupted Conscience - MTG Card versions
Viral Drake - MTG Card versions
Corrupted Conscience - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Bloated Contaminator by color, type and mana cost

Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions
Timberwatch Elf - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Elder - MTG Card versions
Awakener Druid - MTG Card versions
Brindle Boar - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions
Timberwatch Elf - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Elder - MTG Card versions
Awakener Druid - MTG Card versions
Brindle Boar - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Bloated Contaminator. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Green AggroMono-Green Aggro StandardMono-Green AggroTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 22, 2024
Bant PoisonBant Poison StandardBant PoisonStandard Challenge 64 2024-04-07
Mono-Green StompyMono-Green Stompy GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 15 2024
Naya MidrangeNaya Midrange GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 15 2024
Golgari MidrangeGolgari Midrange GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024
Golgari PoisonGolgari Poison StandardGolgari PoisonTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 8, 2024
Bant ToxicBant Toxic StandardBant PoisonStandard $1k RCQ Invite Cyphacon MTG Weekend
Gruul AggroGruul Aggro GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 14 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bloated Contaminator can grant you a significant edge by disrupting opponent’s plans while providing you with a creature on the board. This dual benefit can shift the momentum in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Integrating this card into your deck can lead to an efficient use of your mana resources. It works well within various strategies, fueling both your offensive and defensive game plans by offering a cost-effective creature that carries additional utility.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Bloated Contaminator whenever it’s most strategic means it aligns perfectly with a reactive playstyle. It can be used to surprise an opponent during their turn or in response to their actions, keeping you one step ahead.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Bloated Contaminator requires you to discard a card, which might deplete your hand especially when you need to maintain card advantage against your opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost is particular and involves both colorless and black mana, making it less flexible for decks that are not geared towards a black mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana demand compared to other options in the same mana range, Bloated Contaminator can be a weighty draw, especially if you’re aiming for an aggressive early game strategy.


Reasons to Include Bloated Contaminator in Your Collection

Versatility: Bloated Contaminator provides a unique blend of threat and board control, easily slipping into strategies that appreciate repeatable deathtouch or creature removal effects, making it a versatile pick for a range of decks.

Combo Potential: With its infect ability, the card synergizes well with other cards that manipulate or increase the number of counters on creatures, potentially creating game-ending combos in the blink of an eye.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based decks dominate, Bloated Contaminator stands out as a significant threat, forcing opponents to deal with it or face the consequences of proliferating poison counters across their creatures.


How to beat

The Bloated Contaminator can be a real nuisance on the battlefield with its unique blend of abilities, presenting a challenge to any MTG player. This card’s power stems from its ability to turn any damage it deals into poison counters, potentially leading to a swift defeat. However, there are strategies to mitigate the threat it poses.

To win against Bloated Contaminator, it’s essential to prevent it from dealing combat damage. Creature removal spells are particularly effective, swiftly taking it off the board before it can become a problem. Control decks that focus on counterspells or spells that exile creatures can keep the Contaminator at bay. Alternatively, creatures with deathtouch or those that can block and survive the encounter are also viable options to handle this troublesome card.

In summary, while Bloated Contaminator poses a significant threat with its poison counter ability, its impact can be minimized with targeted removal, strategic blocking, or counteracting its abilities. By understanding your deck’s strengths and the card’s weaknesses, you can formulate a plan to nullify the Contaminator’s influence and maintain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Wrapping up, MTG enthusiasts seeking to optimize their gameplay will find Bloated Contaminator a noteworthy addition to their arsenals. Its ability to overturn the game’s dynamics with each poison counter makes it a formidable card worth considering for your collection. Given its pros and cons, it’s clear that strategic implementation is crucial. To those ready to discover new synergies and conquer the battlefield with innovative strategies, diving deeper into the potential of Bloated Contaminator is a journey that promises enrichment to your MTG experience. Elevate your deck’s capabilities by exploring more about this unique card with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bloated Contaminator MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos, 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 Bloated Contaminator and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Bloated Contaminator Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 159p2015NormalBlackJohann Bodin
22023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 159s2015NormalBlackJohann Bodin
32023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 1592015NormalBlackJohann Bodin
42023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 3892015NormalBlackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bloated Contaminator has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-02-04 A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
2023-02-04 An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
2023-02-04 Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply.
2023-02-04 Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
2023-02-04 Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
2023-02-04 If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
2023-02-04 If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
2023-02-04 If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
2023-02-04 Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
2023-02-04 Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
2023-02-04 To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
2023-02-04 Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.
2023-02-04 You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.