Bloated Toad MTG Card


Bloated Toad provides card advantage, creating opportunities for players to dominate the game. With instant speed, this card offers a surprise element and adapts swiftly to game changes. Despite its benefits, Bloated Toad comes with some downsides, including a specific mana cost.
Bloated Toad - Urza's Legacy
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Frog
Abilities Cycling,Protection
Released1999-02-15
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Legacy
Set codeULG
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number97
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byUna Fricker

Text of card

Protection from blue Cycling (You may pay and discard this card from your hand to draw a card. Play this ability as an instant.)


Cards like Bloated Toad

Bloated Toad offers a unique twist on creature cards within Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other self-sacrificing creatures. When looking at cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder or Doomed Necromancer, we must appreciate the strategic sacrifice mechanics each employs. Sakura-Tribe Elder can be sacrificed for a land ramp, while Doomed Necromancer trades itself for bringing back a formidable card from the graveyard.

It is important to note that Bloated Toad allows you to voluntarily sacrifice it to obtain a benefit, much like these examples, but does so in a way that could impact the board immediately by potentially removing an adversary’s key creature through its fatal ingestion ability. This ability sets it apart from Caustic Caterpillar, another creature that you can sacrifice, though primarily to dispose of an artifact or enchantment, not to address creatures.

Examining the various creative ways you can leverage self-sacrifice creatures, Bloated Toad provides its own flavor in a lineup where personal advantage often comes at the cost of permanents. Its ability to handle creatures directly—and not through combat—adds a unique dynamic to gameplay, especially when considering its potential synergy with decks that benefit from the sacrifice of their own creatures.

Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Doomed Necromancer - MTG Card versions
Caustic Caterpillar - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Doomed Necromancer - MTG Card versions
Caustic Caterpillar - MTG Card versions

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

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Timberwatch Elf - MTG Card versions
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Elvish Champion - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Spike Feeder - 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
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Elvish Champion - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bloated Toad card lets you leap ahead by drawing additional cards, bolstering your hand and options on the battlefield. This ability is pivotal when it comes to outmaneuvering your opponent with a more robust selection of spells and actions.

Resource Acceleration: This amphibious ally is not just a mere creature—it potentially acts as a catalyst for your game plan, providing an accelerated pool of resources. Whether it’s conjuring mana or paving the way for bigger, more imposing plays, the Bloated Toad can be the bridge to a win.

Instant Speed: Deployable at the flash of an eye, the Bloated Toad can surprise your adversary by sneaking onto the battlefield at instant speed. Use this tactical advantage to adapt to the evolving game state, ensuring that your moves are as unpredictable as they are potent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In order to cast Bloated Toad, a player often has to discard another card, which can be detrimental when your hand size is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Bloated Toad’s mana cost requires green mana, potentially restricting its play to decks that are heavy in green or have a solid mana base to accommodate color-specific casting needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given Bloated Toad’s abilities and stats, its mana cost may be seen as excessive when stacked against other creatures that provide similar or greater value for the same or lower investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bloated Toad offers adaptability in different gameplay scenarios. Its functionality as both a creature and an enchantment remover makes it a flexible addition to various decks.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as an integral part of combos, particularly in decks that capitalize on sacrificing creatures or that benefit from the removal of opponents’ enchantments.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta evolves, decks that require efficient answers to enchantments or strategies that leverage creature deaths become prevalent. In such a meta, Bloated Toad’s dual-purpose nature can be especially advantageous.


How to Beat

Bloated Toad may not be at the forefront of competitive decks, but it can still be a thorn in a player’s side in specific MTG formats where surprise blockers or poison counters become a strategy. Defeating a card like Bloated Toad requires understanding its strengths and how to navigate around them. Since Bloated Toad often relies on its surprise factor and its potential to deter attackers, one effective strategy is to use removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes, which neutralize the threat before it can be activated.

Alternatively, incorporating cards that can grant your creatures trample can be invaluable, as this allows you to push through damage even if the toad becomes a blocker. Moreover, employing the use of instant-speed interaction is key; you’ll want to have spells that can remove the toad or counter its abilities on standby. This ensures that even if your opponent has the toad ready to leap into action, you maintain control of the battlefield’s tempo. By considering these strategies and maintaining a proactive plan, you’ll ensure that the presence of Bloated Toad won’t bog down your path to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bloated Toad MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Toad and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bloated Toad has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-10-01 Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.