Calciderm MTG Card
2006-01-02 - Number 5
2007-02-02 - Number 23
2016-06-10 - Number 5
2021-03-19 - Number 11
2002-06-24 - Number 35988
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Beast |
| Abilities | Shroud,Vanishing |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
Shroud (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities.) Vanishing 4 (This creature enters the battlefield with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
Cards like Calciderm
Calciderm stands as an interesting piece in the pantheon of white creature cards in MTG. It draws parallels to fellow creatures like Blastoderm, which shares a key characteristic: shroud. This ability prevents the creature from being the target of spells or abilities, securing it from many forms of removal. Both creatures also boast the fading mechanics, limiting their time on the battlefield but ensuring a strong impact during their presence.
Another similar card is Serra Avenger, which also carries the power to make an immediate effect in the white creature space. While Serra Avenger isn’t shrouded and doesn’t have fading, it compensates with its potential for an earlier play and the capacity for flying, making it a formidable aerial threat. Both Calciderm and Serra Avenger can become crucial turning points in a match, depending on the strategy employed.
Ultimately, Calciderm finds its place among creatures that offer both a defensive and offensive edge. While there are comparable creatures in MTG, Calciderm’s specific blend of shroud and fading make it a distinctive option for players who value resilience and a robust board presence during their games.
Cards similar to Calciderm by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though Calciderm does not directly offer card draw, its protection from counterspells means it’s more likely to stick on the battlefield, indirectly promoting card advantage by negating an opponent’s removal attempts.
Resource Acceleration: Calciderm, a 5/5 creature for four mana, represents an efficient use of resources, allowing you to deploy a formidable presence on the board early in the game. This beater can apply pressure quickly, forcing your opponent to deal with it and potentially diverting resources they would otherwise use to develop their board.
Instant Speed: Instant speed interactions do not apply directly to Calciderm, as it is a creature. However, its Shroud ability ensures that it is less susceptible to instant-speed removal, which can be pivotal during the late game where protecting key creatures is crucial for maintaining board presence.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While not directly demanding a discard, Calciderm’s vulnerability to removal before your advantage is utilized might make it feel as if it has indirectly cost you a card, especially against decks with readily available removal spells.
Specific Mana Cost: Calciderm requires two white mana in its casting cost, which can be restrictive for multi-colored decks and may not always align with your mana base, especially in the early game when color fixing is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana, Calciderm competes with other impactful four-mana creatures or spells. Players might weigh its inclusion against other cards that could offer immediate impact or versatility without the susceptibility to exile or bounce effects, which bypass Calciderm’s shroud ability.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Calciderm can seamlessly integrate into a variety of White deck strategies, particularly those that reward a resilient board presence and sizable power for efficient mana cost.
Combo Potential: As a creature with Suspend, Calciderm can synergize with cards that interact with time counters, potentially enabling it to enter the battlefield earlier or combine with effects that capitalize on suspended cards.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks are prevalent, Calciderm’s immunity to spells and abilities makes it a formidable threat that can navigate around conventional removal, maintaining its relevance in such metagames.
How to Beat Calciderm
Calciderm, with its beefy stats and the shroud ability, poses a unique challenge on the battlefield. This powerful creature card from Magic: The Gathering can feel daunting to go up against, as it is not only resilient to targeted spells and abilities, but it also vanishes only after four turns have passed. This means traditional removal spells won’t do the trick.
However, there are strategies to counter this beast. Board wipes like Wrath of God bypass the shroud ability by not targeting Calciderm directly, ensuring a clean board regardless of any protective abilities. Additionally, using combat tricks to bolster your creatures can help you overpower Calciderm in battle. Cards with the ‘Can’t be blocked’ attribute can also prove invaluable, allowing you to bypass it completely and attack your opponent’s life total directly. Sacrifice effects like Diabolic Edict can be a workaround since they don’t target a single creature but instead force your opponent to choose a creature to be sacrificed—ideally their Calciderm.
In summary, there are multiple avenues to handle Calciderm. It’s all about adapting your strategy to the presence of a creature that eschews direct confrontation and turns it into an opportunity to demonstrate superior strategy in a game of Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Calciderm MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and DCI 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 Calciderm 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
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Printings
The Calciderm Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2006-01-02 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Dave Kendall.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 35988 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | ||
| 2 | 2006-01-02 | DCI Promos | PDCI | 5 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 3 | 2007-02-02 | Planar Chaos | PLC | 23 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 4 | 2016-06-10 | Eternal Masters | EMA | 5 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 5 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Calciderm has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |