Carrion Beetles MTG Card
1998-10-12 - Number 122
1999-08-04 - Number js122sb
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Insect |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
o B, oc T: Remove from the game up to three target cards in one graveyard.
It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
Cards like Carrion Beetles
Carrion Beetles is an intriguing creature card, providing a unique take on graveyard disruption within Magic: The Gathering. When looking for similar cards, Nihil Spellbomb stands out with its ability to exile all cards from an opponent’s graveyard. While lacking the repeatable activation of Carrion Beetles, Nihil Spellbomb offers an immediate and more sweeping effect once sacrificed, including drawing a card if a mana is spent.
Another card, Scrabbling Claws, has a comparable mechanic, where it targets individual cards in graveyards for exile and also allows you to draw when sacrificed. It doesn’t offer the board presence that Carrion Beetles does, but it has the benefit of being more expedient in dealing with graveyard threats. Tormod’s Crypt offers a similar function to Nihil Spellbomb, boasting the advantage of no mana cost but trading off the ability to draw a card.
In essence, while Carrion Beetles demands a more patient and strategic game plan to methodically pick apart graveyards, its cohorts provide more immediate gratification. Each shines in different scenarios, with Carrion Beetles being uniquely suited for decks that benefit from its creature type and repeated activations.
Cards similar to Carrion Beetles by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Carrion Beetles shine when it comes to gradually whittling down an opponent’s graveyard options. By removing cards from your opponent’s graveyard, you can gain a subtle upper hand, disrupting their strategy and potential plays. This can be crucial in matches where opponents rely on recurring cards from their graveyard.
Resource Acceleration: Resource acceleration isn’t directly featured with Carrion Beetles, but in an indirect manner, minimizing your opponent’s resources can put you ahead. By strategically disrupting their game plan, you can gain an advantage while building your board state unimpeded. The ability to execute this at merely one black mana means you can start this suppression early in the game.
Instant Speed: The ability of Carrion Beetles to operate at instant speed provides a tactical edge, allowing players to respond to graveyard interactions or to simply use mana efficiently during the end step of an opponent’s turn. This adaptability makes Carrion Beetles a versatile card, capable of functioning within various windows in a game round.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Carrion Beetles card asks players to discard a card in certain contexts, which may force them to forgo valuable hand assets. This could potentially set you back if your strategy relies on maintaining a variety of options or combo pieces in your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Carrion Beetles requires black mana to play, which inherently restricts its inclusion to decks that can produce such mana. For players not running a black mana deck or those with a multicolored deck lacking sufficient mana fixing, this card might be less appealing or even unusable.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With costs that might seem high relative to the actual effect provided, Carrion Beetles can be less efficient compared to other creatures or removal spells. Players often gauge the value of a card by its impact relative to its mana cost and, in a fast-paced environment, even a slight inefficiency can be critical.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Carrion Beetles offers a unique form of graveyard manipulation, allowing you to target specific cards in opponent’s graveyards. This makes it a flexible addition to decks geared towards disrupting opponent strategies, especially in formats where graveyard-based combos are prevalent.
Combo Potential: This card can work wonders in any setup focused on incremental advantage. With the right synergies, for instance, alongside cards that benefit from creature cards being exiled, Carrion Beetles can be a critical component in a powerful combo engine.
Meta-Relevance: In a game that shifts with new releases and strategies, the Beetles remain relevant in metas where graveyard interaction is a key component. Its ability to consistently exile cards each turn can be a significant advantage, suppressing strategies reliant on graveyard recursion and maintaining board control.
How to beat
Carrion Beetles is a card that challenges players to think strategically in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This black creature card allows a player to remove target card in an opponent’s graveyard from the game. The catch? It only works during your upkeep and requires a single black mana to activate. It might seem easy to overlook, but left unchecked, Carrion Beetles can disrupt a multitude of graveyard-based strategies.
So, how do you tackle this pestilent creature? Graveyard management becomes crucial. By using cards that can exile graveyards or shuffle them back into the library, you limit Carrion Beetles’ influence. Cards with Scavenger abilities, or even spell-based graveyard purges, can mitigate the Beetles’ effectiveness. Also, keeping instant-speed removal in hand to deal with the Beetles during your opponent’s upkeep is essential. Remember, by controlling the flow of your own graveyard and observing the timing of your actions, Carrion Beetles can be rendered merely a nuisance rather than a threat.
In conclusion, by understanding graveyard mechanics and employing timely removal, the challenge posed by Carrion Beetles becomes manageable, allowing players to maintain the upper hand in their MTG matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Carrion Beetles MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and World Championship Decks 1999, 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 Carrion Beetles 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
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Printings
The Carrion Beetles Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 1999-08-04. Illustrated by Ron Spencer.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 122 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 2 | 1999-08-04 | World Championship Decks 1999 | WC99 | js122sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Ron Spencer |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Carrion Beetles has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Carrion Beetles card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If any of the targets are not there on resolution, the others are still affected. |
| 2004-10-04 | You pick the 0, 1, 2, or 3 target cards on announcement. |