Carrion Wurm MTG Card

Unleash graveyard potential and reanimate creatures with Carrion Wurm’s self-milling ability. Feed your graveyard-centric spells quickly, optimizing your deck’s resource acceleration. Synergize with instant speed cards, setting up unexpected and formidable plays.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Zombie Wurm
Released	2002-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Torment
Set code	TOR
Power	6
Toughness	5
Number	55
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Glen Angus

Text of card

Whenever Carrion Wurm attacks or blocks, any player may remove three cards in his or her graveyard from the game. If a player does, Carrion Wurm deals no combat damage this turn.

Since it eats only carrion, sometimes it needs to make some from scratch.

Cards like Carrion Wurm

The Carrion Wurm is a noteworthy creature card in the Magic: The Gathering arena, closely resembling other cards in terms of mechanics and gameplay impact. As a direct comparison, we might look at cards like Scavenging Ooze. While the Ooze is smaller in its base stats, it offers the ability to selectively remove cards from graveyards while gaining strength and life, offering a level of control and incremental advantage over Carrion Wurm.

Another similar card in terms of graveyard interaction is Baloth Null. This creature allows for the retrieval of two creature cards from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield. Unlike Carrion Wurm, which requires a creature card to be discarded for it to grow stronger, Baloth Null provides immediate value by re-populating your hand without needing the discard mechanism.

Weaving these comparisons together, while Carrion Wurm has the potential to grow into a formidable threat with enough support, cards like Scavenging Ooze and Baloth Null can provide more consistent value under a broader range of circumstances. For players that enjoy interacting with the graveyard and leveraging it for strategic advantage, Carrion Wurm offers an interesting choice, particularly in decks geared towards recurring creature cards.

Cards similar to Carrion Wurm by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Carrion Wurm offers a distinct edge in the graveyard strategy, enabling you to potentially reanimate powerful creatures or benefit from other cards that thrive on a well-stocked graveyard.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, this creature can be an engine in the right deck, quickly filling your graveyard with resources to fuel delve spells or other mechanics that require a full graveyard to optimize your plays.

Instant Speed: Though Carrion Wurm itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it can synergize with cards that do, allowing you to set up your graveyard at a moment’s notice to surprise your opponent with unexpected plays during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Carrion Wurm requires you to discard a creature card each time you want to activate its ability. This can be a significant drawback, especially in games where your hand is already depleted or in decks that don’t have a reliable means of replenishing the graveyard with creature cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Carrion Wurm’s casting cost includes two black mana, which may not always fit smoothly into multicolor decks. Players must ensure their mana base can consistently generate the right colors, or they’ll risk having this card stuck in hand without the means to cast it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of five mana, including the specific black mana requirements, Carrion Wurm is on the high end of the mana curve. In competitive play, where speed and efficiency are key, there may be alternative creatures that offer more immediate impact or better synergy with the deck’s strategy for less mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Carrion Wurm is a powerful creature that offers a significant presence on the board. With its trample ability, it easily fits into decks that aim to overwhelm opponents with hefty creatures. Moreover, its self-mill feature can serve graveyard-centric strategies, making it a flexible addition to various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in combination with abilities that benefit from creatures entering the graveyard. It can seamlessly integrate with reanimation strategies or synergize with cards that capitalize on creature deaths for value, enhancing robust synergistic plays.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to go longer, Carrion Wurm can become a persistent threat. Its ability to grow stronger as more creature cards are pushed into the graveyard makes it a card worth considering for decks that aim to maintain late-game dominance.

How to beat

Carrion Wurm is a creature card that can become a formidable presence on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its power lies in its ability to grow stronger whenever a card is put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere. To effectively counter Carrion Wurm, it’s essential to limit graveyard interactions. Avoid using strategies that cause milling or self-milling, as these will only empower the Wurm.

Direct removal spells are your ally against Carrion Wurm. Consider using spells like Path to Exile or Murder, which can bypass the Wurm’s growing strength by eliminating it outright, regardless of its power. Another technique is to employ exile effects, ensuring that the Wurm does not return from the graveyard. Preventative measures such as grave hate cards, like Rest in Peace, can also nullify the threat by stopping cards from hitting the graveyard in the first place.

By focusing on direct control and graveyard suppression, you can neutralize Carrion Wurm’s advantage, keeping it from turning into the monstrous threat it’s designed to be. Remember, your strategy should be proactive in managing your opponent’s graveyard and reactive when the Wurm hits the field.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Carrion Wurm MTG card by a specific set like Torment, 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 Wurm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Carrion Wurm has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal