Cathodion MTG Card

Cathodion’s death trigger provides crucial mana to fuel game-changing spells or deploy powerful creatures swiftly. It accelerates mana resources, fitting perfectly in artifact-centric or combo decks for timely plays. Instant speed sacrifice outlets maximize Cathodion’s mana burst, disrupting opponents by enabling unexpected moves.

Urza's Saga (USG)
1998-10-12 - Number 287

Mirrodin (MRD)
2003-10-02 - Number 149

Commander 2014 (C14)
2014-11-07 - Number 234

Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
2015-05-22 - Number 203

Cathodion - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)

Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
2018-06-08 - Number 179

Ultimate Masters (UMA)
2018-12-07 - Number 226

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 1557

Double Masters (2XM)
2020-08-07 - Number 237

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number CM2-179

Card sets	Released in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact Creature — Construct
Power	3
Toughness	3

Text of card

When Cathodion is put into a graveyard from play, add three colorless mana to your mana pool.

Instead of creating a tool that would be damaged by heat, the Thran built one that was charged by it.

Cards like Cathodion

Cathodion is a unique artifact creature in Magic: The Gathering that has carved out its niche within the vast array of available cards. Recognized for its ability to provide a burst of mana upon its death, Cathodion shares traits with cards like Su-Chi, another artifact creature that offers a significant mana advantage upon leaving the battlefield. While both cards serve a similar purpose, Cathodion is more budget-friendly and easier to incorporate into various deck builds.

Another card that gamers might draw parallels to is Myr Retriever, which also returns an artifact card from the graveyard to its owner’s hand upon death. This effect focuses more on recursion than on mana acceleration, highlighting a key distinction between the two. Despite the difference in function, Myr Retriever complements the same deck strategies that Cathodion could enhance, particularly in artifact-centric builds.

Cathodion’s role within MTG is evident—as a dependable source of a one-time mana boost, it offers a strategic advantage that can turn the tide in a game. When evaluating artifact creatures and their myriad uses, Cathodion remains a popular choice thanks to its versatility and cost-effective deployment of resources.

Cards similar to Cathodion by color, type and mana cost

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions

Guardians of Meletis - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Cathodion doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it provides a unique form of advantage. Upon leaving the battlefield, it gives you three colorless mana. This can be essential for casting crucial spells or bringing out heavy-hitters sooner than expected, keeping your hand fluid and your options open.

Resource Acceleration: Cathodion shines in its ability to ramp up your mana resources. The three colorless mana it produces can significantly accelerate your game plan, especially in artifact-centric or combo decks where timing and swift mana availability are paramount.

Instant Speed: Though Cathodion operates at sorcery speed, its benefit can be capitalized on instantly. You can combo Cathodion’s death trigger with sacrifice outlets available at instant speed to access that burst of mana exactly when it’s needed, catching opponents off-guard or responding to their actions in a pinch.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cathodion mandates that you forfeit another potential card or board presence because its benefit is tied to its death, which may not always sync with your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting requirement involves three generic mana, which seems flexible but can be challenging for color-hungry decks to accommodate without sacrificing tempo.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With three mana for a 3/3 body, Cathodion may not compare favorably against other three-drops that provide immediate impact or have more relevant abilities in the current meta-game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cathodion is an artifact creature that can seamlessly slot into a variety of decks. Its simplicity caters to artifact-centric themes and can easily be a resource in graveyard-based strategies.

Combo Potential: Upon its demise, it grants you three colorless mana which creates opportunities for immediate reinvestment into numerous combos, especially if you have a means to sacrifice it at will.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where artifact and graveyard manipulation are prominent, Cathodion can provide an unexpected edge, converting what might be an ordinary death into a significant advantage.

How to beat

Cathodion is an interesting card in the realm of MTG, offering a burst of mana upon leaving the battlefield. The key to countering Cathodion lies in minimizing its impact. Strategies include using graveyard manipulation, like with cards such as Relic of Progenitus, to exile it from the game entirely, preventing its ability from being used. Alternatively, employing control elements to keep Cathodion tapped or using enchantments that nullify activated abilities can effectively negate its potential mana advantage.

Removal spells that don’t send Cathodion to the graveyard, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can be particularly valuable – they bypass the death-triggered ability while removing the threat from the board. In a broader strategy, using cards that restrict the number of noncreature spells each turn, such as Rule of Law or Eidolon of Rhetoric, can limit the opponent’s ability to harness that burst of mana effectively, weakening the overall strategy that Cathodion might be part of.

Thus, maintaining control over the game state and neutralizing Cathodion’s ability to influence the mana pool can render it a much less formidable card on the battlefield, ensuring that its presence doesn’t tip the scale in your opponent’s favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cathodion MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Mirrodin, 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 Cathodion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cathodion Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1998-10-12	Urza's Saga	USG	287	1997	Normal	Black	Henry G. Higginbotham
2	2003-10-02	Mirrodin	MRD	149	2003	Normal	Black	Eric Peterson
3	2014-11-07	Commander 2014	C14	234	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
4	2015-05-22	Modern Masters 2015	MM2	203	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
5	2018-06-08	Commander Anthology Volume II	CM2	179	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
6	2018-12-07	Ultimate Masters	UMA	226	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
7	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	1557	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
8	2020-08-07	Double Masters	2XM	237	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy
9	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	CM2-179	2015	Normal	Black	Izzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cathodion has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	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 Cathodion 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	The ability is never a mana ability.
2011-01-25	You get the mana whether you want it or not. If you don't spend it, it will disappear at the end of the current step (or phase).