Chartooth Cougar MTG Card
2003-05-26 - Number 84
2008-11-07 - Number 47
2010-11-08 - Number A56
2011-06-17 - Number 115
2012-03-30 - Number 59
2014-06-06 - Number 139
2014-06-16 - Number 155
2014-12-05 - Number 47
2018-03-16 - Number 125
2019-11-07 - Number 887
2020-09-26 - Number A25-125
| Card sets | Released in 11 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Cat Beast |
| Abilities | Cycling,Mountaincycling |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
: Chartooth Cougar gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Mountaincycling (, Discard this card from your hand: Search your library for a mountain card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
Cards like Chartooth Cougar
Chartooth Cougar finds itself in a unique niche within Magic: The Gathering’s expansive card pool. Comparable in some ways to creatures like Vulshok Berserker, the Cougar stands out with its mana ability that allows players to increase its power. The Berserker, lacking versatility, merely offers haste as an advantage. Both creatures, however, share a 4 power that can impact the battlefield significantly.
Another creature to consider is Raging Bull, which also offers a 4 power but at a lower cost and with no additional abilities. The added flexibility of Chartooth Cougar’s firebreathing ability – where mana can be spent to increase its power for the turn – and the potential to cycle it away for a fresh card, presents a tactical edge over the straightforward Raging Bull.
Lastly, Canyon Minotaur, often compared to Chartooth Cougar due to its similar power and creature type, falls slightly behind in playability as it does not boast the firebreathing or cycling abilities that give the Cougar a dynamic role in games. Thus, Chartooth Cougar, with its adaptability and utility, secures a favorable spot among similar four-power red creatures in MTG.
Cards similar to Chartooth Cougar by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The cycling ability on Chartooth Cougar provides an opportunity to replace itself in your hand, smoothing out draws and helping maintain card flow throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: Once on the battlefield, this creature can be converted into a red mana source, offering an additional layer of mana flexibility and potentially accelerating your strategy by enabling faster deployment of high-impact cards.
Instant Speed: Cycling can be activated at instant speed, which means you can wait until the most strategic moment during your opponent’s turn to potentially draw into an answer or a better play for your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Chartooth Cougar comes with an ability that allows cycling. While cycling can help draw more cards, it also requires you to discard the cougar itself. This can be a strategic setback if you’re facing resource constraints or if you need to maintain a presence on the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature has a casting cost that includes red mana, which means it’s primarily suited for red or multicolored decks. Players who don’t incorporate red mana may find this card difficult to use effectively, reducing its overall versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a summoning cost of six mana, which includes five generic and one red mana, Chartooth Cougar is on the higher end of the mana curve. For this amount of mana, players may expect more impactful creatures or game-changing spells that could provide greater value or more immediate effects on the game state.
Reasons to Include Chartooth Cougar in Your Collection
Versatility: Chartooth Cougar offers flexibility in deck building by providing both a reliable creature presence and mana-fixing abilities. Its cycling ability can be particularly useful in the late game when searching for more impactful draws.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in decks that capitalize on cycling or discard strategies. Its ability to convert into Mountaincycling adds an extra layer of utility, enabling you to fetch necessary land while progressing your game plan.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where red mana acceleration or specific land searching is crucial, Chartooth Cougar can serve as a vital tool. Its ability to shift roles from a mana source to a creature makes it a practical choice in various metagames.
How to beat
Chartooth Cougar is one of those cards in MTG that commands a unique role in the red deck dynamics. Essentially a creature with the capacity to pump its own power, it poses a risk on the battlefield if left unchecked. What truly sets it apart is its mountaincycling ability, which allows players to exchange it for a land card, thus improving their mana base and consistency in play.
To effectively counter Chartooth Cougar, strategic removal is key. Consider using low-cost removal spells that can dispatch the cougar before it becomes an overwhelming threat. Additionally, since it has a fairly high converted mana cost, cards that prevent opponents from ramping or increase the cost of creature spells can severely cripple the cougar’s early-game impact.
Anticipating the mountaincycling is another tactic—expect it and plan your moves accordingly. You might hold up counter spells specifically to oppose pivotal late-game plays, which the opponent may pave the way for by cycling the cougar. Therefore, even though Chartooth Cougar adds flexibility and raw power to red decks, strategic removal and tactical foresight can effectively neutralize its advantages.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chartooth Cougar MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra, 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 Chartooth Cougar and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Chartooth Cougar Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-05-26 | Scourge | SCG | 84 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 2 | 2008-11-07 | Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra | DD2 | 47 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 3 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | A56 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 4 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 115 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 5 | 2012-03-30 | Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth | DDI | 59 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 6 | 2014-06-06 | Conspiracy | CNS | 139 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 7 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 155 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 8 | 2014-12-05 | Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra | JVC | 47 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 9 | 2018-03-16 | Masters 25 | A25 | 125 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 10 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 887 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 11 | The List | PLST | A25-125 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chartooth Cougar 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 Chartooth Cougar card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-02-01 | Mountaincycling is a form of cycling. Any ability that triggers on a card being cycled also triggers on Mountaincycling this card. Any ability that stops a cycling ability from being activated also stops Mountaincycling from being activated. |
| 2009-02-01 | Mountaincycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with Mountaincycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |
| 2009-02-01 | Unlike the normal cycling ability, Mountaincycling doesn’t allow you to draw a card. Instead, it lets you search your library for a Mountain card. After you find a Mountain card in your library, you reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. |
| 2009-02-01 | You can choose to find any card with the Mountain land type, including nonbasic lands. You can also choose not to find a card, even if there is a Mountain card in your library. |