Psychosis Crawler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror
Power *
Toughness *

Key Takeaways

  1. Psychosis Crawler grows stronger with card draw, making it a looming threat in draw-heavy decks.
  2. A mix of mana types is needed for casting, which may affect deck composition strategies.
  3. Versatile and meta-relevant, it can transform card advantage into opponent damage.

Text of card

Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. Whenever you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life.

"If that brain can't figure out the secret of the serum, then add more brains." —Rhmir, Hand of the Augur


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Psychosis Crawler thrives on card draw mechanics, allowing its power and potential damage output to grow as you draw more cards. This syncs perfectly with decks that focus on card draw strategies, making it a significant threat the more cards you have in hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly a resource acceleration, the presence of Psychosis Crawler on the battlefield deters opponents from targeting you with discard effects, indirectly preserving your hand size and the resources available to you.

Instant Speed: Although Psychosis Crawler itself is not an instant, it benefits greatly from instant-speed card draw spells played on either your turn or your opponent’s turn. This flexibility allows you to potentially damage opponents at unexpected moments, keeping them on their toes and pressuring their life totals even outside of your own turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For Psychosis Crawler, the requirement isn’t to discard, but its power hinges on the size of your hand. This can be a setback if you’re unable to maintain a healthy hand size throughout the game, diminishing its impact.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a mix of generic and colored mana, necessitating a carefully balanced mana base to cast it effectively. Ensuring you have the correct types of mana available can sometimes complicate your deckbuilding strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that reaches five mana, Psychosis Crawler can be a bit pricey. In faster-paced games or in environments where low-cost cards are king, it might be too slow to influence the board by the time you’re able to play it.


Reasons to Include Psychosis Crawler in Your Collection

Versatility: The Psychosis Crawler is a fantastic addition to decks that capitalize on card draw mechanics. Its power and toughness adjust dynamically to the size of your hand, which makes it an ongoing threat in various game states.

Combo Potential: This artifact creature shines in combinations with effects that allow you to draw multiple cards per turn. Pair it with wheel effects or continuous draw engines for maximum impact, turning card advantage into damage against your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where card draw and control decks are prevalent, Psychosis Crawler becomes a multifaceted tool. It serves as a deterrent to your opponent’s strategies and poses a consistent threat that grows as you draw into more answers and threats of your own.


How to beat

Psychosis Crawler is a unique creature card that poses a significant threat in Magic: The Gathering due to its power being equal to the number of cards in your hand. The key to overcoming this formidable artifact creature lies in diminishing its strength by targeting the player’s hand size. Employing discard effects strategically can reduce an opponent’s hand, thus weakening the Psychosis Crawler’s power.

Another effective tactic is to use instant-speed removal spells to dispatch the Psychosis Crawler before the opponent has the chance to capitalize on its life-loss ability. Cards such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can serve as valuable tools in your arsenal. In addition, countering card-draw spells that enable the Psychosis Crawler to inflict significant damage ensures that the battlefield remains under your control without unpredictable life point fluctuations.

Tackling this card directly correlates with managing the flow of your adversary’s cards. Through precise removal and disrupting their hand, you can neutralize Psychosis Crawler’s threat, maintaining the upper hand in your MTG matches. Monitoring the situation carefully and responding swiftly can ensure that Psychosis Crawler’s presence is a fleeting concern rather than an insurmountable challenge.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is a rewarding journey filled with strategic twists and powerful plays. Psychosis Crawler stands out among MTG cards, rewarding players who adeptly navigate card draw mechanics. Its potential to transform an ample hand into formidable damage makes it a must-consider for your arsenal. Adaptable, impactful, and with a broad spectrum of strategic applications, incorporating Psychosis Crawler could be the game-changer you’re looking for. To further refine your strategy, understand this card’s nuances, and uncover how to maximize its synergy within your deck, we invite you to delve deeper. Amplify your MTG expertise and discover the pivotal role Psychosis Crawler could play in your next triumphant match.


Cards like Psychosis Crawler

Psychosis Crawler stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a creature that thrives on card draw mechanics. It’s often compared to cards like Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind which similarly deals damage whenever you draw a card. However, Psychosis Crawler has the added benefit of its power and toughness being equal to the number of cards in your hand, making it potentially more threatening as your hand size increases.

Another analogous card is The Locust God, which also leverages card drawing but instead creates a 1/1 insect creature token with flying for each card drawn. This can quickly amass a formidable flying army, offering a different strategic advantage than the direct damage approach of Psychosis Crawler. Then there’s Chasm Skulker, which accumulates +1/+1 counters with each card drawn. Upon death, it spawns a number of 1/1 squid tokens equal to the number of counters it had, offering board presence even after removal.

In essence, while each of these cards capitalizes on card drawing, Psychosis Crawler presents a distinctive quality that can impact the game immediately based on hand size, providing an aggressive edge in decks that continually refill their hands.

Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind - MTG Card versions
The Locust God - MTG Card versions
Chasm Skulker - MTG Card versions
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind - Guildpact (GPT)
The Locust God - Amonkhet Invocations (MP2)
Chasm Skulker - Magic 2015 Promos (PM15)

Cards similar to Psychosis Crawler by color, type and mana cost

Ring of Renewal - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Avian - MTG Card versions
Gauntlets of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Steam Beast - MTG Card versions
Sand Golem - MTG Card versions
Pandora's Box - MTG Card versions
Belbe's Portal - MTG Card versions
Crumbling Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Mind's Eye - MTG Card versions
Horizon Stone - MTG Card versions
The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Vorrac - MTG Card versions
Timesifter - MTG Card versions
Leveler - MTG Card versions
Myr Matrix - MTG Card versions
Dross Golem - MTG Card versions
Razormane Masticore - MTG Card versions
Thran Golem - MTG Card versions
Coat of Arms - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Hydra - MTG Card versions
Ring of Renewal - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Clockwork Avian - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Gauntlets of Chaos - Chronicles (CHR)
Soldevi Steam Beast - Alliances (ALL)
Sand Golem - Mirage (MIR)
Pandora's Box - Astral Cards (PAST)
Belbe's Portal - Nemesis (NEM)
Crumbling Sanctuary - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Mind's Eye - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Horizon Stone - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
The Deck of Many Things - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Clockwork Vorrac - Mirrodin (MRD)
Timesifter - Mirrodin (MRD)
Leveler - Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils (FMB1)
Myr Matrix - Darksteel (DST)
Dross Golem - Darksteel (DST)
Razormane Masticore - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Thran Golem - The List (PLST)
Coat of Arms - The List (PLST)
Clockwork Hydra - Time Spiral (TSP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Psychosis Crawler MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged and Commander 2015, 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 Psychosis Crawler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Psychosis Crawler Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 2011-02-04 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-02-04Mirrodin BesiegedMBS 1262003normalblackStephan Martiniere
22015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2632015normalblackStephan Martiniere
32016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 2152015normalblackStephan Martiniere
42016-11-11Commander 2016C16 2672015normalblackStephan Martiniere
52018-08-09Commander 2018C18 2172015normalblackStephan Martiniere
62020-04-17Commander 2020C20 2482015normalblackStephan Martiniere
72022-03-05Wizards Play Network 2022PW22 62015normalblackStephan Martiniere
82022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8692015normalblackStephan Martiniere
92022-11-18The Brothers' War Art SeriesABRO 732015art_seriesborderless
102022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 107z1997normalblackIsis
112022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 1071997normalblackIsis
122022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 441997normalblackStephan Martiniere
132022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 7922015normalblackStephan Martiniere
142023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 3712015normalblackStephan Martiniere
152024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2342015normalblackStephan Martiniere

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Psychosis Crawler has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Psychosis Crawler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2011-06-01 If an effect causes you to draw multiple cards, Psychosis Crawler will trigger that many times.

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