Twisted Abomination MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Mutant
Abilities Cycling,Swampcycling
Power 5
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage is a pro; cycling Twisted Abomination can provide an additional draw or mana acceleration.
  2. The discard requirement and specific mana cost are cons, potentially hindering card advantage and mana flexibility.
  3. As a collection addition, it shines in black-based decks for its versatility and combo potential in-game.

Text of card

: Regenerate Twisted Abomination. Swampcycling (, Discard this card from your hand: Search your library for a swamp card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the ability to regenerate, Twisted Abomination provides a persistent threat that can survive multiple encounters on the battlefield. Its cycling ability also lets you draw a card, ensuring that you never run out of answers or threats in your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By cycling Twisted Abomination, you are able to search your library for a Swamp card, thus increasing your mana base and ensuring that you have the necessary resources to cast high-cost spells later in the game.

Instant Speed: Cycling can be done at instant speed, meaning you can adapt on the fly to the current state of play, whether that’s finding a land during your opponent’s end step or drawing a new card when no creatures are attacking to replace this multifaceted threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Twisted Abomination’s cycling ability comes at the cost of discarding the card itself, meaning you’re reducing your hand size to activate it. This can be detrimental in situations where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Twisted Abomination requires not just one, but two black mana to cast, which can cause a hiccup in mana bases that aren’t heavily geared towards black mana production or that utilize multiple colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Twisted Abomination offers a substantial presence on the battlefield, its six total mana cost can slow down your game tempo, especially when compared to other creatures that provide similar or greater impact for less mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Twisted Abomination offers great flexibility for any black-based deck. It can act as a sizable beater, and its swampcycling ability ensures that land drops are consistent, which is crucial for decks that are heavy on black mana requirements.

Combo Potential: Being able to search your deck for a Swamp card can help set up graveyard synergies. In decks that leverage the graveyard, Twisted Abomination can swiftly become a recurring threat that’s hard to permanently remove.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by aggressive creatures, Twisted Abomination’s regenerate ability allows it to hold back attacks, serving as a durable blocker that can survive most combat scenarios.


How to beat

Twisted Abomination, familiar to veteran Magic: The Gathering players, presents a noteworthy resilience that can prove troublesome to counter. Its regeneration ability allows it to withstand most forms of damage, making it a stubborn presence on the battlefield. Yet, transcending such a challenge isn’t insurmountable. Players should consider leveraging exile effects, which offer a clean solution to bypass the Abomination’s tenacity. Swift removal cards like Path to Exile disrupt its endurance by removing it from play entirely, sidestepping the need for damage-based strategies.

Another tactic involves manipulating the opponent’s graveyard. Because Twisted Abomination can transition from graveyard to hand through its swampcycling ability, cards like Bojuka Bog that exile graveyards can efficiently neutralize this recovery option. By strategically limiting recovery and employing precise removal methods, the looming threat of a Twisted Abomination can be mitigated and ultimately overcome, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering encounters.


Cards like Twisted Abomination

Twisted Abomination holds a unique place in the vast landscape of Magic the Gathering creature cards. It draws parallels with other creatures thanks to its Regenerate ability, notably Drudge Skeletons. However, the Abomination elevates itself with its impressive stat line and Swampcycling ability, providing a significant advantage in deck versatility and land retrieval compared to the simple and low-cost Skeletons.

In the scope of Swamp-fetching creatures, there’s Shoreline Ranger. While both cards boast the ability to search for Swamps, Twisted Abomination affords more strategic flexibility due to its lower cycling cost, making it a superior choice in decks that rely on specific land types. Additionally, with regeneration, the Abomination ensures its staying power on the battlefield, unlike the Ranger.

Assessing against other formidable creatures, Twisted Abomination emerges as a solid contender, especially in decks that benefit from its dual role of land tutor and resilient threat. Its aptitude for survival and enhancing land consistency places it favorably within Magic the Gathering’s creature-based strategies.

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Shoreline Ranger - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Shoreline Ranger - Scourge (SCG)

Cards similar to Twisted Abomination by color, type and mana cost

Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Demonic Hordes - MTG Card versions
Ihsan's Shade - MTG Card versions
Necrosavant - MTG Card versions
Cateran Slaver - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Lancer - MTG Card versions
Face of Fear - MTG Card versions
Wire Surgeons - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions
Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions
Rakshasa Debaser - MTG Card versions
Anurid Murkdiver - MTG Card versions
Gempalm Polluter - MTG Card versions
Nefashu - MTG Card versions
Visara the Dreadful - MTG Card versions
Iname, Death Aspect - MTG Card versions
Deathcurse Ogre - MTG Card versions
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth Demon - MTG Card versions
Nightmare - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Demonic Hordes - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Ihsan's Shade - Anthologies (ATH)
Necrosavant - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Cateran Slaver - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Dakmor Lancer - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Face of Fear - Odyssey (ODY)
Wire Surgeons - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Grave Titan - Fallout (PIP)
Chittering Harvester - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Crossway Troublemakers - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Rakshasa Debaser - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Anurid Murkdiver - Onslaught (ONS)
Gempalm Polluter - Legions (LGN)
Nefashu - Scourge (SCG)
Visara the Dreadful - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Iname, Death Aspect - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Deathcurse Ogre - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Yawgmoth Demon - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Twisted Abomination MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Time Spiral Timeshifted, 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 Twisted Abomination and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Twisted Abomination Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Daren Bader.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-05-26ScourgeSCG 761997normalblackDaren Bader
22006-10-06Time Spiral TimeshiftedTSB 501997normalblackDaren Bader
32010-06-18ArchenemyARC 262003normalblackDaren Bader
42010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A511997normalblackDaren Bader
52011-11-18Premium Deck Series: GravebornPD3 42003normalblackDaren Bader
62014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1292003normalblackDaren Bader
72014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Garruk vs. LilianaGVL 452015normalblackDaren Bader
82016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1102015normalblackDaren Bader
92018-03-16Masters 25A25 1112015normalblackDaren Bader
102020-08-07Double Masters2XM 1112015normalblackDaren Bader
112023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 1942015normalblackDaren Bader

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Twisted Abomination has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-06-08 Swampcycling is a form of cycling. Any ability that triggers on a card being cycled also triggers on Swampcycling this card. Any ability that stops a cycling ability from being activated also stops Swampcycling from being activated.
2016-06-08 Swampcycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with Swampcycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.
2016-06-08 Unlike the normal cycling ability, Swampcycling doesn't allow you to draw a card. Instead, it lets you search your library for a Swamp card. After you find a Swamp card in your library, you reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
2016-06-08 You can choose to find any card with the Swamp land type, including nonbasic lands. You can also choose not to find a card, even if there is a Swamp card in your library.

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