Overgrowth Elemental MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	187
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mathias Kollros

Key Takeaways

Overgrowth Elemental offers card advantage through board presence and potentially life gain.
Resource acceleration and instant-speed synergy make it valuable in combat situations.
Mana restrictions and reliance on creature death may limit its versatility in certain decks.

Text of card

When Overgrowth Elemental enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on another target Elemental you control. Whenever another creature you control dies, you gain 1 life. If that creature was an Elemental, put a +1/+1 counter on Overgrowth Elemental.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Overgrowth Elemental enters the battlefield or another creature you control dies, it provides the potential to draw additional cards by putting a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. This bolstering effect can indirectly lead to drawing more cards, especially if the creature has an ability linked to its power.

Resource Acceleration: Overgrowth Elemental can accelerate your resource growth by boosting the creatures responsible for mana production. Planting a +1/+1 counter on mana dorks increases their survival rate, enabling you to tap them for mana multiple turns in a row.

Instant Speed: While Overgrowth Elemental itself may not act at instant speed, it can amplify the effectiveness of your instant-speed spells. Creatures buffed with Overgrowth Elemental’s counters become more formidable blockers or attackers during combat, which can be a surprise shift in power dynamics when timed correctly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Overgrowth Elemental demands a creature you control to die in order to draw a card, which might deplete your board presence and can be counterproductive if maintaining a creature count is crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This Elemental comes with a green mana cost, necessitating a specific mana base. Players using multicolored decks may find it challenging to consistently meet this requirement, potentially hindering the card’s usability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Overgrowth Elemental’s entry at three mana, alongside its ability to grow only from your creatures’ demise, can be less attractive considering there are other cards in the same range that immediately impact the board or provide direct advantages without such a specific condition.

Reasons to Include Overgrowth Elemental in Your Collection

Versatility: Overgrowth Elemental is a flexible card that can adapt to various Green-based decks or elemental strategies. Its ability to grow through other creatures’ death and give you life makes it useful in multiple game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This creature synergizes well with decks that have a high concentration of elementals or focus on sacrifice mechanics, allowing for intricate combos that capitalize on creature death and bolster your board presence.

Meta-Relevance: With the fluctuating MTG meta, Overgrowth Elemental can be particularly potent in environments where creature-based decks prevail, using its abilities to continuously strengthen your position and offset life loss against aggressive opponents.

How to beat

Overgrowth Elemental is a card that can inject vitality into green creature-centric decks in MTG. As a creature that gains +1/+1 counters when another creature you control dies, it becomes a formidable asset over time. How do you overcome such a growing threat? One strategy is employing removal spells that exile instead of destroy, bypassing death triggers completely. Cards like Path to Exile or even Baffling End can handle the Elemental without it gaining from other creatures’ demise.

Another tactic is to use board wipes that reset the playing field, such as Wrath of God or Damnation. These spells don’t target individual creatures, hence Overgrowth Elemental’s ability is rendered ineffective. Timing is crucial—activating these spells after your opponent sacrifices a creature for a benefit but before the Elemental grows too large can be key to maintaining control.

Utilizing enchantments like Pacifism or Lignify can also neutralize Overgrowth Elemental without triggering its ability, effectively stopping it in its tracks. Keeping these strategies in mind will help you manage and ultimately triumph over the evolving threat posed by Overgrowth Elemental in a dynamic game environment.

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Cards like Overgrowth Elemental

Overgrowth Elemental is an intriguing creature option for players seeking to enhance their decks with life gain and board presence in Magic: The Gathering. Notably, it shares similarities with Scavenging Ooze, another creature that offers the ability to manipulate +1/+1 counters while also providing incremental life gain. However, Overgrowth Elemental’s unique draw is its interaction with the death of elementals – it gains +1/+1 counters, then grants you life equal to the creature’s power.

Another card worth mentioning is Winding Constrictor, which can be a powerhouse in a counters-focused strategy. While it doesn’t directly mirror Overgrowth Elemental’s gain of life from death mechanics, its ability to add additional +1/+1 counters whenever they would be placed on a creature you control makes it complementary in decks where Overgrowth Elemental is played.

Evaluating the strategic benefits, Overgrowth Elemental is an excellent choice for decks that capitalize on the synergistic effects of creatures dying, especially when combined with elemental creatures. It might not be as versatile as the broad counter-boosting Winding Constrictor or as directly influential on gameplay as Scavenging Ooze’s grave interaction, but it carves out its own niche in the MTG ecosystem.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Overgrowth Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Overgrowth Elemental and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Overgrowth Elemental has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	If Overgrowth Elemental dies at the same time as one or more other creatures you control, Overgrowth Elemental’s last ability triggers for each of those other creatures. You will gain 1 life for each of them, but if any of those creatures were Elementals, Overgrowth Elemental won’t get a +1/+1 counter since it’s already left the battlefield.
2019-07-12	If a creature you control dies at the same time that your life total becomes 0 or less, you lose the game before Overgrowth Elemental’s last ability can save you.