Woodborn Behemoth MTG Card
2013-07-19 - Number 203
2016-09-02 - Number 26
2017-06-16 - Number 79
2019-11-07 - Number 1376
2020-07-17 - Number 446
2022-12-02 - Number 744
2020-09-26 - Number E01-79
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Woodborn Behemoth dominates the board as a potential 8/8 giant, demanding strategic counters from opponents.
- It synergizes well with land ramp strategies, turning it into a colossal early-game threat.
- Though powerful, its specialized mana cost and high mana demand may limit deck-building options.
Text of card
As long as you control eight or more lands, Woodborn Behemoth gets +4/+4 and has trample. (If this creature would assign enough damage to its blockers to destroy them, you may have it assign the rest of its damage to defending player or planeswalker.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With the potential to become a formidable 8/8 giant, Woodborn Behemoth can pressure opponents and dominate the board, creating a significant presence that requires an answer—potentially trading with multiple cards from your adversary.
Resource Acceleration: Woodborn Behemoth excels in decks focused on land acceleration. Its synergy with cards that enable you to play extra lands can turn it into a colossal threat early in the game, providing a fast track to overpowering your opponents.
Instant Speed: Although Woodborn Behemoth itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it thrives in formats that favor instant-speed interactions. By encouraging opponents to hold back their removal spells in anticipation of this massive creature, it opens the field for you to safely cast other key spells at instant speed while they brace for the behemoth’s arrival.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Woodborn Behemoth requires a stringent mana investment, demanding a total of five mana, with a necessity for at least three forests. This specific cost makes it less flexible, as it’s tailored for decks heavy on green mana, potentially limiting its inclusion in multi-colored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its high mana cost, playing Woodborn Behemoth can slow down your early game. Other creatures and spells with a lower mana requirement may provide a quicker board presence or an immediate effect that influences the game state.
Discard Requirement: While Woodborn Behemoth itself doesn’t come with a discard requirement, building a deck around it often means including cards that help you reach the threshold of eight lands to activate its ability. This could lead to a scenario where you’re discarding valuable cards in an attempt to buff your Behemoth, which could be a costly trade.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Woodborn Behemoth easily fits into various green decks that utilize the “ramp to large creatures” strategy, as it thrives in environments rich with forests.
Combo Potential: This creature has the capacity to become a significant threat when paired with cards that search for lands, ensuring that its bonus ability is a consistent advantage.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors larger creatures and combat-centric interactions, Woodborn Behemoth stands out as a resilient force capable of going toe-to-toe with other formidable threats on the battlefield.
How to beat Woodborn Behemoth
Woodborn Behemoth shines in MTG as a force among green creature cards, thanks mainly to its imposing presence once you control five or more lands that turn it into an 8/8 elemental with trample. Overcoming this colossal might necessitate a strategic approach. One effective tactic is to limit the player’s land count, hindering the Behemoth’s evolution into its greater form. Land destruction or control decks can be particularly effective in this endeavor.
Furthermore, direct removal spells serve as the bane of the Woodborn Behemoth. Spells like Path to Exile or Murder offer an immediate resolution to the threat, irrespective of the Behemoth’s size. Pacifism effects, represented by cards such as Oblivion Ring or Darksteel Mutation, bypass the brute strength of the creature, neutralizing it without necessarily removing it from the battlefield. Lastly, leveraging bounce spells or effects to return it to the owner’s hand can disrupt the momentum gained from casting such a significant creature and waste resources poured into it.
In essence, while the Woodborn Behemoth can be a considerable adversary when fully empowered, preemptive and reactive measures can effectively mitigate its impact in a game, maintaining the delicately balanced scales of MTG gameplay.
Cards like Woodborn Behemoth
Woodborn Behemoth shines in the realm of beefy green creatures in Magic: The Gathering, drawing parallels with other formidable giants such as Terra Stomper. Both cards are significant for their ability to swing games by being sizable bodies on the field. Terra Stomper boasts not only a hefty attack and defense like Woodborn Behemoth but also can’t be countered and has trample, ensuring that its damage potential isn’t easily thwarted.
Another relative in the green behemoth family includes Duskdale Wurm, which, while not as substantial in stats compared to Woodborn Behemoth, does offer a consistent trample ability from the start. This difference highlights Woodborn Behemoth’s unique land threshold ability, which becomes a trampling powerhouse once you control eight or more lands. Similarly, there’s Plated Slagwurm, with a significant toughness advantage and built-in hexproof, though without the conditional trample Woodborn Behemoth might acquire in the late game.
Each of these creatures brings diverse advantages to the table, but Woodborn Behemoth stands out in decks designed to unlock its full trample capability swiftly, capitalizing on the mana-rich environment typical of green-centric strategies.
Cards similar to Woodborn Behemoth by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Woodborn Behemoth MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014 and Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis, 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 Woodborn Behemoth and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Woodborn Behemoth Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2013-07-19 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-07-19 | Magic 2014 | M14 | 203 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 2 | 2016-09-02 | Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis | DDR | 26 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 3 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 79 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1376 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 5 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 446 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 6 | The List | PLST | E01-79 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | ||
| 7 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 744 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Woodborn Behemoth 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 |
