Earthen Goo MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Ooze |
| Abilities | Cumulative upkeep,Trample |
| Released | 2006-07-21 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Coldsnap |
| Set code | CSP |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 80 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Nick Percival |
Text of card
Trample Cumulative upkeep or (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) Earthen Goo gets +1/+1 for each age counter on it.
Cards like Earthen Goo
Earthen Goo is an intriguing creature within the landscape of Magic: The Gathering. This card shares traits with the likes of Scrounging Bandar, where we see a creature’s power and toughness evolve over time based on certain conditions. Earthen Goo grows more formidable with each upkeep if you control a red or green permanent, similar to the Bandar’s ability to accumulate +1/+1 counters. Unlike Scrounging Bandar, however, Earthen Goo requires a steady flow of cards in the graveyard to maintain its increased power.
Looking at other creatures, we find Lorescale Coatl, which also gets stronger with game progression. Each time you draw a card, Lorescale Coatl gains a +1/+1 counter, highlighting a difference in growth mechanisms compared to Earthen Goo’s graveyard-dependent enhancement. Additionally, in the realm of cumulative upkeep, Mystic Remora and Glacial Chasm are often used for their unique abilities despite their increasing upkeep costs. While these cards don’t grow in power or toughness, they showcase the diversity of cumulative upkeep effects, a key feature that Earthen Goo embraces.
Ultimately, within Magic: The Gathering, Earthen Goo holds its ground as a creature that potentially increases its threat level every turn, a characteristic that can snowball to a significant advantage if left unchecked by opponents.
Cards similar to Earthen Goo by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Earthen Goo grants a recurring benefit each upkeep, granting the opportunity to grow significantly in power over time. This trait makes it valuable for maintaining pressure and advantageous board state.
Resource Acceleration: With its threshold ability, Earthen Goo can command additional resources from your graveyard, effectively using otherwise inert cards as a springboard for amplifying its threat level.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Earthen Goo synergizes well with instant-speed spells and abilities that manipulate the graveyard, ensuring its size and power can unexpectedly swing in your favor at a crucial moment.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Earthen Goo demands that you sacrifice another card, which might not always be sustainable, especially in a game where each card in hand is precious.
Specific Mana Cost: Earthen Goo’s casting cost requires a precise combination of green and red mana. This can be problematic if you’re playing a multicolor deck and might restrict its inclusion to only certain types of decks that can consistently generate both types of mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a need for three mana, including one green and one red, Earthen Goo’s cost is relatively steep for its starting stats and effect. In the current meta, there might be creatures or spells that offer more immediate impact or versatility for the same or lower investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Earthen Goo thrives in decks that can manipulate the graveyard, thanks to its unique trample ability that gets stronger with the number of age counters. Its adaptability makes it a good fit for various strategies, particularly ones that work on maximizing the growth and power of creatures.
Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with mechanics that manipulate time counters, like suspend or proliferate, allowing for rapid power increases. This opens up a variety of combo possibilities within your deck, especially in those that focus on counter manipulation to overpower opponents.
Meta-Relevance: In a gaming environment where the graveyard is a resource, Earthen Goo can become a recurring threat. Its relevance in the meta is anchored in its capacity to grow and become a significant pressure point for opponents, challenging the way they approach graveyard interaction and creature removal.
How to beat
Earthen Goo holds a unique position within the MTG realm as it thrives with each passing turn, thanks to its threshold ability, which increasingly strengthens it if you have seven or more cards in your graveyard. This accumulating power mirrors mechanics you may see in cards like Scavenging Ooze or Tarmogoyf, where the graveyard plays a pivotal role in the creature’s potency.
To combat Earthen Goo effectively, graveyard management becomes a key strategy. Cards like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenger Grounds effectively exile graveyards, stripping Earthen Goo of its accumulating power. Additionally, since Earthen Goo’s activated ability requires untapped resources, instant-speed removal spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can neutralize it before the threshold bonus applies, preventing it from becoming an oversized threat on the board.
Ultimately, understanding the intricacies of your opponent’s deck and the significance of their graveyard can turn the tide against an Earthen Goo. By keeping its growth in check and prioritizing strategic removal, players can ensure that this creeping creature doesn’t overwhelm the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Earthen Goo MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap, 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 Earthen Goo and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Earthen Goo has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Earthen Goo card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it’s not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can’t be made. For example, if a permanent with “cumulative upkeep ” has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay or sacrifice the permanent. |