Odious Trow MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Troll
Released	2008-07-25
Set symbol
Set name	Eventide
Set code	EVE
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	125
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Warren Mahy

Key Takeaways

Odious Trow provides repeat playability, presenting a recurring threat that can drain opponents’ resources.
Its specific mana cost can be restrictive, while the additional discard requirement might cost valuable hand advantage.
A versatile addition to your collection, Odious Trow shines in decks that leverage its regeneration ability.

Text of card

{BG}: Regenerate Odious Trow.

Trows are the vile trolls that lurk in the bogs of Shadowmoor. They reappear each night to frighten the living and gnaw the dead.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Odious Trow can effectively become a recurring threat. When it gets dispatched to the graveyard, other game mechanics can bring it back into play, making it a persistent presence in your deck that your opponents must repeatedly address. This repeat playability can tilt the scales in terms of card economy, as dealing with one Odious Trow may consume multiple resources from the opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although Odious Trow itself doesn’t produce additional mana or resources directly, its low casting cost allows for a rapid deployment on the battlefield. This efficiency means you can develop your game plan faster, preserving your mana for other strategies that can accelerate your resources in the upcoming turns.

Instant Speed: While Odious Trow isn’t an instant itself, its low cost invites synergy with instant-speed spells or effects. This lets you keep up the pace during your turn while holding back crucial mana for reactionary plays, ensuring you retain interaction with the game state during your opponents’ turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of Odious Trow, you may feel the pinch of its additional cost as it requires a card to be discarded. This can create a situation where you’re sacrificing hand advantage, which is often a crucial aspect of gameplay, especially if your hand is running low.

Specific Mana Cost: Odious Trow demands a specific combination of mana to cast. This can be restrictive as it necessitates having both black and green mana sources available. It’s not as flexible as cards with generic mana costs, which can make it tricky to play in decks that aren’t dedicated to these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the mana cost of Odious Trow may not seem exorbitant, it asks players to invest a moderate amount of resources for its abilities. In a game where efficiency is key, there may be alternative creatures or spells that provide greater value or impact on the board for a similar, if not lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include Odious Trow in Your Collection

Versatility: Odious Trow is a card that can seamlessly slot into various Green-based decks. Its low mana cost makes it an early game presence, able to apply pressure or serve as a quick blocker when necessary.

Combo Potential: This creature can synergize with strategies that capitalize on its regeneration ability. Pairing it with cards that benefit from creature survival or those that require creatures to tap can turn Odious Trow into a key component of a resilient combo setup.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where small, efficient creatures are vital, Odious Trow stands out. It can be particularly effective against decks that rely on damage-based removal, as its regeneration ability allows it to persist on the battlefield where other creatures might not.

How to beat

Odious Trow is a lesser-known creature card that may appear unassuming but can be surprisingly troublesome in the right deck. This creature embodies the adage that looks can be deceiving, making it essential to understand its strengths to effectively neutralize it. Its key abilities make up a straightforward synergy — regeneration coupled with a low casting cost, making it a resilient threat on the board.

To overcome Odious Trow, it’s critical to disrupt its regeneration ability. This can be done by using spells that exile or give creatures -1/-1, thus ensuring that Odious Trow can’t return to the battlefield. Focusing on non-damage-based removal ensures that its toughness is negated, which damage-based removal might not always guarantee. Additionally, spell-based strategies that counteract creatures can serve as an effective check against the Trow’s persistence.

Ultimately, the strategy to beat Odious Trow hinges on neutralizing its key feature — resilience. By employing removal that circumvents its regeneration or ensuring it cannot block effectively through evasion abilities, players can mitigate the annoyance this card presents and keep the game’s momentum in their favor.

Cards like Odious Trow

Odious Trow emerges as a unique contender in the realm of small-scale creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Reflecting on its kinship with other low-cost creatures, it shares a few attributes with the likes of Grizzly Bears, both featuring a power and toughness of 2/2. What propels Odious Trow ahead is its shadow ability, allowing it to slip past creatures without shadow to connect with opponents directly. Grizzly Bears, while reliable, doesn’t offer this tactical advantage.

Moving to a similar shadow wielder, Dauthi Slayer captures attention with the same evasion mechanic. It carries the shadow ability, ensuring it is unblockable as by creatures without shadow, much like Odious Trow. Dauthi Slayer, however, automatically attacks each turn if able, representing a relentless, albeit less flexible, assault strategy. In contrast, Odious Trow provides players with discretionary control over its offensive maneuvers.

Ultimately, when considering the strategic deployment of shadow creatures, Odious Trow stands out for its ability to offer undetected damage and playstyle flexibility. This sets it along a fine balance of offense and control, marking its territory within the vast landscape of MTG cards.

Cards similar to Odious Trow by color, type and mana cost

Elves of Deep Shadow - MTG Card versions

Valentin, Dean of the Vein // Lisette, Dean of the Root - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Odious Trow MTG card by a specific set like Eventide, 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 Odious Trow and other MTG cards: