Greater Mossdog MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 169
2012-09-07 - Number 59
2013-06-07 - Number 146
2020-03-08 - Number 69
2024-01-12 - Number 145
2020-09-26 - Number MMA-146
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Plant Dog |
| Abilities | Dredge,Mill |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly three cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
Man's best fungus.
Cards like Greater Mossdog
Greater Mossdog is a solid creature card that finds its place in Magic: The Gathering decks focused on graveyard strategies. Its primary attribute, the dredge mechanic, allows players to replace their normal draw with the option to return Greater Mossdog from the graveyard to their hand by milling cards from the top of their library. This unique ability is also found in cards like Golgari Thug, which offers a lower dredge number, enabling more controlled graveyard manipulation, albeit as a less substantial creature on the battlefield.
Dakmor Salvage shares this dredge mechanism, doubling as a land card with the potential to repeatedly ensure land drops or fuel graveyard synergies. While not a creature, it does provide flexibility in deck building. On the other hand, Stinkweed Imp boasts a higher dredge number, making it an aggressive graveyard filler and an excellent defender with its deathtouch ability, although it demands caution due to its potential to quickly deplete a library.
Each of these similar cards caters to different aspects of the dredge strategy, but Greater Mossdog balances the act between being a respectable creature and a reliable dredge card, making it a versatile choice for players who want to leverage their graveyard in MTG.
Cards similar to Greater Mossdog by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When you’re seeking to bolster your deck’s efficiency, Greater Mossdog offers a subtle edge. Its dredge feature allows players to replace a draw with the retrieval of this card from the graveyard, ensuring a constant presence on the field and in hand, and thereby preserving precious card resources.
Resource Acceleration: While the Greater Mossdog itself doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration, its dredge ability can be a strategic component in graveyard-based decks. It ensures that land cards and other crucial resources are cycled back into the game, setting the stage for powerful plays and synergies.
Instant Speed: Even though the card operates at sorcery speed, its synergies with instant-speed interactions cannot be overlooked. By utilizing the graveyard as an extended hand, you maintain the potential to surprise your opponent with unexpected spells and effects that can change the course of the game in an instant.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The dredge mechanic allows you to replace a normal draw with pulling the Greater Mossdog from your graveyard, but this comes at the cost of discarding cards from the top of your library. This requirement can hinder your gameplay if you discard key cards needed for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both green and colorless mana, the Greater Mossdog can sometimes be challenging to cast in multi-colored decks. This particular mana cost might not always align well with the mana base, especially in decks that run three or more colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana for a 3/3 creature, Greater Mossdog might be considered mana-inefficient compared to other creatures in the format that could provide greater impact and value for a similar, if not lower, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Greater Mossdog in Your Collection
Versatility: Greater Mossdog is a multifaceted card that can be slotted into various deck types, particularly those that capitalize on graveyard synergy. Its inclusion in dredge decks aids in stocking the graveyard with strategic options.
Combo Potential: With the dredge mechanic, this card can become a recurring element in synergistic plays, enhancing strategies that interact with graveyard resources and recurring abilities.
Meta-Relevance: As gameplay evolves, Greater Mossdog remains pertinent, particularly in environments where graveyard manipulation is a decisive factor. Its ability to dredge allows players to keep their graveyard stocked, a tactic that can be key against control decks and in enabling combo setups.
How to Beat Greater Mossdog
In the realms of Magic: The Gathering, navigating through an opponent’s defenses often involves strategic plays and countermeasures. When facing the Greater Mossdog, a card from the Ravnica set, it’s important to recognize it for its key feature – dredge. This card may not initially seem imposing, but its ability to replace a draw and pull itself from the graveyard can be a subtle thorn in your strategy.
To undermine the Greater Mossdog’s potential, instant-speed removal spells are highly effective. These can ensure the creature hits the graveyard without getting the chance to use its dredge ability. Graveyard hate cards that exile or shuffle the graveyard into the library can also negate the benefits of dredge. Furthermore, implementing evasive creatures or those with protection from green can bypass the Mossdog entirely, creating opportunities to press an offense and evade the recursive nature of dredge. Lastly, keeping in mind the four mana investment required for the Greater Mossdog can sometimes work in your favor, as it may slow down your opponent enough for you to establish a commanding lead on the board.
Ultimately, dealing with the Greater Mossdog involves a proactive approach, utilizing removals, graveyard disruption, and evasion tactics to gain the upper hand and corner the strategic advantage this persistent creature might otherwise grant to an opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Greater Mossdog MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari, 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 Greater Mossdog 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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Printings
The Greater Mossdog Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Chippy.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 169 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chippy | |
| 2 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 59 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chippy | |
| 3 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 146 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chippy | |
| 4 | 2020-03-08 | Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils | FMB1 | 69 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chippy | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | MMA-146 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Chippy | ||
| 6 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 145 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chippy |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Greater Mossdog has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Greater Mossdog card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-06-07 | Dredge lets you replace any card draw, not just the one during your draw step. |
| 2013-06-07 | Once you decide to replace a draw using a card’s dredge ability, that card can’t be removed from your graveyard “in response.” (Replacement effects don’t use the stack.) |
| 2013-06-07 | You can’t use dredge unless you’re going to draw a card and the card with dredge is already in your graveyard. |