Rumbling Slum MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elemental
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Rumbling Slum delivers steady damage, pressuring foes and shaping their tactical responses to survive.
  2. Its damage output is akin to resource acceleration, freeing up mana and cards for other uses.
  3. While potent, the Slum’s mana specificity and cost may limit its flexibility in diverse decks.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, Rumbling Slum deals 1 damage to each player.

The Orzhov contract the Izzet to animate slum districts and banish them to the wastes. The Gruul adopt them and send them back to the city for vengeance.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rumbling Slum holds a unique position in card advantage, as it provides continuous damage to each opponent at the beginning of your upkeep. This steady pressure can often disrupt your opponents’ strategy, compelling them to deal with it or potentially face a loss from the accumulating damage.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly affecting resources, Rumbling Slum’s consistent damage output can function as a form of resource acceleration. It effectively reduces the need for additional spells or attacks to whittle down your opponents’ life totals, freeing up your mana and cards for other strategic plays.

Instant Speed: Despite Rumbling Slum not being an instant itself, its consistent damage output can have a similar impact to instant-speed interactions. It places opponents under pressure to act quickly, often forcing them to use their instant speed removal on their turn to avoid the automatic damage, thus potentially leaving them vulnerable to your other plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Magic enthusiasts know that card advantage is crucial. Rumbling Slum, unfortunately, doesn’t directly affect your hand by drawing or discarding cards, potentially making it less impactful in long, drawn-out matches where every card in hand can count for strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Rumbling Slum’s multicolored mana cost requires both green and red sources. This specificity can make the card challenging to cast in a timely manner, especially in formats or decks that don’t reliably produce both types of mana early in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost of four, Rumbling Slum enters the battlefield later compared to other creatures that could be played sooner for immediate board presence or effects. In formats where pace is key, its cost may hinder its playability in favor of faster, more efficient creatures.


Reasons to Include Rumbling Slum in Your Collection

Versatility: Rumbling Slum is a flexible card capable of sliding into various deck archetypes. It thrives in Gruul decks (red/green) that leverage beefy creatures and can act as a relentless damage source even without attacking.

Combo Potential: With the right lineup of landfall abilities or other damage amplifiers, Rumbling Slum can become a cornerstone in a combo-centric build. Its consistent damage output each upkeep can also synergize with persist or undying mechanics for added value.

Meta-Relevance: As the play environment shifts, a relentless damage dealer like Rumbling Slum can adapt. In a meta with decks that rely on setting up complex board states, the Slum’s guaranteed damage output pressures opponents to find answers quickly.


How to beat

Rumbling Slum presents a firm challenge on the battlefield due to its constant damage output each turn. As a creature card equipped with the potential to deal damage to each player during your upkeep, it demands a timely response. To effectively counter this card, traditional creature removal spells like Murder or Path to Exile can be efficient solutions, swiftly removing it from play without accruing too much damage.

Another strategy involves utilizing board wipe cards such as Wrath of God or Damnation to clear the board of all creatures, including Rumbling Slum. Additionally, enchantments that prevent damage, like Solitary Confinement, can be instrumental in negating the damage dealt by Rumbling Slum each turn. Ultimately, maintaining control over the battlefield with removals, board wipes, or damage negation is key to overcoming the persevering threat that Rumbling Slum poses in Magic: The Gathering.


Understanding Rumbling Slum

Rumbling Slum is a powerful presence on the battlefield, reminiscent of other creatures in MTG that offer substantial impact for their mana cost. As a 5/5 creature for four mana, it fits snugly into the niche of cost-efficient beaters. Its unconditional damage ability at the beginning of your upkeep guarantees a steady clock, applying pressure to opponents much like the clockwork consistency of cards such as Havoc Festival.

Cards like Rumbling Slum

Rumbling Slum stands out in a crowd of MTG creature cards for its unique combination of size, cost, and automatic damage output. Comparable to the card Avalanche Riders, which provides immediate disruption upon entry but demands a mana investment to maintain on the battlefield, Rumbling Slum instead offers a persistent danger that doesn’t require further mana once cast. Another parallel might be drawn with Obsidian Fireheart, which also leaves a lasting impression on the game state with its blaze counters, but unlike the Fireheart, Rumbling Slum doesn’t require additional investment to start dealing damage.

Yet another similar card is Inferno Titan, which allows for immediate damage distribution when it enters the battlefield or attacks, providing an instant impact compared to the Slum’s delayed but consistent damage output. However, the Titan comes with a notably higher mana cost, making Rumbling Slum a more accessible option for players running a deck that leans towards a lower curve.

In weighing the advantages between Rumbling Slum and its kin, it’s evident that the Slum brings a reliable and self-sufficient threat to any deck capable of harnessing its power, making it a card worth considering for any MTG player looking for a steady force in their creature lineup.

Havoc Festival - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions
Obsidian Fireheart - MTG Card versions
Inferno Titan - MTG Card versions
Havoc Festival - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Avalanche Riders - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Obsidian Fireheart - Zendikar (ZEN)
Inferno Titan - Magic 2011 (M11)

Cards similar to Rumbling Slum by color, type and mana cost

Tuknir Deathlock - MTG Card versions
Jungle Patrol - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Kavu - MTG Card versions
Voracious Cobra - MTG Card versions
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade - MTG Card versions
Goblin Clearcutter - MTG Card versions
Giant Solifuge - MTG Card versions
Gruul Scrapper - MTG Card versions
Yule Ooze - MTG Card versions
Hellkite Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Rhox Brute - MTG Card versions
Bloodbraid Elf - MTG Card versions
Spellbreaker Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells - MTG Card versions
Thorn-Thrash Viashino - MTG Card versions
Polis Crusher - MTG Card versions
Kird Chieftain - MTG Card versions
Mina and Denn, Wildborn - MTG Card versions
Tana, the Bloodsower - MTG Card versions
Raging Regisaur - MTG Card versions
Tuknir Deathlock - Legends (LEG)
Jungle Patrol - Mirage (MIR)
Yavimaya Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Voracious Cobra - Invasion (INV)
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade - Neon Dynasty Commander (NEC)
Goblin Clearcutter - Legions (LGN)
Giant Solifuge - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Gruul Scrapper - Guildpact (GPT)
Yule Ooze - Happy Holidays (HHO)
Hellkite Hatchling - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
Rhox Brute - Battlebond (BBD)
Bloodbraid Elf - Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown Kit (SLC)
Spellbreaker Behemoth - Commander 2013 (C13)
Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Thorn-Thrash Viashino - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
Polis Crusher - Theros (THS)
Kird Chieftain - Magic 2015 (M15)
Mina and Denn, Wildborn - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
Tana, the Bloodsower - Commander Legends (CMR)
Raging Regisaur - Jumpstart (JMP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rumbling Slum MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact and Planechase, 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 Rumbling Slum and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rumbling Slum Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-02-03 and 2019-02-15. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-02-03GuildpactGPT 1262003normalblackCarl Critchlow
22009-09-04PlanechaseHOP 932003normalblackCarl Critchlow
32019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 962015normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rumbling Slum has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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