Ill-Tempered Cyclops MTG Card

Its Monstrosity feature allows for strategic opportunistic growth during late-game scenarios. Casting complexity can lead to hand management challenges and may impact deck synergy. Excellent addition to a collection for its capability to become a game-changing force.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Cyclops
Abilities Monstrosity,Trample
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

Trample : Monstrosity 3. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put three +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.)

A cyclops has two moods: angry and asleep.

Cards like Ill-Tempered Cyclops

When sizing up the Ill-Tempered Cyclops in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, it’s important to look at its peers in the four-mana creatures bracket. This sturdy Cyclops boasts a stand-alone trample ability, likening it to the Rumbling Baloth, another creature that also treads the battlefield with a steadfast presence. Where the Ill-Tempered Cyclops is swingy due to its monstrosity ability, enabling its power increase and solidifying board presence, Rumbling Baloth remains static, a reliable but unmoving force.

The Leatherback Baloth, however, offers a different twist. While not featuring trample, it presents an impressive body of 4/5 for only three mana, offering a significant early game advantage. Despite the absence of an upgrade mechanism akin to monstrosity, Leatherback Baloth’s sheer size for cost makes it a formidable card in decks looking for raw efficiency.

Comparing these, it becomes clear that the trade-offs between immediate board impact versus potential for growth are pivotal in choosing the right behemoth for your deck. The Ill-Tempered Cyclops presents a blend of immediate presence and potential for growth, an asset for decks that can capitalize on timing and resource availability.

Rumbling Baloth - MTG Card versions
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions
Rumbling Baloth - MTG Card versions
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ill-Tempered Cyclops can be a notable contributor to Board Presence Advantage. Casting it increases your creature count and can pressure your opponent to answer, potentially wasting their removal spells and maintaining your hand size.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly impacting your mana pool, the strength of Ill-Tempered Cyclops lies in its Monstrosity feature which allows for a strategic enhancement during later stages of the game. This makes the Cyclops a larger threat without requiring additional cards from your hand.

Instant Speed: While the creature itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the monstrosity ability can be activated at instant speed. This allows for surprise changes in combat dynamics, turning a benign Cyclops into a formidable threat at a moment’s notice and catching an opponent off guard during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Ill-Tempered Cyclops doesn’t necessitate discarding directly, the need to manage your hand to accommodate its specific mana demands can lead to strategic discards that reduce overall hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands a significant amount of red mana, this creature can be challenging to play in multicolored decks that may not consistently generate the needed mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at four mana to summon and an additional three to maximize its potential, this Cyclops’s overall cost can be burdensome when considering the pacing and mana curve of your deck. More agile or efficient creatures might be favored to maintain tempo.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ill-Tempered Cyclops has the flexibility to serve as both an early blocker and a late-game threat. Its trample ability ensures it maintains relevance as the game progresses.

Combo Potential: With monstrosity, it potentially enlarges and gains strength, pairing well with cards that capitalize on large creatures or those which benefit from monstrous triggers.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where larger creatures can dominate the battlefield and where games go longer, Ill-Tempered Cyclops can be an effective curve topper, pressuring opponents with its substantial power boost from monstrosity.

How to beat

The Ill-Tempered Cyclops card poses a sturdy challenge with its brute strength on the field. Known for its considerable power and toughness, this creature can quickly become a menacing force for any opponent. The key to overcoming the Ill-Tempered Cyclops lies in its monstrosity ability – a feature that requires a significant mana investment to activate. Until then, it remains a vulnerable target.

Removal spells are your best allies against this formidable creature. Simple spells like Doom Blade or Murder can handle it before it becomes monstrous. In a pinch, combat tricks or pacifism effects also serve to neutralize it. Another strategy is to outpace it with faster, more aggressive decks, keeping the pressure high and not giving your opponent the chance to utilize its full potential. If the cyclops does become monstrous, chump blocking to buy time or using exile effects can prevent it from overwhelming you.

Ultimately, beating the Ill-Tempered Cyclops requires a blend of timely removal, strategic board control, and maintaining a quick pace in the game. By prioritizing these tactics, you can ensure the Ill-Tempered Cyclops doesn’t get the chance to unleash its full rage on the battlefield.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ill-Tempered Cyclops MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Ill-Tempered Cyclops and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Ill-Tempered Cyclops Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Peter Mohrbacher.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-09-27TherosTHS 1252003NormalBlackPeter Mohrbacher
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1662015NormalBlackPeter Mohrbacher
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9772015NormalBlackPeter Mohrbacher
42020-09-26The ListPLST CN2-1662015NormalBlackPeter Mohrbacher

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ill-Tempered Cyclops has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ill-Tempered Cyclops card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2013-09-15 An ability that triggers when a creature becomes monstrous won't trigger if that creature isn't on the battlefield when its monstrosity ability resolves.
2013-09-15 Monstrous isn't an ability that a creature has. It's just something true about that creature. If the creature stops being a creature or loses its abilities, it will continue to be monstrous.
2013-09-15 Once a creature becomes monstrous, it can't become monstrous again. If the creature is already monstrous when the monstrosity ability resolves, nothing happens.