Stuffed Bear MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 259
2022-01-28 - Number 259
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact |
Key Takeaways
- Stuffed Bear provides card advantage and enhances board presence through transformation abilities.
- Its instant speed activation allows strategic play, adjusting mid-game to opponents’ actions.
- Despite some cons, the card’s potential makes it a tactical asset in various deck types.
Text of card
: Stuffed Bear becomes a 4/4 green Bear artifact creature until end of turn.
It takes a taxidermist of unusual skill to cleanly stuff and mount a beast without severing its primal, predatory drive.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: In the realm of MTG, maintaining a steady flow of resources is key to victory, and Stuffed Bear delivers in this aspect. Not only does it serve as a reliable creature on the field, but its ability to potentially morph into a more powerful creature can pressure opponents and enhance your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: The Stuffed Bear card might go unnoticed at first glance, but savvy players recognize its potential to accelerate resources. When Stuffed Bear transforms, it can provide a substantial boost, helping you unleash powerful spells and creatures earlier in the game than normally possible.
Instant Speed: One of the most strategic elements of Stuffed Bear is its activation at instant speed. This flexibility allows players to adapt their tactics in response to their opponent’s moves. Transforming Stuffed Bear at the perfect moment can shift the tide of the game, catching an adversary off guard and providing a creature ready to attack or block when least expected.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of the Stuffed Bear card is the necessity to discard another card in order to activate certain abilities. This can unintentionally deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses and putting you at a potential disadvantage if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The Stuffed Bear card requires a specific mana type to cast. This can pose a restriction because it may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks or those that rely on a different mana base. This limitation requires careful deck building to ensure that the mana needed to play this card is readily available when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the effectiveness of the Stuffed Bear card, players will notice its relatively high mana cost concerning its abilities. This can be particularly challenging during early game development when players need to utilize their mana efficiently. There are other cards within the game that potentially offer more impactful abilities or creatures for a lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Stuffed Bear in Your Collection
Versatility: Stuffed Bear is a unique card that can be included in a variety of deck archetypes. As an artifact creature, it fit well both with strategies focusing on artifact synergies and those that require a creature presence on the battlefield, offering flexibility to your game plan.
Combo Potential: This card is ripe for combo potential with its ability to transform into a creature. It can be used with cards that untap creatures for multiple activations or with mechanics that benefit from turning a non-creature artifact into a creature briefly, thus enabling surprise blocks or unexpected damage.
Meta-Relevance: Depending on the current meta, Stuffed Bear could serve as an efficient tool against decks that struggle to deal with artifacts or as a low-cost way to maintain board presence during early stages of the game, making it a valuable addition for proactive gameplays.
How to beat
Stuffed Bear may seem like an unassuming card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, but it holds its own niche on the battlefield. As an artifact creature, Stuffed Bear can catch opponents off guard by transforming from an inanimate object into a creature. While it may not be the most overpowering creature card you’ll come across, understanding how to neutralize it can be crucial in certain matchups.
One effective strategy to overcome Stuffed Bear is to utilize artifact removal spells that can directly address the threat before it becomes animated. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant offer a straightforward solution by destroying the artifact, preventing it from ever becoming a blocker or attacker. Another tactic involves timing your removal spells for when Stuffed Bear is activated as a creature. At that point, it’s susceptible to broader removal spells, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can exile or destroy the creature without any fuss.
Remember, Stuffed Bear requires mana to activate its creature ability, so another strategy is to keep pressure on your opponent’s mana resources. Denying them the chance to utilize their mana can render the Stuffed Bear useless. Acknowledging this card’s strengths and weaknesses plus being prepared with the right countermeasures are key components in mastering how to beat Stuffed Bear in a game of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Stuffed Bear
Stuffed Bear stands out as a unique artifact creature in Magic: The Gathering, inviting comparisons with other cards that bring notable utility to the battlefield. Similar to Stuffed Bear, Guardian Idol is another artifact that can become a creature. While that Idol taps for mana while it’s not a creature, Stuffed Bear can only transform under specific conditions, offering tactical versatility during your plays.
Phyrexian Totem also hedges into similar territory. Like Stuffed Bear, it comes alive under certain conditions and turns into a creature, albeit one with different abilities and power levels. Moreover, the Totem has the advantage of acting as a mana source even while it remains an inanimate artifact. But Stuffed Bear’s lower activation cost offers a shortcut to getting a blocker or attacker on the board swiftly.
Evaluating these options, it’s clear that Stuffed Bear carves out its own niche. With an economical activation cost and the potential surprise factor of turning a seemingly harmless artifact into a creature, it adds a level of unpredictability and strategic depth to gameplay in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Stuffed Bear by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stuffed Bear MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Stuffed Bear and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Stuffed Bear Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Joe Slucher.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 259 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joe Slucher | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 259 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Joe Slucher |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stuffed Bear has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
