Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination MTG Card
2011-09-24 - Number 64★
2011-09-30 - Number 64
2002-06-24 - Number 42874
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Lizard Horror |
| Abilities | Trample |
| Power | 13 |
| Toughness | 13 |
Key Takeaways
- The card’s growth offers card advantage and doesn’t diminish your hand when it becomes a 13/13 trample.
- Transformation at instant speed gives tactical leverage, creating unexpected challenges for your opponent.
- Despite drawbacks like high mana cost, Ludevic’s Abomination promises a dramatic game tempo shift.
Text of card
Trample
After several frustrating experiments, the visionary Ludevic realized he needed to create a monster that fed on torch-wielding mobs.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: This behemoth of a creature transforms from Ludevic’s Test Subject, granting you a significant on-board presence while effectively retaining the cards already invested in its creation. This leads to a net positive in your card economy, setting you up with a formidable threat without losing card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Ludevic’s Abomination gains trample once transformed, which allows you to accelerate the rate at which you deal damage to your opponent, potentially shortening the number of turns needed to win. While it doesn’t directly impact mana resources, the sheer presence of a 13/13 creature on the field can drastically accelerate the game’s tempo in your favor.
Instant Speed: The transformation from Ludevic’s Test Subject to Ludevic’s Abomination can be activated at instant speed, offering strategic flexibility. You have the ability to surprise an unknowing opponent by unveiling the Abomination at the most opportune moment, such as after they’ve declared attackers or in response to a spell that would have removed the Test Subject. This instant-speed trickery can swing games in your favor, catching opponents off guard and disrupting their plans.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ludevic’s Abomination comes with a hefty price of having to discard two cards. This can be particularly disadvantageous during late-game situations where your hand size may already be depleted, leaving you with fewer options to respond to your opponent’s moves.
Specific Mana Cost: The creature’s requirement for both blue and green mana limits its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both colors. If your mana base isn’t solidly built around these two colors, casting Ludevic’s Abomination can prove to be a challenge.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at seven mana to cast, Ludevic’s Abomination requires a substantial investment of resources. For this amount of mana, players might expect more immediate board impact, and there are alternatives in the same cost bracket that could potentially offer more impactful effects or less restrictive casting conditions.
Reasons to Include Ludevic’s Abomination in Your Collection
Versatility: Ludevic’s Abomination seamlessly integrates into a variety of blue-centric decks. Its transformation from Ludevic’s Test Subject provides a game-changing creature that can adapt to diverse board states.
Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with strategies that capitalize on flipping or bouncing creatures, pairing well with flicker effects to reset Ludevic’s Test Subject or strategies that benefit from large, inexpensive creatures.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where large blockers can be paramount, Ludevic’s Abomination stands out as a sizable threat that can dominate the battlefield and sway the matchup in your favor, especially when the opponent’s removal has been exhausted.
How to beat
Ludevic’s Abomination, also known in its initial form as Ludevic’s Test Subject, is a unique transform card that challenges MTG players with its ability to become a potent creature. Initially a defensive 0/3 for two mana, it grows with five incubation counters and eventually flips into a 13/13 trample, Ludevic’s Abomination. Despite its intimidating final form, there are effective strategies for dealing with it.
Interaction through instant-speed removal spells can prove invaluable against Ludevic’s Abomination. Since it requires counters to transform, countering the activation ability or removing the creature before it accumulates enough counters to flip is an effective tactic. Additionally, cards that prevent counter accumulation or remove them can stall or halt the transformation entirely. Should the Abomination hit the field, exile effects or spells that tuck the creature back into the owner’s library circumvents the trample threat while bypassing its regeneration capability. In essence, dealing with this card is a matter of timing and choosing the right removal strategy to address the beast before or directly after it transforms.
In summary, overcoming Ludevic’s Abomination indeed lives up to the strategic depth of MTG, where pinpoint timing and savvy card choice are key to victory.
Cards like Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination
In the vast catalog of Magic: The Gathering, Ludevic’s Abomination stands out among transforming creatures. This monstrosity is akin to other flip cards within the Innistrad block like Delver of Secrets, which starts as a modest creature and evolves into a formidable threat. Unlike Ludevic’s Abomination, which requires a wealth of seven creature cards in your graveyard to transform, Delver of Secrets has the simplicity of requiring just an instant or sorcery reveal to become Insectile Aberration, a potent flying creature.
Morphing from Ludevic’s Test Subject, the five-mana cost Abomination is reminiscent of the mechanic seen in cards like Thing in the Ice. Although it requires specific conditions to flip, once transformed, it becomes a powerhouse with 13/13 stats. Thing in the Ice, with its cheaper casting cost, turns into Awoken Horror after casting four spells, resetting the board with its bounce effect and offering a strategic position in the game. Despite having smaller stats post-transformation, it compensates with an impactful board presence.
Both cards add strategy and surprise to the match, but Ludevic’s Abomination captivates players with the sheer scale of its transformation, making it a unique and thrilling inclusion in decks geared towards graveyard manipulation and late-game dominance.
Cards similar to Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad Promos, 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 Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
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- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2011-09-24 and 2011-09-30. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 42874 | 2003 | Transform | Black | Karl Kopinski | ||
| 2 | 2011-09-24 | Innistrad Promos | PISD | 64★ | 2003 | Transform | Black | Karl Kopinski | |
| 3 | 2011-09-30 | Innistrad | ISD | 64 | 2003 | Transform | Black | Nils Hamm |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-07-13 | For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics). |