Maro Avatar MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	2003-01-01
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Online Avatars
Set code	PMOA
Number	52
Frame	2015
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	UDON

Key Takeaways

Maro Avatar scales in power with your hand size, promoting larger hand strategies for dominance.
Instant speed play allows Maro Avatar to disrupt opponents, making it a versatile threat.
Card requires discarding and has a high mana cost, potentially slowing down your tempo.

Text of card

Tap an untapped creature you control, Discard a card: Target creature you control gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing a Maro Avatar can greatly influence the balance of power in your favor. Known for their ability to scale with game conditions, especially with the number of cards in hand, this card can become a formidable force on the battlefield that additionally helps you maintain an edge in hand size.

Resource Acceleration: Maro Avatar’s presence often encourages deck strategies that bolster your mana supply. Whether through lands or other forms of resource generation, the Avatar thrives on a robust mana base, thus propelling your ability to deploy game-changing spells earlier than expected.

Instant Speed: The versatility that instant speed spells provide cannot be overstated, and when employed wisely, an instant-speed Maro Avatar can disrupt your opponent’s strategy. This enables strategic plays that can adapt to rapidly changing game states, keeping your opponents on their toes and allowing you to respond decisively to threats or opportunities.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Maro Avatar demands players to discard another card to unleash its full potential. This can deplete your hand quickly, posing a challenge if you need various options during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost is strictly green, which can be restrictive. Players running multicolor decks may struggle to meet the cost without compromising their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value on the higher end, Maro Avatar might not be the most mana-efficient creature to deploy. In fast-paced games, its casting cost can put players at a noticeable tempo disadvantage.

Reasons to Include Maro Avatar in Your Collection

Versatility: Maro Avatar brings a unique flexibility to green decks, adapting its power and toughness to the number of cards in your hand, making it a formidable creature in strategies that maintain a healthy card pool.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergistic environments, where its stats can be significantly amplified by effects that increase hand size or benefit from having a large creature on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that values large creatures and card advantage, Maro Avatar can be a key player, capable of both defending against threats and delivering decisive blows against opponents.

How to beat

The Maro Avatar is a unique challenge in the world of MTG, known for its special connection to the size of your hand. For players facing this formidable card, the strategy shifts towards minimizing your own hand size while controlling the opponent’s hand. Tactical use of discard effects can be particularly effective here. Consider leveraging cards like Thoughtseize or Duress to strip away key cards and reduce the Avatar’s power.

Another angle is to attack the opponent’s ability to draw. Cards like Narset, Parter of Veils prevent players from drawing more than one card per turn, directly impacting Maro Avatar’s strength. Additionally, strategies that encourage both players to play with the top card of their library revealed, such as using Oracle of Mul Daya, can sidestep hand-based mechanics altogether.

Ultimately, to dismantle the power of Maro Avatar, one must focus on creating a low-card state across the board. By doing so, not only do you neutralize the Avatar’s advantage, but you also set up a game condition where your tailored tactics can thrive, outmaneuvering the opponent’s expected hand-reliant game plan.

Cards like Maro Avatar

Maro Avatar is a unique creature card that stands out for its dynamically scaling power and toughness, which are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. Cards that mirror this design philosophy include Masumaro, First to Live which also grows in strength and defense with hand size. However, Maro Avatar has the potential for immediate impact thanks to its ‘no maximum hand size’ ability, contrasting with Masumaro that doesn’t offer such hand size flexibility.

Another similar card is Aeon Chronicler, a creature whose might is tied to hand size and has the added utility of card draw with its suspend mechanic. Unlike Maro Avatar, Aeon Chronicler’s entry onto the battlefield can be delayed but can also subtly boost its power through its drawing ability. Then there’s Library of Leng, a non-creature card that lets you skip the discard step, much like the Maro Avatar’s hand size ability, indirectly influencing creature stats.

Evaluating these cards alongside Maro Avatar reveals the strategic depth each card offers in terms of hand size management and the varied ways they can influence your playing style and board presence in a game of Magic: The Gathering.

Masumaro, First to Live - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Maro Avatar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Avatars, 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 Maro Avatar and other MTG cards: