Coal Golem MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Golem
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Coal Golem generates card and resource advantages, crucial for strategic maneuvers in MTG.
  2. The card’s instant speed utility grants players significant reactive prowess during matches.
  3. Coal Golem’s rigid mana cost and card discarding drawback pose deck-building challenges.

Text of card

o3: Sacrifice Coal Golem to add o Ro Ro R to your mana pool. This ability is played as an interrupt.

"Three such creatures stood burning at the crest of the hill. Only seconds later, the Fireball struck our front line." —Lydia, Countess Brellis


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The ability of the Coal Golem to potentially alter the tide of a match cannot be understated. This card provides the player with a solid advantage, replenishing their hand and giving them more options for subsequent plays.

Resource Acceleration: The inclusion of this card in a deck results in notable resource acceleration. By effectively managing resources, players can deploy larger threats or enable multi-card combos earlier than usual, putting opponents on the defensive.

Instant Speed: The inherent benefit of instant speed interactions that come with the Coal Golem card offers players tactical flexibility. The option to react swiftly to incoming threats, or to capitalize on the end of an opponent’s turn, is undeniably valuable in the dynamic environment of a game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Coal Golem often comes at the steep price of having to discard a card, leaving you at a potential card disadvantage, especially if you’re already under pressure and have a dwindling hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Coal Golem demands a rigid mana investment, needing both generic and black mana to play. This restricts its inclusion to decks that can consistently provide the necessary black mana, potentially bottlenecking your deck-building options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost on the higher end for what it offers, there are more mana-efficient creatures and spells that fulfill similar roles in your deck. This could result in Coal Golem being overshadowed in a competitive environment where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Coal Golem can adapt to a variety of deck strategies, as it offers a distinct mana advantage under the right circumstances. It enables diverse plays and can surprise opponents who might not see its potential coming.

Combo Potential: With the ability to untap and provide colorless mana, Coal Golem can become an integral piece of intricate combo setups. Its ability to accelerate your board state by enabling powerful spells or effects earlier than usual can tip the scales in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given its affinity with artifact and ramp strategies, Coal Golem can hold its own in many current competitive formats. Against decks that may not always be prepared for ramp tactics, it poses a subtle yet impactful threat that could give you the upper hand.


How to beat Coal Golem

Coal Golem is a unique artifact creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering an atypical and restricted ramp ability. Players aiming to tackle the challenge posed by Coal Golem must understand its principal ability: the power to garner an additional three mana, but only under the conditions of being utilized for artifact spells or activated abilities of artifacts. How does one navigate the rocky terrains against this mechanical monstrosity?

Firstly, keep in mind that artifact removal spells such as Abrade or Naturalize provide a straightforward solution. They dismantle the threat of Coal Golem before your opponent can exploit its mana-generating capacity. Secondly, countering its casting is an efficient strategy, with spells like Negate or Disdainful Stroke. Lastly, as Coal Golem requires other artifacts to optimize its utility, attacking the support system by targeting your opponent’s artifact synergy can significantly decrease Coal Golem’s threat level. In essence, focusing on disrupting artifact-centric strategies will lead to a favorable outcome when facing off against this sturdy golem.


Cards like Coal Golem

Coal Golem is an intriguing creature card in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. When looking at similar cards, Iron Myr stands out as a fellow artifact creature with the ability to tap for additional mana, specifically red mana. Both cards have their own merits for ramping up your mana supply, but the Coal Golem brings its own unique flavor to the table.

Moreover, Palladium Myr is another artifact creature that resembles Coal Golem in its mana-generating capabilities. Although it costs more to play, Palladium Myr provides a more substantial mana boost by tapping for two colorless mana. Despite this advantage, the Coal Golem’s lower casting cost makes it a viable alternative for a quick mana ramp in the early game.

Assessing these options reveals Coal Golem’s place within its card cluster. It might not have the higher yield of Palladium Myr, but its affordability and straightforward utility make it a notable choice for players seeking to enhance their mana curve in the game’s initial stages.

Iron Myr - MTG Card versions
Palladium Myr - MTG Card versions
Iron Myr - Mirrodin (MRD)
Palladium Myr - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Cards similar to Coal Golem by color, type and mana cost

Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty - MTG Card versions
Saberclaw Golem - MTG Card versions
Slash Panther - MTG Card versions
Rage Extractor - MTG Card versions
Pyromancer's Goggles - MTG Card versions
Arcbound Slasher - MTG Card versions
Knight Rampager - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Slicer, Hired Muscle // Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist - MTG Card versions
Dragonwing Glider - MTG Card versions
Hexplate Wallbreaker - MTG Card versions
Ramosian Greatsword - MTG Card versions
Magmatic Galleon - MTG Card versions
Goldfury Strider - MTG Card versions
The Motherlode, Excavator - MTG Card versions
Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Saberclaw Golem - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Slash Panther - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Rage Extractor - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Pyromancer's Goggles - Commander 2021 (C21)
Arcbound Slasher - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Knight Rampager - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Mishra's Juggernaut - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Slicer, Hired Muscle // Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist - Transformers (BOT)
Dragonwing Glider - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos (PONE)
Hexplate Wallbreaker - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander (ONC)
Ramosian Greatsword - March of the Machine (MOM)
Magmatic Galleon - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Promos (PLCI)
Goldfury Strider - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
The Motherlode, Excavator - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Coal Golem MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Masters Edition III, 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 Coal Golem and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Coal Golem Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Christopher Rush.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-08-01The DarkDRK 991993normalblackChristopher Rush
22009-09-07Masters Edition IIIME3 1931997normalblackChristopher Rush

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Coal Golem has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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