Puffer Extract MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Number	310
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Heather Hudson

Key Takeaways

Puffer Extract provides card advantage and resource acceleration, enhancing player momentum and strategy execution.
Its instant speed casting allows for versatile responses and strategic advantage during critical gameplay moments.
While powerful, Puffer Extract requires careful hand management due to its discard cost and specific mana requirements.

Text of card

o X, oc T: Target creature you control gets +X/+X until end of turn. Destroy it at end of turn.

The puffer's flesh is the deadliest in the sea—and therefore the most useful.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Puffer Extract grants you an edge by providing access to extra cards, integral for keeping momentum in play.

Resource Acceleration: This card effectively generates additional mana resources, which are crucial for executing your strategy more swiftly than your adversary.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Puffer Extract at instant speed offers the strategic advantage of adapting to unfolding game states, enabling you to respond to your opponent’s actions with precision.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When playing Puffer Extract, discarding a card is part of its additional cost to cast. This can be particularly detrimental during gameplay when your hand is already depleted, forcing you to make difficult decisions about resource management and potentially losing valuable cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Puffer Extract has a specific mana cost that includes blue, which is not always easily splashed into all deck types. This can restrict its playability to mostly blue-centered decks or those that can afford to accommodate its color requirement through a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for Puffer Extract may be considered high in relation to its effects on the game. Other MTG cards at a similar or lower cost bracket could provide more impactful benefits or interactions, which might overshadow the usefulness of Puffer Extract in a competitive deck build.

Reasons to Include Puffer Extract in Your Collection

Versatility: Puffer Extract can be a valuable addition to numerous deck archetypes given its utility in manipulating creature stats. Whether you’re buffing your own creatures or diminishing your opponent’s, this card offers various strategic plays.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that hinge on life totals, creature size, or sacrifice mechanics. It’s an asset for initiating combos or interacting with other cards that capitalize on life point adjustments or counters.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely on creature combat, Puffer Extract can act as a deterrent or a combat trick. Its ability to alter outcomes on the battlefield can make it a decent sideboard option or even a mainstay in certain deck builds.

How to beat

Puffer Extract is a unique card that challenges MTG players to rethink their approach to the battlefield. To effectively counteract this card, one must understand its strengths within creature-focused strategies. It excels in decks that aim to utilize creatures as a resource, allowing advantageous exchanges and board control. In facing Puffer Extract, it is crucial to limit the availability of expendable creatures your opponent can use to their benefit.

Removal spells that bypass death-triggered abilities offer an effective method to deal with Puffer Extract. By leveraging instant-speed removals or exile effects, players can ensure that the Extract’s ability is nullified. Additionally, incorporating graveyard interaction within your strategy can further disrupt the potency of Puffer Extract. Cards that can shuffle the graveyard back into the library or remove specific cards from the graveyard, can be advantageous when Puffer Extract’s activation is slated.

Players should also be mindful of the importance of timing when playing against Puffer Extract. Well-timed counterspells and strategic planning of one’s own creature deployment can mitigate the impact of this card’s ability. Overall, with the right strategy and card choices, you can successfully navigate the waters against Puffer Extract.

Cards like Puffer Extract

Puffer Extract is a unique piece within the realm of Magic: The Gathering, especially when considering its defensive abilities. Comparable cards often include subtle yet important differences that mark their place in a player’s deck. For instance, the card Fog banks on entirely negating combat damage for a turn without requiring any resource sacrifice, while Puffer Extract demands a mana investment for its effect.

Looking at another similar card, Safe Passage not only prevents all damage that would be dealt to creatures you control but also to you for a single turn, again without additional costs post-casting. Ethereal Haze follows the same path, with the twist of preventing all combat damage for one turn at an even lower casting cost. Unlike Puffer Extract, these alternatives offer broader protection without a resource sacrifice.

Each card has its situational advantages, with Puffer Extract providing a repeatable effect that can align well with certain strategical setups. Thus, within this space of damage prevention and combat control, Puffer Extract holds its ground with its unique cost and effect balance,

Cards similar to Puffer Extract by color, type and mana cost

The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Puffer Extract MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Puffer Extract and other MTG cards: