Maro MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 12 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elemental
Power *
Toughness *

Key Takeaways

  1. Maro’s strength grows with hand size, becoming a potent force in battles when well-supported.
  2. Resource acceleration from Maro cards can propel players ahead by casting more spells rapidly.
  3. Instant speed flexibility allows strategic reactions, using maximum hand size for impactful moves.

Text of card

Maro has power and toughness each equal to the number of cards in your hand.

No two see the same Maro.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Maro cards historically offer players the ability to benefit from having a larger hand size, directly translating into more options and strategies at your disposal. With the right deck setup, a Maro card’s power and toughness can grow significantly, ensuring you have a formidable presence on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: In the realm of MTG, efficiently managing your pool of resources is key, and Maro cards are known for their synergy with strategies that swell a player’s hand size. This resource uptick allows players to cast more spells in a shorter amount of time, propelling them ahead of the opposition.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting at instant speed means Maro cards can surprise opponents by capitalizing on the maximum hand size at the end of an opponent’s turn. This allows players to keep their options open and react to the evolving game state, making strategic moves that can shift the tides in their favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Maro card stipulates that a player must discard their hand at the beginning of their upkeep, a significant drawback for those who rely on a variety of options to remain flexible during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Maro’s mana cost is locked into green, which may not blend seamlessly with all deck types, potentially restricting its inclusion to mono-green or specific multicolor combinations that can support the green mana requirement efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Maro’s power and toughness can be formidable, its initial investment demands a mana cost on the steeper end. In some scenarios, players could employ cards with lower mana costs that deliver immediate board impact or provide other forms of utility over the potential growth of Maro’s stats.


Reasons to Include Maro in Your Collection

Versatility: Maro’s strength lies in its ability to scale in power with the number of cards in your hand, making it a flexible addition to decks that prioritize large hand sizes.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in setups where drawing cards is key, seamlessly complementing strategies that revolve around hand size manipulation for winning conditions.

Meta-Relevance: Given that Maro can become a sizable threat on the board, it adapts well in environments where players are holding cards for responses or building up their hands, ensuring it remains a relevant choice across various metas.


How to beat

Maro is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, tying its power and toughness to the number of cards in your hand. Facing Maro on the battlefield can be tricky, but there are effective strategies to slice through its leafy defenses. First and foremost, disrupting your opponent’s hand size is key—cards that force your opponent to discard reduce Maro’s strength. Look towards cards like Thoughtseize or Liliana’s Caress to whittle down their hand, rendering Maro more manageable.

Moreover, direct removal spells bypass Maro’s variable size entirely. Hit it hard with unconditional removal like Path to Exile or Go for the Throat. In game play where countering creature spells is pivotal, make sure to have countering spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak ready—preventing Maro from entering the fray saves you the trouble of dealing with it later on.

Lastly, since Maro’s might fluctuates with hand size, ending your turns with fewer cards minimizes its potential threat. Utilize your instants or flash abilities during your opponent’s turn, essentially weakening Maro when it’s not your turn. Remember, with a well-timed strategy and the right spells, Maro’s bark is definitely worse than its bite.


Cards like Maro

The introduction of Maro to the MTG card library presents a unique dynamic in the creature card category. Much like Multani, Maro-Sorcerer, Maro’s power and toughness are determined by the number of cards in a player’s hand, reflecting the finesse of hand size management. However, while Multani also gains power and toughness from the hands of opponents, leading to potentially bigger numbers, Maro strictly relies on the user’s hand, empowering focused deck building and strategic play around card retention.

Comparing Maro to Psychosis Crawler reveals another angle of the hand-size reliance mechanic. The Crawler inflicts damage to opponents whenever you draw a card, unlike Maro, which offers a direct combat benefit. Nonetheless, it creates a persistent threat over the course of the game. Then we have Masumaro, First to Live, another creature that grows with your hand size. Although it doesn’t have the notoriety of Maro, it still offers robust scaling potential.

Overall, each card has its niche, but Maro’s simplicity and the possibility it presents for various playstyles secure its enduring appeal within the MTG community, harmonizing well with strategies that value hand size as a resource.

Multani, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Psychosis Crawler - MTG Card versions
Masumaro, First to Live - MTG Card versions
Multani, Maro-Sorcerer - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Psychosis Crawler - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Masumaro, First to Live - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Cards similar to Maro by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions
Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - MTG Card versions
Order of the Sacred Bell - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - Tenth Edition (10E)
Marsh Viper - The Dark (DRK)
Scarwood Bandits - The Dark (DRK)
Carnivorous Plant - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Erhnam Djinn - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
War Mammoth - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Aurochs - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Lhurgoyf - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Jackalope Herd - Exodus (EXO)
Golden Bear - Portal Second Age (P02)
Argothian Swine - Urza's Saga (USG)
Elvish Piper - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Erithizon - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Skyshroud Cutter - Nemesis (NEM)
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fungusaur - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Viridian Lorebearers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Monkey Monkey Monkey - Unhinged (UNH)
Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Order of the Sacred Bell - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Maro MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Classic Sixth Edition, 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 and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Maro Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 2020-03-08. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-10-08MirageMIR 2281997normalblackStuart Griffin
21999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2411997normalwhiteStuart Griffin
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 2561997normalwhitePete Venters
42001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 256★1997normalblackPete Venters
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 264★2003normalblackStuart Griffin
62003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2642003normalwhiteStuart Griffin
72005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 254★2003normalblackStuart Griffin
82005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 2542003normalwhiteStuart Griffin
92019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 7182015normalblackJesper Ejsing
102019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 7192015normalblackMark Rosewater
112020-03-08Mystery Booster Retail Edition FoilsFMB1 732003normalblackStuart Griffin
122020-09-26The ListPLST 8ED-2642003normalblackStuart Griffin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Maro has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Maro card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2004-10-04 Creatures are only put into a graveyard for having 0 toughness when state-based actions are checked. If Maro’s toughness goes to 0 during the announcement or resolution of a spell or ability and then goes back up above 0 before the end of that announcement or resolution, it won’t be put into your graveyard when state-based actions are checked.

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