Monstrous Step MTG Card


Monstrous Step offers board control by making creatures nearly unstoppable, leading to significant advantage swings. The card demands a strategic deck composition due to specific mana costs and the potential for resource setback. Its place in a collection is justified by the meta relevance and its power to alter combat dynamics profoundly.
Monstrous Step - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cycling
Released2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set nameIkoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set codeIKO
Number166
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byChris Seaman

Text of card

Target creature gets +7/+7 until end of turn. Up to one other target creature blocks it this turn if able. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Life is best taken one step at a time.


Cards like Monstrous Step

Monstrous Step carves out its niche within the suite of green sorceries that focus on creature enhancement in Magic: The Gathering. A parallel can be drawn with cards such as Larger than Life, which also grants a considerable power boost and trample to a creature. However, Monstrous Step separates itself with its ability to make a creature nearly unblockable by smaller creatures that turn by requiring they possess greater power to block. Larger than Life lacks this intimidating condition but costs less mana.

Comparisons can also be made with the likes of Rabid Bite. While not a direct buff, this spell allows a creature to deal damage equal to its power to another target creature, acting as a form of attack enhancement. It’s more limited in the sense that it doesn’t increase power or grant trample, whereas Monstrous Step directly increases the threat level of a creature on the battlefield.

Overall, Monstrous Step stands out for enabling aggressive plays and offering a potential game-ending move in formats where overwhelming the opponent with a single colossal creature is viable. Its unique blend of power boost and evasion-enabling puts it in a distinct spot among green spells.

Rabid Bite - MTG Card versions
Rabid Bite - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Monstrous Step can be a game-changer by enabling a substantial swing in board presence. This card allows your creature to not only become a massive threat but potentially clears the path of chump blockers. This can lead to overwhelming card advantage if it results in taking out key enemy creatures and scoring direct damage.

Resource Acceleration: Monstrous Step doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense of Mana generation, yet the ability to push through damage can accelerate your win condition, effectively outpacing the opponent’s resource management.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Monstrous Step at instant speed offers tremendous strategic flexibility. This not only catches opponents off-guard during combat scenarios but can also serve as a pseudo-counter to removals or during end-of-turn plays, keeping your plan hidden until the last possible moment which can be crucial for in-game tactics.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Monstrous Step necessitates sacrificing a nonland permanent when you cast it with its cycling ability. If you’re short on permanents, this can set you back and disrupt your board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: With a demand of one green and five other mana, Monstrous Step’s specific mana cost can be restrictive for multicolored decks. It may not always fit seamlessly into the mana curve, particularly in a deck that isn’t heavily focused on green.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at a total of six mana, it’s a card that requires a significant investment. For such an investment, other cards could provide a more immediate or impactful effect, making Monstrous Step a less appealing option when considering deck efficiency and optimization.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Monstrous Step is a flexible addition to green decks capable of creating explosive turns. It can be a game-changer in both aggressive and midrange strategies by allowing creatures to avoid blockers and connect with your opponent directly.

Combo Potential: Monstrous Step has synergy with effects that trigger upon creatures dealing combat damage, enabling various interactions that can draw cards, create tokens, or disrupt opponent’s plans by leveraging its ability to make a creature nearly unblockable for a turn.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where blockers stall out the board, Monstrous Step powers through stalled positions. Its utility in overcoming defensive line-ups makes it pertinent, especially in environments where reaching the opponent directly can be decisive.


How to beat

Monstrous Step presents itself as a formidable spell that can pose a significant threat to the unprepared player. Within the MTG universe, it can totally overshadow an opponent’s defense by making a creature virtually unstoppable for a turn. This sorcery card is especially potent due to its ability to grant a single creature +7/+7 until end of turn and the ability to steamroll over lesser creatures without taking any damage in return, thanks to its ‘can’t be blocked by more than one creature’ clause.

Counteracting Monstrous Step involves strategic play and foresight. Holding up mana for instant-speed removal spells can effectively neutralize the threat by dispatching the enhanced creature before it declares an attack. Similarly, sacrifice effects can force an opponent to get rid of their creature before it becomes a wrecking ball. Playing around Monstrous Step also means being cautious about tapping out or overextending on the board, maintaining a position where you can respond to such game-swinging plays. Understanding the critical timing to interrupt or mitigate its impact is essential to staying ahead of this colossal stride.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Monstrous Step MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Monstrous Step and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Monstrous Step has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-04-17 Creatures other than the second target creature may still block the first target creature if able.
2020-04-17 If a creature is required to block a creature with menace, another creature must also block that creature if able. If none can, the creature that’s required to block can block another creature or not block at all.
2020-04-17 If the second target creature can’t block the first target creature for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn’t block. If there’s a cost associated with having it block the creature, the player isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to block in that case either. That creature is free to block another creature or to not block at all.