Mushroom Watchdogs MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 631
2023-06-23 - Number 180
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Dog |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage through opponent action negation and maintaining player resources.
- Instant speed activation allows strategic plays and unpredictability against foes.
- Demanding specific mana casts and discarding for full potential can limit usage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mushroom Watchdogs MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Mushroom Watchdogs and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Text of card
Sacrifice a Food: Put a +1/+1 counter on Mushroom Watchdogs. It gains vigilance until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.
"They won't harm you—not unless I tell 'em to. Here, Grip! Fang! Heel!" —Farmer Maggot
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Mushroom Watchdogs offers the ability to potentially negate an opponent’s action, potentially generating card advantage as they lose resources while you maintain yours.
Resource Acceleration: If Mushroom Watchdogs is part of a synergistic deck, it could help in summoning larger creatures ahead of time by potentially untapping your lands or creatures that produce mana.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate its effect at instant speed provides a strategic edge, allowing you to react swiftly to your opponent’s moves and keep them guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Mushroom Watchdogs demands that you discard another card to unlock its full potential. This can be particularly taxing when you’re already struggling to maintain an adequate hand size throughout the game.
Specific Mana Cost: The spell’s casting requirements hinge on a combination of mana types. This could pose a challenge for decks that aren’t specifically tailored to generate the exact mana needed with ease and might restrict its inclusion to decks where the color alignment is consistently attainable.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Mushroom Watchdogs brings certain benefits to the table, the card’s cost is considered high when measured against other creatures or spells with similar or more impactful abilities. This can lead to inefficient turns, especially when quicker, more effective options might help you advance your position on the battlefield more decisively.
Reasons to Include Mushroom Watchdogs in Your Collection
Versatility: Mushroom Watchdogs can seamlessly integrate into various deck builds that require defensive options while providing potential synergy with fungi and spore counters.
Combo Potential: The card can serve as a key piece in decks focused on creature abilities, enabling intricate plays that can sway the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: With an ever-evolving game environment, Mushroom Watchdogs can be particularly effective against strategies that rely on single-target removal or combat tricks, thanks to its reliable blocking capabilities.
How to beat
The Mushroom Watchdogs presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. In the intricate dynamics of MTG, this card shines with its ability to provide both offensive and defensive options. Often deployed as an unassuming defender, its real impact is felt when transforming undergrowth threats into imposing guardians. This creature card can flip the script on an opponent’s assault, morphing easily overlooked fungi into surprising bulwarks.
To navigate around this natural barrier, consider cards that restrict abilities or neutralize creature powers. Direct removal spells or board wipes can swiftly clear the Watchdogs from play before their ability becomes a factor. It’s also advisable to limit the number of creatures that end up in your graveyard to lessen the Watchdogs’ influence. In a environment rich with enchantments and abilities that diminish an opponent’s actions, employing a strategy that bypasses creature reliance can also prove effective against this card’s transformative capabilities.
Strategy is key when contending with the Mushroom Watchdogs. Recognizing the moments when to commit to removing them or altering your approach to avoid strengthening their position can be the difference in a match. It’s all about anticipation and adjusting tactics to prevent your opponent’s undergrowth from becoming an impenetrable fortress.
Cards like Mushroom Watchdogs
Mushroom Watchdogs offers a unique defensive strategy among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. Looking to compare, Spore Frog jumps out as a close relative, both delivering a fog-like effect to prevent combat damage. Mushroom Watchdogs stands out with its higher toughness, which allows it to withstand more damage before it succumbs to the battlefield.
Another parallel can be drawn with Kami of False Hope, which also serves as a single-use shield against a round of combat. Though the Kami has a lower mana cost, Mushroom Watchdogs offers the additional benefit of being a deterrent due to its more robust presence on the field. Then there’s Safehold Elite, offering persist as a recurring obstacle for opponents, yet without the same immediate board impact upon arrival.
Assessing these comparisons, Mushroom Watchdogs secures a reputation for being a steadfast defender. It provides players not just an emergency blockage against attacks but does so with a durability that can influence opponents’ attack strategies over multiple turns.
Cards similar to Mushroom Watchdogs by color, type and mana cost
Printings
The Mushroom Watchdogs Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Alexander Ostrowski.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 631 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alexander Ostrowski | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 180 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alexander Ostrowski |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mushroom Watchdogs has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mushroom Watchdogs card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | Do not eat the delicious cards. No, not even for second breakfast. |
| 2023-06-16 | Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures in other sets, it's never a creature type. |
| 2023-06-16 | If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Lembas, an artifact card with the Food subtype, to activate the last ability of Bill the Pony. |
| 2023-06-16 | Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens. |
| 2023-06-16 | You can't sacrifice a Food token to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Bill the Pony. |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.