Carnivorous Moss-Beast MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Plant Elemental Beast
Power 4
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to accrue +1/+1 counters makes it an indirect means to exert card advantage over time.
  2. Resource acceleration in your deck could allow an early arrival, enhancing the creature’s play impact.
  3. Bluffing instant spell usage with its growth threat can strategically influence opponent play decisions.

Text of card

: Put a +1/+1 counter on Carnivorous Moss-Beast.

Ranger wisdom dictates that when fleeing from a moss-beast, you must stay calm, find your bearings, and run south.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Carnivorous Moss-Beast may not directly allow you to draw extra cards, its ability to grow over time through its +1/+1 counters can turn it into a significant threat that requires an answer from your opponents. This potentially forces them to use more resources to handle it, indirectly playing into card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This six-mana creature can benefit greatly from any resource acceleration you have in your deck. With the right setup, getting Carnivorous Moss-Beast on the battlefield earlier can be a real game-changer, especially in formats where larger creatures are king.

Instant Speed: While the Moss-Beast itself doesn’t have abilities that operate at instant speed, its presence encourages strategic play with your instant spells. You can use the threat of its growth ability to bluff your mana availability, making your opponents cautious about playing their own spells and creatures during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike cards that smoothly integrate into your hand, Carnivorous Moss-Beast requires another card to be played or ability activated to achieve full value, which can be a setback if you’re trying to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: With its specific combination of green mana required, Carnivorous Moss-Beast may not be a versatile pick for multicolored decks that struggle with mana flexibility, thereby reducing its overall utility in various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana investment for an incremental power boost, players might find Carnivorous Moss-Beast less appealing when there are alternative creatures that provide more immediate impact on the game state for the same or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Carnivorous Moss-Beast in Your Collection

Versatility: Carnivorous Moss-Beast offers adaptability for several deck types, particularly those that thrive on +1/+1 counters. Its ability to grow over time makes it a resilient threat in long games.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies focused on +1/+1 counters. Pair it with proliferate mechanics or cards like “Hardened Scales” to maximize its growth potential and create a formidable presence on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors extended gameplay, Carnivorous Moss-Beast can become increasingly relevant. Its gradual power increase can outpace opponents in environments where games tend to go longer. As a late-game top deck, it can manifest as a substantial threat that requires an immediate answer.


How to beat Carnivorous Moss-Beast

The Carnivorous Moss-Beast may not be the strongest creature in your opponent’s deck, but it can become a threat if left unchecked. This card has the potential for growth, gaining +1/+1 counters over time. To counteract this, early creature removal or counter-spells are your best bet. Utilizing cards that prevent the activation of abilities can hinder the Moss-Beast’s growth, making cards like Pithing Needle a valuable addition to your strategy. A well-timed Murder or Essence Scatter, for example, can ensure that this plant horror never gets to overrun your side of the board. Cards that deal damage directly to creatures can also serve as an effective response, stopping the Moss-Beast in its tracks before it becomes too large to handle easily.

Moreover, cards with the Exile effect, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, are ideal as they prevent the Moss-Beast from returning to the battlefield through strategies involving the graveyard. Ensuring that you have a robust defense and the ability to take proactive measures against creature threats will give you the upper hand against the slowly but steadily growing Carnivorous Moss-Beast.


Cards like Carnivorous Moss-Beast

When diving into the world of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, Carnivorous Moss-Beast might catch your eye. This plant elemental creature offers a unique growth ability, allowing you to place a +1/+1 counter on it for a significant mana investment. This is reminiscent of other creatures that can also grow over time, like Ivy Elemental. However, Ivy Elemental’s flexibility in entering the battlefield with a variable number of +1/+1 counters can be advantageous early on compared to the more gradual progression of Carnivorous Moss-Beast.

Considering Baloth Gorger, another creature with the power to increase in size, there’s a notable comparison. Baloth Gorger provides the kicker mechanism, giving immediate size growth when additional mana is spent upon casting. Unlike Carnivorous Moss-Beast, it lacks the ongoing incremental enhancement but offers a potentially quicker power boost. Sylvan Advocate is another creature with growth potential to evaluate. While smaller initially, as the match progresses and you control six or more lands, both Sylvan Advocate and your land creatures get stronger, offering a wider impact on the game state.

Each creature has its pros and cons, but Carnivorous Moss-Beast is cherished among MTG players for its steadfast and continuous potential to become a substantial threat, despite being slower to reach its full might in a match.

Ivy Elemental - MTG Card versions
Baloth Gorger - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Advocate - MTG Card versions
Ivy Elemental - Odyssey (ODY)
Baloth Gorger - Dominaria (DOM)
Sylvan Advocate - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)

Cards similar to Carnivorous Moss-Beast by color, type and mana cost

Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
Sulam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Silvos, Rogue Elemental - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Seshiro the Anointed - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Gaea's Liege - Revised Edition (3ED)
Wiitigo - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Autumn Willow - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ancient Silverback - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Sulam Djinn - Invasion (INV)
Verdeloth the Ancient - Modern Masters (MMA)
Nemata, Grove Guardian - The List (PLST)
Gang of Elk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Kavu Howler - Apocalypse (APC)
Crashing Centaur - Odyssey (ODY)
Giant Warthog - Judgment (JUD)
Rhox - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kodama of the East Tree - Commander Legends (CMR)
Terra Stomper - Zendikar (ZEN)
Feral Throwback - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silvos, Rogue Elemental - Onslaught (ONS)
Brontotherium - Legions (LGN)
Elvish Aberration - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Seshiro the Anointed - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Carnivorous Moss-Beast MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Mystery Booster, 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 Carnivorous Moss-Beast and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Carnivorous Moss-Beast Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Filip Burburan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-18Magic 2015M15 1702015normalblackFilip Burburan
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 11552015normalblackFilip Burburan
32020-09-26The ListPLST M15-1702015normalblackFilip Burburan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Carnivorous Moss-Beast has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

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