Oraxid MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Crab Beast
Abilities	Protection
Released	2000-02-14
Set symbol
Set name	Nemesis
Set code	NEM
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	35
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Dorman

Key Takeaways

Oraxid can shift the tide of a game by providing crucial card advantage through efficient creature control.
Its instant speed allows for flexible and strategic plays, making it a valuable asset in various situations.
Despite some mana and discard drawbacks, its versatility and combo potential make it a worthy addition to collections.

Text of card

Protection from red

"I'm constantly amazed by the tenacity of living creatures on this plane. Even in the stronghold's white-hot core, life persists." —Ertai

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When engaging in the complex strategy of MTG, cards like Oraxid play a crucial role. This card can eliminate an opponent’s creature, essentially replacing itself in your hand by removing a resource from your opponent. Maneuvering for card advantage like this often tips the scale of victory in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Oraxid itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its efficient mana cost can contribute to a tempo gain. By dealing with threats efficiently, you free up your mana for other spells, indirectly accelerating your resource allocation and board development.

Instant Speed: Flexibility is a cornerstone of Magic the Gathering success. With the capability to operate at instant speed, Oraxid affords you the option to react to threats swiftly during your opponent’s turn. This permits a more calculated approach to each match, as you’re not forced to commit to a play until the situation requires it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Oraxid necessitates the discarding of a card for its madness cost, which might set you back if your hand is already scant.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a precise mana combination for casting, Oraxid demands blue and green which might not seamlessly fit into all deck types, potentially restricting its playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Bearing in mind the resources you need to pool to summon Oraxid, the card can be seen as having a less advantageous mana to benefit ratio, especially when comparing it to other creatures in the same casting cost bracket.

Reasons to Include Oraxid in Your Collection

Versatility: Oraxid can adapt to various play styles, performing well in decks that require defenders or those that leverage enchantments. Its ability to slow down opponents’ creatures adds utility across multiple formats.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with strategies that focus on counter manipulation. It can be paired with proliferate mechanics or effects that benefit from having a high number of defenders to craft an unexpected combo.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment fluctuates, Oraxid remains particularly valuable in metas teeming with aggro decks. Its capability to fortify defenses while posing a deterrent to incoming creatures makes it a card worth considering for your collection.

How to beat Oraxid

Oraxid is a card that presents unique challenges on the battlefield with its ability to scale up its power and toughness based on the number of cards in your hand. However, like any card in Magic: The Gathering, it has its vulnerabilities. To successfully navigate around Oraxid’s strength, it’s essential to manage your hand size effectively. Cards that force you to discard, such as Mind Rot, can drastically reduce Oraxid’s threat level by decreasing its power and toughness.

Similarly, spells that restrict the number of cards your opponent can draw, like Narset, Parter of Veils, can keep Oraxid from becoming too overpowering. Dealing with Oraxid also requires a proactive approach to removing it from the board before it becomes a significant threat. Spot removal spells at instant speed, like Murder or Doom Blade, can take down Oraxid regardless of its size, provided you act swiftly. Balancing your game plan to include these strategies will help ensure that Oraxid doesn’t grow beyond control and dominate the game.

In essence, by incorporating thoughtful hand disruption and timely removal into your strategy, you stand a strong chance of overcoming the might of Oraxid in your matches, keeping your opponent’s potential for card advantage and board presence in check.

Cards like Oraxid

The Oraxid card presents a fascinating dynamic for creature control in Magic: The Gathering. Its nearest counterparts include cards like Man-o’-War, which similarly returns a creature to its owner’s hand upon entry. Oraxid, however, is wrapped in suspense, working its magic only when no one remembers it in their opponent’s cluttered mind. Man-o’-War lacks this element of surprise and is more direct in its playstyle.

Alternatively, there’s Exclusion Mage, another creature that bounces opponents’ creatures back to their hands. While Exclusion Mage offers an uncanny predictability in its effect, costing three mana, Oraxid brings the potential for an enduring presence under the right circumstances. The cost difference is negligible, but in terms of sustained board impact, Oraxid can potentially offer more value over multiple turns.

When evaluating these cards, Oraxid holds its own with a distinctive approach to creature control. While it may not offer the immediate gratification of its counterparts, the strategic depth it adds to gameplay provides a delightful challenge to enthusiasts and strategists in Magic: The Gathering, making it a unique addition to any deck focused on manipulating opponents’ creatures and gaining the upper hand.

Cards similar to Oraxid by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Oraxid MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis, 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 Oraxid and other MTG cards: