Filthy Cur MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Dog
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	136
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Rex

Key Takeaways

Filthy Cur grants card advantage with draws from combat damage, keeping hands resourceful under pressure.
Instant boost in power at crucial times provides unexpected battlefield control for strategic players.
Distinct mana needs and discard costs may hinder some decks but excel in others tailored to its strengths.

Text of card

Whenever Filthy Cur is dealt damage, you lose that much life.

Some things even fleas won't bite.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Filthy Cur has a unique advantage as each time it deals combat damage to a player, you get to draw a card. This can provide a steady flow of options, keeping your hand filled with resources while pressuring your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although Filthy Cur doesn’t directly generate mana or treasures, the drawn cards can lead to other spells and lands that accelerate your resources. This indirect benefit keeps your deck cycling and your plays dynamic.

Instant Speed: The ability to boost Filthy Cur’s power at instant speed can create unexpected situations for your opponent. This adaptability can pivot the battlefield in your favor, especially during combat where timing is crucial.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Filthy Cur necessitates discarding a card as part of its casting cost. This requirement can set players back, especially during the early turns or when the hand is already dwindling, making it harder to maintain card advantage over the opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature demands a specific arrangement of mana, one swamp, and one generic mana, to be cast. This requirement can sometimes result in the card being a dead draw in decks that are not finely tuned to produce the necessary mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While at first glance the mana cost might seem moderate, when you compare Filthy Cur to other creatures within the same mana range, it might not stack up favorably. The power and toughness provided are often surpassed by other creatures with either a lower mana cost or ones that offer additional abilities or effects that can influence the game more effectively.

Reasons to Include Filthy Cur in Your Collection

Versatility: Filthy Cur offers a flexible role in numerous deck types. Its low casting cost makes it an easily playable card during the early stages of the game, while its ability to potentially deathtouch any creature, given enough mana, can deter opponents’ attacks in the late game.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with decks focusing on creature abilities. When paired with cards that untap creatures or provide extra mana, Filthy Cur can become a recurring threat, affecting board control and opponent strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creatures are key, the presence of a card like Filthy Cur can shift your opponent’s tactics significantly. Its potential use as a removal tool or as a strategic blocker can offer surprise advantages against creature-heavy decks.

How to beat

The Filthy Cur card poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with its dogged presence. In essence, this creature card embodies resilience through its ability to grow stronger whenever a permanent is put into an opponent’s graveyard. To effectively counter this nuisance, players should consider strategies that minimize interactions with it or alter their removal tactics. For instance, using board wipe spells that don’t target can circumvent the strengthening of Filthy Cur. Alternatively, one could employ exile-based removal, which doesn’t send cards to the graveyard, thereby negating the Cur’s ability to benefit from the usual demise of permanents.

Another viable approach is to rely on effects that prevent damage or decrease the power of creatures, as these can mitigate the threat posed by an increasingly strong Filthy Cur. Also, engaging in combat with creatures that come back from the graveyard or have death-triggered abilities can be a smart play—your creatures serve a purpose even if they end up in the graveyard, and you avoid inadvertently powering up the opponent’s Filthy Cur.

Overall, dealing with Filthy Cur requires a careful balancing act, tailoring one’s responses and removal strategies to keep it in check without inadvertently bolstering its strength. This challenge adds a strategic layer to the game that’s appreciated by many Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts. Keeping a cool head and the right spells in your deck can help turn the tables on the supposedly “Filthy” adversary.

Cards like Filthy Cur

Filthy Cur joins the cohort of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering sharing the common canine theme. It stands in the pack alongside other canine comrades such as Pack Leader, which offers a bonus to other dogs you control by preventing all combat damage that would be dealt to them. Unlike Filthy Cur, Pack Leader comes with an inherent ability to boost the team, positioning it as a different breed of utility card for dog-themed decks.

Snarling Wolf is another card to consider in the canine category, with a straightforward mana cost to power ratio and the ability to become slightly stronger until end of turn for an additional cost. Filthy Cur, however, doesn’t offer the same kind of temporary power boost. Instead, it has a steadier impact on the board through its relentless ability to come back to hand when dying.

Analyzing cards within the Magic: The Gathering universe that echo Filthy Cur’s theme and abilities reveals the distinct niches each canine occupies in the game. Filthy Cur may not be the alpha in terms of raw power or utility, but its gritty resilience can be an asset in specific strategies that capitalize on creature recurrence.

Cards similar to Filthy Cur by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Filthy Cur MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Filthy Cur and other MTG cards: