Prickly Marmoset MTG Card

Prickly Marmoset excels in cycling-based decks, providing valuable card advantage by replenishing your hand. Its power boost at instant speed makes it a flexible and unexpected combatant on the battlefield. Despite its utility, the Marmoset faces limitations like specific mana requirements and delayed game tempo.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Monkey
Abilities First strike
Power 2
Toughness 3

Text of card

First strike Whenever you cycle a card, Prickly Marmoset gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

"It's either terrified or extremely mad at us, definitely one of the two." —Jonald, mission naturalist

Cards like Prickly Marmoset

Prickly Marmoset might not be the premier creature in your deck, but it shines in a niche role within Magic: The Gathering. When put side by side with similar cards such as Kiln Fiend or Wee Dragonauts, we begin to see its potential. Kiln Fiend, like Prickly Marmoset, benefits greatly from noncreature spells, providing a significant power boost. However, the Marmoset’s ability to gain reach until end of turn sets it apart, allowing it to serve as both an offensive and defensive asset.

Comparatively, Wee Dragonauts also have prowess and pack a flying ability, giving them an evasion edge. Despite this, Prickly Marmoset holds its ground with its cycling attribute, offering a versatile edge in deck strategies that favor reusing or discarding cards. The Marmoset’s cycling mechanism allows for card draw and potential synergy with graveyard strategies, making it a valuable piece in specific MTG matchups.

Although Prickly Marmoset may not be the first pick for every player, within the right build and against the proper meta, this creature can unexpectedly turn the tides of a game, making it a card worth considering for decks looking to utilize its unique strengths.

Kiln Fiend - MTG Card versions
Wee Dragonauts - MTG Card versions
Kiln Fiend - MTG Card versions
Wee Dragonauts - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Prickly Marmoset shines in decks that revolve around cycling, allowing for potential card draw every time you cycle another card. This interaction not only thins your deck but also keeps your hand replenished, helping you stay ahead in long games.

Resource Acceleration: While this feisty monkey doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its cycling ability can help filter your draws to ensure you hit your land drops or find key spells to play more efficiently. This can indirectly speed up your gameplay by improving the quality of your resources.

Instant Speed: The key to Prickly Marmoset’s strength is its ability to get a power boost at instant speed. When you cycle a card on your opponent’s turn, not only are you drawing a card, but you’re also turning this creature into a sudden threat. This potential for instant-speed interaction makes the Marmoset a tricky card for your opponent to deal with in combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Prickly Marmoset requires the player to part with another card, possibly depleting their hand prematurely and narrowing strategic choices.

Specific Mana Cost: With this creature mandating red mana in its casting cost, it restricts deck-building flexibility, fitting primarily into red or multicolor decks that can sustain such a requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana cost, this creature may arrive on the battlefield a bit later than more mana-efficient creatures, potentially delaying your game progress and impacting tempo.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Prickly Marmoset thrives in red-focused decks, offering flexibility with its cycling ability and potential for direct damage. This makes it a solid choice for a variety of strategies, from aggressive to control builds.

Combo Potential: As a creature that benefits from noncreature spells, Prickly Marmoset has synergy with spell-heavy decks. It can surprise opponents by growing quickly in strength, especially when combined with cards that allow multiple spells to be cast in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where noncreature spells are prevalent, Prickly Marmoset becomes increasingly valuable. Its ability to serve as both an offensive threat and a defensive blocker makes it a versatile inclusion in decks that aim to navigate a diverse meta.

How to beat

Prickly Marmoset often flies under the radar in Magic: The Gathering, but don’t be fooled by its modest stature. It’s a creature that can unexpectedly deal copious amounts of damage thanks to its prowess-like ability, which gets triggered whenever you cycle or discard a card. The key to overcoming this spiky nuisance lies in proactive removal. A well-timed spell such as Shock or Fatal Push can easily dispatch the Marmoset before it accumulates a dangerous level of power.

Alternatively, in a match-up against Prickly Marmoset, having enchantments like Dead Weight or Pacifism can neutralize it without needing to wait for the cycling trigger. For those in green, consider utilizing fight mechanics with cards like Ram Through to take advantage of the Marmoset’s generally low toughness. Efficient creature management ensures that Prickly Marmoset won’t have time to grow and become a thorn in your side.

Keep in mind, playing against this card requires attention to both board state and your opponent’s graveyard since cycling can occur from hand or field. Staying one step ahead with quick action is your best strategy to ensure the Marmoset’s bark is worse than its bite.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Prickly Marmoset MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Prickly Marmoset and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Prickly Marmoset Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Simon Dominic.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 1292015NormalBlackSimon Dominic
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 5802015NormalBlackSimon Dominic

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Prickly Marmoset has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Prickly Marmoset 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 Some cards with cycling have an ability that triggers when you cycle them, and some cards have an ability that triggers whenever you cycle any card. These triggered abilities resolve before you draw from the cycling ability.
2020-04-17 Triggered abilities from cycling a card and the cycling ability itself aren’t spells. Effects that interact with spells (such as that of Cancel) won’t affect them.
2020-04-17 You can cycle a card even if it has a triggered ability from cycling that won’t have a legal target. This is because the cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. This also means that if either ability is countered (with Disallow, for example), the other ability will still resolve.