Autochthon Wurm MTG Card


Autochthon Wurm - Ravnica: City of Guilds
Mana cost
Converted mana cost15
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Wurm
Abilities Convoke,Trample
Released2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica: City of Guilds
Set codeRAV
Power 9
Toughness 14
Number191
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMichael Phillippi

Key Takeaways

  1. Casting Autochthon Wurm offers a significant board advantage with its substantial size overwhelming opponents.
  2. Convoke ability facilitates early casting, making it a formidable play with the right board setup.
  3. Its synergy with instant-speed decks introduces an element of surprise, potentially disrupting opponents.

Text of card

Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.) Trample

The trainer awoke to begin the journey from the wurm's tail to its head. The sun was setting when she arrived.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Autochthon Wurm can be an asset to your hand, as it represents a significant threat that can lead to a huge advantage on the board. When you cast it, the sheer size of Autochthon Wurm can overpower many other creatures, propelling you toward victory.

Resource Acceleration: With a high mana cost, this card is a prime candidate for alternative casting methods that bypass traditional mana payment. Utilizing mechanics like convoke can act as a resource acceleration strategy, enabling you to summon this colossal wurm earlier than expected by tapping creatures instead of paying the mana cost.

Instant Speed: While Autochthon Wurm itself does not have instant speed, it works harmoniously with decks that operate at instant speed. Cards that can flash in creatures or effects that allow you to cast spells as though they had flash can turn Autochthon Wurm into an unexpected surprise, immediately impacting the game state and potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deploying Autochthon Wurm to the battlefield is no easy feat, as it involves the hefty price of discarding another creature card if you use its alternative cost, making it a risky move when you’re card-starved.

Specific Mana Cost: Its commanding presence comes at the specialized cost of both green and white mana. This combination restricts the Autochthon Wurm primarily to decks that can reliably produce both colors, potentially leaving mono-colored or other multicolor builds looking on with envy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that skyrockets to a total of fifteen mana, including two green and two white, even the mightiest ramp strategies may find the Wurm’s cost burdensome. Those resources could alternatively summon a variety of lower-cost creatures or enable powerful game-winning spells.


Reasons to Include Autochthon Wurm in Your Collection

Versatility: The immense size of Autochthon Wurm makes it a substantial threat in any deck that can handle its mana cost. It shines in green and white creature-based decks or ones that enjoy large-scale, end-game plays.

Combo Potential: With its Convoke ability, this creature can be cast more easily using the tap abilities of other creatures, fitting into strategies that benefit from creatures being used in various ways beyond attacking and defending.

Meta-Relevance: Autochthon Wurm isn’t just a creature; it’s a statement. In meta environments heavy with creature-based combat, dropping a creature of this magnitude can shift the tide, making it a game-ending play in the right conditions.


How to beat

Autochthon Wurm is an enormous creature, providing a significant hurdle for many players in MTG. This towering behemoth of a creature not only brings a colossal 9/14 body to the battlefield but also has the convoke and trample abilities, potentially turning a crowded board into an opportunity to cast it for much less than its hefty ten mana cost. To efficiently tackle this Gruul-colored giant, gameplay strategy needs to shift towards removal spells or abilities that can bypass its size. This can involve spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, which can exile the wurm outright, regardless of its might.

Controlling the board early on is another strategy, preventing your opponent from amassing the creatures necessary to utilize the convoke mechanic efficiently. Board wipes such as Day of Judgment or Wrath of God can clear the way before Autochthon Wurm lands. Alternatively, playing a deck with counterspells to hinder the wurm from ever touching the battlefield, like Mana Leak or Counterspell, provides a preemptive measure. While the wurm is daunting, remember that any card can be overcome with the right planning and strategic play.


Cards like Autochthon Wurm

Autochthon Wurm has a massive presence in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, often drawing comparisons with other hefty creatures like Worldspine Wurm. Like its colossal counterpart, Autochthon Wurm boasts an impressive body, capable of swinging games in your favor. However, while Worldspine Wurm offers a globule of 5/5 green Wurm creature tokens upon death, Autochthon Wurm lacks this self-replicating feature but compensates with its potential for an easier casting through Convoke.

Comparisons with Ghalta, Primal Hunger are also pertinent. Ghalta can hit the battlefield just as quickly depending on the total power of creatures you control, making it a savvy choice for decks swarming with creatures. Nevertheless, it doesn’t match the upfront 9/14 stats that Autochthon Wurm provides. Then there’s Impervious Greatwurm, another convoke creature that stands out with its indestructible trait. Although similar in mana cost and casting flexibility, it doesn’t immediately impact the board like Autochthon Wurm can.

Evaluating Autochthon Wurm against these similar alternatives showcases its unique combination of raw power and casting versatility, ensuring its esteemed place among high-cost creatures in the world of Magic: The Gathering.

Worldspine Wurm - MTG Card versions
Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions
Impervious Greatwurm - MTG Card versions
Worldspine Wurm - MTG Card versions
Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions
Impervious Greatwurm - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Autochthon Wurm MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Autochthon Wurm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Autochthon Wurm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Autochthon Wurm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped before you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke.
2021-03-19 When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated. Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or mana value.
2021-03-19 You can tap any untapped creature you control to convoke a spell, even one you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.

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