Rocco, Street Chef MTG Card


Rocco Street Chef masterfully combines card advantage with food token strategy, enhancing gameplay and card accessibility. Offers instant speed flexibility, allowing players to adapt and respond during any phase of the game. Despite demand for careful mana management, Rocco adds robust utility and can reshape the battlefield.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Elf Druid
Abilities Food
Power 2
Toughness 4

Text of card

At the beginning of your end step, each player exiles the top card of their library. Until your next end step, each player may play the card they exiled this way. Whenever a player plays a land from exile or casts a spell from exile, you put a +1/+1 counter on target creature and create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")


Cards like Rocco, Street Chef

Rocco, Street Chef introduces a unique flavor to creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. With similar cards such as Disciple of the Vault, a link can be seen through the synergy with artifacts. However, Rocco steps up the culinary game by concocting Food tokens directly onto the battlefield. Disciple of the Vault focuses more on leveraging the demise of artifacts, providing life loss for opponents.

When comparing Rocco to other creature cards like Gilded Goose, another Food token generator, we notice a distinct mana advantage. Rocco demands no additional input to create Food, whereas Gilded Goose requires one green mana to lay a golden egg. On the other hand, Reckless Fireweaver offers a parallel design in rewarding artifact play but steers into dealing direct damage rather than serving up tokens.

Understanding these relationships allows players to gauge Rocco’s place in a deck. By weighing available options, players can appreciate Rocco’s ability to blend artifact play with creature strategy seamlessly. This card can easily spice up any deck with its cost-effective Food creation and potential for various synergistic plays.

Disciple of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Gilded Goose - MTG Card versions
Reckless Fireweaver - MTG Card versions
Disciple of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Gilded Goose - MTG Card versions
Reckless Fireweaver - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Rocco, Street Chef by color, type and mana cost

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Jared Carthalion, True Heir - MTG Card versions
Tamanoa - MTG Card versions
Naya Battlemage - MTG Card versions
Mayael the Anima - MTG Card versions
Sacellum Archers - MTG Card versions
Knotvine Mystic - MTG Card versions
Minsc, Beloved Ranger - MTG Card versions
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second - MTG Card versions
Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer - MTG Card versions
Brazen Upstart - MTG Card versions
Back-Alley Gardener - MTG Card versions
Hazezon, Shaper of Sand - MTG Card versions
Huatli, Poet of Unity // Roar of the Fifth People - MTG Card versions
Wayta, Trainer Prodigy - MTG Card versions
Dogmeat, Ever Loyal - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Rocco, Street Chef. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Naya ControlNaya Control StandardNaya ControlTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 29, 2024
Four-color MidrangeFour-color Midrange Standard4c MidrangeThe Pizza Box Open: Standard
Naya MidrangeNaya Midrange StandardNaya Exile~~ Izzet Explosive Experiment Event
Naya AggroNaya Aggro StandardNaya AggroStandard Preliminary 2024-03-08
Naya ExileNaya Exile StandardNaya ExileStandard League 2023-11-27

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rocco Street Chef lets you leverage your food tokens by turning them into card draw, thus keeping your hand replenished and maintaining the upper hand against opponents.

Resource Acceleration: By creating additional food tokens, Rocco Street Chef provides you with a renewable resource, bolstering your board state and giving you the fuel needed to execute your strategy more quickly.

Instant Speed: Rocco Street Chef can be utilized at instant speed, offering the flexibility to react swiftly to the evolving game or to surprise an opponent with unexpected value during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rocco Street Chef demands a card discard to utilize its trinket food ability. In tight game situations, discarding could be more of a setback than a culinary delight, especially when your hand is your last bastion of strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked into a red and two generic mana recipe, Rocco Street Chef might not blend well in multicolored pots. Mono-red decks or those heavily featuring red may relish this card, but others may find it’s like adding too much pepper—just not quite the right fit.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Deploying Rocco requires a payment of three mana, which could be steep when hungering for early game presence. For those three mana, players might have access to other spells that simmer faster or bring more to the table upfront, leaving Rocco to cool his heels in the binder.


Reasons to Include Rocco Street Chef in Your Collection

Versatility: Rocco Street Chef brings a flexible dynamic to kitchen-table play and Commander decks alike. Its ability to create Food tokens enables a wide range of utilization, from life gain to synergy with other cards that capitalize on tokens.

Combo Potential: With Rocco, synergy with cards that exploit the presence of tokens or require sacrifice fodder is easily achieved. It serves as an engine in decks designed around artifacts or creature strategies, opening up opportunities for innovative combos.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, the importance of adaptable cards rises. Rocco Street Chef holds its ground not just for its latent abilities but for its potential to mix with emerging deck archetypes and support inventive playstyles amidst diverse metagames.


How to beat

Rocco, Street Chef offers a flavorful twist in Magic: The Gathering, providing players with an efficient way to reuse food tokens. This clever chef can turn any meal into a surprise attack, presenting a unique challenge on the battlefield. To effectively counter this card, it’s crucial to disrupt the food token strategy it relies on.

One key approach is to limit the generation of food tokens. This can involve removing creatures that create food tokens or countering spells that would produce them. A card like Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, can be instrumental in this scenario, preventing your opponent from using Rocco’s ability altogether. Moreover, running removal spells like Fatal Push can manage Rocco before the player has a chance to utilize him fully.

Another strategy is to employ graveyard hate cards like Grafdigger’s Cage to inhibit the casting of creature spells from the graveyard. Addressing Rocco’s mechanics this way can tilt the scales back in your favor. Ultimately, staying proactive and interfering with your opponent’s plans are key to reigning in Rocco, Street Chef, and keeping the game under your control.


BurnMana Recommendations

Leveraging the culinary prowess of Rocco Street Chef in your MTG deck can dish out a smorgasbord of strategic advantages. With the ability to whip up food tokens at instant speed, Rocco enables you to keep a sturdy hand and accelerates your resources, enhancing your gameplay. While being mindful of the trade-offs, such as the discard requirement and specific mana costs, Rocco continues to be a flavorful addition to various MTG formats. Keen on brewing a deck that utilizes food tokens or wants to cook up some ingenious combos? Embrace Rocco’s unique design and enrich your collection with a card that seasons your deck and stirs the pot in the meta. Explore more strategies and tips with us to turn every duel into a feast of victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rocco, Street Chef MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine: The Aftermath and March of the Machine: The Aftermath, 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 Rocco, Street Chef and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rocco, Street Chef Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-05-12 and 2023-05-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-05-12March of the Machine: The AftermathMAT 442015NormalBlackBram Sels
22023-05-12March of the Machine: The AftermathMAT 1792015NormalBlackBram Sels
32023-05-12March of the Machine: The AftermathMAT 1442015NormalBlackBram Sels
42023-05-12March of the Machine: The AftermathMAT 2232015NormalBlackJack Hughes
52023-05-12March of the Machine: The AftermathMAT 942015NormalBlackJack Hughes

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rocco, Street Chef has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-05-12 A player may play the card they exiled with Rocco even if Rocco leaves the battlefield before the duration expires.
2023-05-12 All cards not played remain exiled.
2023-05-12 If Rocco's last ability triggers because a spell was cast, that ability will resolve before that spell does. If the ability triggers because a land was played, the land will be on the battlefield by the time you put the ability on the stack. If the land entering the battlefield causes any triggered abilities to trigger, those abilities and Rocco's ability will be put on the stack at the same time, with the abilities controlled by the player whose turn it is going on the stack first (and thus resolving last).
2023-05-12 Playing the card you exiled with Rocco follows the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
2023-05-12 Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play a land card you exiled with Rocco only if you haven't played a land yet that turn.