Corpse Cur MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Dog
Abilities	Infect
Released	2010-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Scars of Mirrodin
Set code	SOM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	147
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Pete Venters

Key Takeaways

Corpse Cur recovers infect creatures, negating opponent’s past removals and maintaining hand resources.
Commands instant-speed play, setting up unexpected combos and late-game turnarounds in MTG.
Casting restrictions and early-game reliance on graveyard content may limit its immediate utility.

Text of card

Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) When Corpse Cur enters the battlefield, you may return target creature card with infect from your graveyard to your hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Corpse Cur can retrieve an important creature card with infect from your graveyard to your hand. This effectively negates a card your opponent has previously removed, thus bolstering your resources without diminishing your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By bringing back an infect creature, it effectively accelerates your path to victory as infect decks often rely on a critical mass of infect creatures to overwhelm opponents quickly.

Instant Speed: While Corpse Cur itself isn’t an instant-speed spell, it supports a strategy that makes good use of instant-speed interactions. Recovering an infect creature with Corpse Cur can set up unexpected combo potentials during later phases of your game when your opponents least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Corpse Cur demands that you have a creature card in your graveyard to make the most of its proliferate ability. This requirement can be restrictive, especially in the early phases of the game when your graveyard may be lacking in creatures.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card has a casting cost of four mana, including one that is specifically Phyrexian. This restricts its inclusion to decks that can produce or at least accommodate Phyrexian mana, which may not always be convenient or optimal for some strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a cost of four, Corpse Cur’s stats and abilities might be considered underwhelming when compared to other cards at the same mana value. This makes it a less appealing choice for decks that aim to maximize efficiency and impact with each card played.

Reasons to Include Corpse Cur in Your Collection

Versatility: Corpse Cur isn’t just a simple creature card. It’s a valuable inclusion in decks that have a focus on artifact creatures or the proliferate mechanic. Its ability to bring an artifact creature back from the graveyard to your hand adds resilience to your game and ensures you always have options on the field.

Combo Potential: Corpse Cur can be a key part of combos in decks that utilize the graveyard. Its Infect ability can be proliferated to slowly whittle down opponents’ life totals, or it can be used to retrieve key pieces of a larger artifact-based combo from your graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard interaction is significant, Corpse Cur provides repeatable utility. It offers a way to recover from board wipes, and in decks tailored to the Infect mechanic, it’s a persistent threat that can lead to unexpected wins.

How to beat

Corpse Cur is an intriguing creature card that brings resilience and recursion to the forefront in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to return an infect creature from your graveyard to your hand upon entering the battlefield makes it a persistent threat in decks with a proliferation theme.

Overcoming this four-legged scourge requires strategy. Graveyard removal cards like Relic of Progenitus can stop the looping effect of Corpse Cur by exiling the targets it needs. Additionally, controlling the board with removal spells before Corpse Cur can trigger its ability is key, so keeping a Doom Blade or Path to Exile handy is wise. Counter spells also work well to deny its casting in the first place. Focus on suppressing its impact quickly, and the Corpse Cur’s advantage can be nullified, promoting a more manageable gameplay scenario against decks that thrive on recursion.

In essence, timely removal and graveyard disruption are integral when facing the persistent threat of Corpse Cur. Conquering this creature helps maintain board control and impedes the strategic edge it’s designed to give in infect or artifact-centric decks within Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Corpse Cur

Corpse Cur presents an intriguing choice for players looking to recoup value from their creatures in MTG. It falls into the rich lineage of creature cards with recursion abilities, akin to Myr Retriever, which also retrieves artifacts from the graveyard. However, Corpse Cur requires the creature retrieved to have infect, narrowing its focus but offering a targeted approach for infect decks.

Likewise, Treasure Hunter shares a semblance of purpose, allowing players to retrieve artifacts, opening wider array of options compared to Corpse Cur’s infectious constraint. Meanwhile, Workshop Assistant extends this functionality, again without the infect requirement, but Corpse Cur stands out in strategies built around that specific mechanic.

Ultimately, while there are multiple cards with similar graveyard retrieval effects, the niche Corpse Cur occupies is particularly beneficial in infect-themed decks, boosting its viability and making it a nuanced choice for strategic MTG deckbuilding.

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

Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Corpse Cur MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Corpse Cur and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Corpse Cur has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-01-01	A player who has ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action.
2011-01-01	Damage from a source with infect affects planeswalkers normally.
2011-01-01	Damage from a source with infect is damage in all respects. If the source with infect also has lifelink, damage dealt by that source also causes its controller to gain that much life. Damage from a source with infect can be prevented or redirected. Abilities that trigger on damage being dealt will trigger if a source with infect deals damage, if appropriate.
2011-01-01	If damage from a source with infect that would be dealt to a player is prevented, that player doesn’t get poison counters. If damage from a source with infect that would be dealt to a creature is prevented, that creature doesn’t get -1/-1 counters.
2011-01-01	Infect’s effect applies to any damage, not just combat damage.
2011-01-01	The -1/-1 counters remain on the creature indefinitely. They’re not removed if the creature regenerates or the turn ends.