Sludge Monster MTG Card


Sludge Monster offers control, altering opponents’ creatures and impeding their game progression effectively. Resource acceleration isn’t direct but occurs indirectly by slowing opponents and dominating board interactions. Despite a steep mana cost, its persistent board impact justifies its inclusion in creature-heavy metagames.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Horror
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Whenever Sludge Monster enters the battlefield or attacks, put a slime counter on up to one other target creature. Non-Horror creatures with slime counters on them lose all abilities and have base power and toughness 2/2.

Tracking it isn't the hard part.


Cards like Sludge Monster

Sludge Monster presents a unique twist in the realm of creature control within Magic: The Gathering. Reminiscent of other blue creatures that manipulate or weaken opponent’s creatures, such as Merfolk Trickster, Sludge Monster brings its own brand of battlefield impact. Where Merfolk Trickster temporarily taps and neutralizes abilities, Sludge Monster permanently turns affected creatures into sluggish 2/2 creatures devoid of abilities.

Another card that tempts comparison is Icy Manipulator for its ability to control combat by tapping creatures. Yet, Sludge Monster goes a step further by neutralizing those creatures for the remainder of the game, which can be a decisive advantage. Lignify is also a member of the creature altering club, transforming problematic creatures into harmless Forests. This change, while similar in spirit to Sludge Monster’s ability, doesn’t leave you with a creature to account for on the board.

What sets Sludge Monster apart is its recurring effect, applying its transformation to any creature it touches, an ability neither Merfolk Trickster nor Lignify can claim. This effect can turn the tide of the game by diminishing the opponent’s offensive and defensive capabilities, solidifying Sludge Monster’s place in Magic: The Gathering as a formidable blue-control creature.

Merfolk Trickster - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Lignify - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Trickster - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Lignify - MTG Card versions

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Vesuvan Doppelganger - MTG Card versions
Water Elemental - MTG Card versions
Air Elemental - MTG Card versions
Pirate Ship - MTG Card versions
Sandbar Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Segovian Leviathan - MTG Card versions
Psionic Entity - MTG Card versions
Taniwha - MTG Card versions
Sun Ce, Young Conquerer - MTG Card versions
Wu Admiral - MTG Card versions
Mawcor - MTG Card versions
Timin, Youthful Geist - MTG Card versions
Geology Enthusiast - MTG Card versions
Dreamtail Heron - MTG Card versions
Coastal Hornclaw - MTG Card versions
Meloku the Clouded Mirror - MTG Card versions
Azami, Lady of Scrolls - MTG Card versions
Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - MTG Card versions
Cloudhoof Kirin - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sludge Monster’s ability to turn other creatures into 2/2 blue Horror creatures without abilities can disrupt opponent strategies while maintaining your own board presence. This provides an upper hand by effectively nullifying the special abilities of your opponent’s creatures and can eventually lead to card advantage as the opponent loses resources trying to deal with a lesser threat.

Resource Acceleration: Although Sludge Monster itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, transforming your opponent’s creatures can hamper their resource development. This indirect impact can translate into a sort of acceleration for you, as it slows down the opponent’s game plan, giving you time to deploy your resources more effectively.

Instant Speed: While the Sludge Monster is a creature that is played at sorcery speed, it has a lasting impact on the board that operates at instant speed. Once the Sludge Monster is on the battlefield, its triggered ability effectively happens at instant speed whenever you or your opponent plays a creature, providing persistent control over the board state and interactions as the game progresses.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When it comes to the Sludge Monster, there is no initial discard needed. However, managing your hand effectively is still crucial because this card’s power comes into play when coordinating with other strategies that respond to the number of cards in one’s hand or specific types of cards being utilized.

Specific Mana Cost: Sludge Monster requires a commitment of both blue and generic mana, demanding a total of five mana to bring this creature to the battlefield. This specific mana composition can be a potential setback for decks that are not heavily invested in blue mana sources or that struggle with generating a diverse mana pool efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, the Sludge Monster falls into the category of higher-cost creatures. Players need to weigh if the benefits it brings once on the field justify the relatively steep mana investment, especially when considering the tempo of the game and the myriad of alternative creatures or spells that may offer similar or stronger effects for a lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Sludge Monster in Your Collection

Versatility: As a unique creature card, Sludge Monster can adapt to various playing styles. It serves as a tactical piece in control decks or as a way to weaken your opponents’ creatures, aligning well with strategies that require board manipulation.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with effects that return creatures to their owner’s hand or to the battlefield. Teaming Sludge Monster with such mechanics can repeatedly neutralize the abilities of opposing creatures, disrupting your opponent’s plans.

Meta-Relevance: It thrives in a meta that’s creature-heavy and relies on intricate abilities. Sludge Monster can cripple your opponents’ creatures, rendering their high-powered abilities ineffective and turning the tide of the game in your favor.


How to beat

Sludge Monster carves out a niche in the MTG universe as a potent threat on the battlefield. This creature, emanating from the murky depths, has the power to turn opposing creatures into mere 2/2 creatures without abilities, stripping them of their strengths and leaving your foes with weakened defenses. Its continuous effect on the board not only hampers your opponent’s strategy but can also lock down key pieces of their offense or defense.

To effectively counter this deep sea terror, consider utilizing instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt its entrance on the battlefield. Another strategy is to leverage sacrifice effects, compelling your adversary to choose between keeping their Sludge Monster or another valuable creature on the board. It’s also wise to include creatures in your deck that can benefit from becoming a 2/2, such as those with negative enter-the-battlefield triggers or harmful upkeep costs, which the Sludge Monster can neutralize for you.

Ultimately, overcoming the Sludge Monster demands foresight and the inclusion of versatile answers in your deck, ensuring that even if the creature lurks onto the battlefield, its stay will be as short as a ripple on the water’s surface.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deep diving into the MTG deck-building ocean reveals Sludge Monster as a formidable force capable of morphing the tides of combat to your favor. Its disruptive prowess against creature-based strategies makes it a precious addition to your arsenal, shaping up counters to many meta-relevant decks. Whether you’re searching for cards to enhance your control strategies or simply love the intrigue of altering the battlefield dynamics, Sludge Monster is a card to consider. Join us for an in-depth analysis and learn how to optimize the Sludge Monster’s menacing abilities to ensure your next showdown is a triumph.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sludge Monster MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos, 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 Sludge Monster and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sludge Monster Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 939322015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
22021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 76s2015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
32021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 762015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 76p2015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
52021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3402015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
62022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 762015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov
72022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7352015NormalBlackSvetlin Velinov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sludge Monster has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-09-24 If a non-Horror creature with a slime counter on it somehow becomes a Horror, the effect making it 2/2 and making it lose its abilities ends. Its base power and toughness will revert to whatever it was before that effect started applying, although other effects that modify power and/or toughness, such as ones created by Auras, counters, and the like may still apply. It'll also have whatever abilities it had before it lost them.
2021-09-24 Sludge Monster's last ability affects all non-Horror creatures with slime counters on them, not just creatures that had slime counters put on them with Sludge Monster's first ability.