Winding Wurm MTG Card


Winding Wurm - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Wurm
Abilities Echo
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Power 6
Toughness 6
Number285
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDiTerlizzi

Key Takeaways

  1. Winding Wurm’s substantial presence offers card advantage by pressuring opponents to respond.
  2. The creature synergizes with green ramp strategies, despite not accelerating resources itself.
  3. Winding Wurm’s synergy with instant-speed spells enables surprise battlefield tactics.

Text of card

Echo (During your next upkeep after this permanent comes under your control, pay its casting cost or sacrifice it.)

Entire trees were stripped of their bark and branches by the wurm's writhing path.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Winding Wurm offers incremental advantage by its mere presence on the battlefield. Its substantial body demands answers from opponents, potentially depleting their resources while you maintain yours.

Resource Acceleration: As a creature, Winding Wurm may not directly provide resource acceleration, but its green color identity often synergizes with ramp strategies. This becomes relevant as it benefits from the various mana-accelerating spells and abilities within the color.

Instant Speed: Even though Winding Wurm itself is deployed at sorcery speed, its synergy within decks could enable you to use other cards at instant speed. Green offers numerous instant-speed tricks that can turn Winding Wurm into a surprising threat during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Winding Wurm’s ability necessitates the discarding of another creature card. This condition can deplete your hand, leaving you vulnerable to card disadvantage over time.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card comes with a specific mana requirement that might not seamlessly fit into all deck strategies. Aligning your mana base to accommodate this can be limiting and impact your deck’s consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana cost, Winding Wurm might come into play later than other creatures with equivalent stats or abilities. Even in a ramp strategy, the cost efficiency of Winding Wurm is worth reconsidering as it competes with other high-impact cards.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Winding Wurm brings a blend of resilience and power to green-based decks, capable of holding its own in a variety of environments which makes it a flexible pick for players who value adaptability on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: When synced with cards that benefit from creature casting or sizeable power creatures, Winding Wurm can serve as a lynchpin for potent combos that can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: As the landscape shifts, the presence of a solid creature like Winding Wurm in any collection should not be underestimated. Its robustness can counteract certain aggro strategies, fitting well within a meta that appreciates durable threats.


How to beat

Winding Wurm is a creature that can be somewhat tricky to tackle on the battlefield due to its versatile ability as a creature. With a respectable presence, it has the potential to be a persistent threat if not addressed properly. While it may not be the top creature card in player’s decks, it still demands an effective strategy to counteract.

To gain the upper hand against Winding Wurm, removal spells are your best allies. Cards such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile are perfect for swiftly taking it off the board before your opponent can benefit from its strength. Against green creatures, especially, spells like Plummet can be an efficient and cost-effective solution. Additionally, keeping counter spells at the ready ensures you can prevent Winding Wurm from hitting the field in the first place. Another tactic is using creature abilities or spells to tap Winding Wurm, inhibiting its combat capabilities and rendering it less of a threat for the duration of the turn.

By employing a strategy of timely removal, effective counters, and disabling its ability to participate in combat, you can neutralize Winding Wurm and maintain control over the game’s flow. Through careful planning and resource management, this creature becomes much less formidable.


Cards like Winding Wurm

The Winding Wurm is a green creature spell that has found its niche among the creatures of Magic the Gathering. It has some common ground with fellow creature card Craw Wurm, which sports a similar power and toughness. Winding Wurm, however, has the added benefit of trample, allowing excess damage to be dealt to a player if blocked by a creature with lesser toughness, giving it an edge in dealing combat damage.

Another beast in this category is the Blastoderm, which also shares the trample ability, but comes with a different mechanic called fading, limiting its time on the battlefield. Although it presents a formidable presence while it lasts, Winding Wurm wins in endurance, often staying on the board longer to influence the game. Then there is Thorn Elemental, which can potentially deal damage to a player as if it wasn’t blocked, regardless of any creatures in its way.

Considering these comparisons, Winding Wurm finds its place with its straightforward, yet impactful, presence on the battlefield. Its endurance and trample ability make it a solid choice for players who favor sturdy green creatures that can deal consistent damage and remain a threat over successive turns.

Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Blastoderm - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Blastoderm - Nemesis (NEM)
Thorn Elemental - Urza's Destiny (UDS)

Cards similar to Winding Wurm by color, type and mana cost

Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
Durkwood Boars - MTG Card versions
Elven Riders - MTG Card versions
Redwood Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Crashing Boars - MTG Card versions
Kavu Chameleon - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Okina Nightwatch - MTG Card versions
Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
Spitting Spider - MTG Card versions
Moss Monster - MTG Card versions
Copperhoof Vorrac - MTG Card versions
Thicket Basilisk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cockatrice - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Ironroot Treefolk - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Elvish Bard - Alliances (ALL)
Durkwood Boars - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Elven Riders - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Redwood Treefolk - Weatherlight (WTH)
Spined Wurm - Stronghold (STH)
Rabid Wolverines - Exodus (EXO)
Deadly Insect - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Vintara Elephant - Prophecy (PCY)
Crashing Boars - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Kavu Chameleon - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Spring-Leaf Avenger - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Okina Nightwatch - Arena League 2005 (PAL05)
Consuming Blob - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Primeval Force - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spitting Spider - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Moss Monster - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Copperhoof Vorrac - Mirrodin (MRD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Winding Wurm MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Winding Wurm and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Winding Wurm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks