Marrow Chomper MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Zombie Lizard
Abilities	Devour
Released	2009-04-30
Set symbol
Set name	Alara Reborn
Set code	ARB
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	93
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lars Grant-West

Key Takeaways

Life gain scales with creature power, providing significant advantage as your board presence grows.
Resource ramping coupled with devour mechanic bolsters board position and advances game state.
Strategic instant-speed interaction with sacrifice abilities for unexpected gameplay twists.

Text of card

Devour 2 (As this comes into play, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature comes into play with twice that many +1/+1 counters on it.) When Marrow Chomper comes into play, you gain 2 life for each creature it devoured.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Marrow Chomper provides a unique benefit as it allows you to gain life equal to the power of creatures you control, potentially swinging the game in your favor. The life gain is not just a one-time burst; it synergizes with the growth of your board, offering a substantial incremental advantage as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: When Marrow Chomper enters the battlefield, it also has the potential to ramp your resources. As a 3/3 creature for five mana that can potentially grow larger, it is a robust addition to decks that take advantage of devour or creature sacrifice mechanics, further accelerating your position on the board.

Instant Speed: While Marrow Chomper itself does not operate at instant speed, its devour ability can potentially interact with creatures that you can sacrifice at instant speed. This allows for strategic planning and surprise factor during gameplay, making it a versatile card capable of responding to dynamic in-game situations.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Marrow Chomper necessitates that you sacrifice a creature to cast it, which can be costly if your board presence is scarce or your creatures are valuable for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Marrow Chomper involves a combination of black and green mana, potentially restricting its inclusion to decks that specifically support these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana value of five, this card may be deemed inefficient when compared to other creature options that could provide a better power to cost ratio or come into play sooner, enabling quicker action.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Marrow Chomper offers a dynamic role in decks that focus on creature synergies, particularly those using the devour mechanic. Its ability to gain life equal to twice the number of creatures devoured makes it a multifunctional asset in both mid-game stabilization and late-game advantage.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in combos, particularly with token generators. When paired with such strategies, Marrow Chomper can quickly grow in power and toughness while providing substantial life gain, potentially turning the tide in your favor during a game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where life-gain and big creatures can play pivotal roles in overcoming aggressive strategies, Marrow Chomper could slot into your deck as a valuable counter-measure, keeping you healthy while building a formidable presence on the board.

How to beat

Marrow Chomper is a unique creature card that can pose interesting challenges in a Magic: The Gathering match. This card distinguishes itself through its devour ability, allowing it to gain counters and life points for each creature sacrificed as it enters the battlefield. This can quickly turn Marrow Chomper into both a sizeable threat and a significant source of life gain for your opponent.

To effectively counter Marrow Chomper, it’s essential to minimize the number of creatures on your opponent’s battlefield when they cast it. Board wipes like Wrath of God or spot removal spells such as Path to Exile can ensure that there are fewer creatures for Marrow Chomper to devour. Alternatively, countering it upon casting with spells like Mana Leak can prevent it from ever hitting the board and proving its worth. Keeping graveyard interaction cards handy, such as Relic of Progenitus, can also disrupt any strategies focused on recurring creatures for Marrow Chomper to devour.

Overall, by proactively controlling your opponent’s creature population and being strategic with your removal or counter spells, Marrow Chomper’s impact can be mitigated, keeping the battlefield advantage in your favor.

Cards like Marrow Chomper

Marrow Chomper finds its niche in the expansive roster of creature cards within Magic the Gathering, sharing beneficial traits with other creatures that also command the battlefield through life gain. Comparable in effect, Falkenrath Noble provides a consistent trickle of life gain, granting one life point every time a creature dies. Yet, unlike Marrow Chomper, Falkenrath Noble’s ability can trigger multiple times in a turn and does not necessitate other creatures entering the battlefield.

Conversely, Blood Artist stands as a more direct analog, delivering both life gain and opponent life loss whenever any creature perishes, underscoring a relentless drain strategy that operates beyond dependent entries. However, Marrow Chomper boasts the potential for larger, immediate life gains if multiple creatures are entering your side of the field in one swoop.

Spotlighting Marrow Chomper’s doctrinal strength in creature-heavy decks, one can observe its peaks against separate life gain competitors when the board is ripe with allies. With careful timing and a constructed synergy among other creatures, Marrow Chomper has the capacity to be a singularly powerful surge of vitality, secure in its specialization in Magic the Gathering’s diverse creature ensemble.

Cards similar to Marrow Chomper by color, type and mana cost

Deathbloom Ritualist - MTG Card versions

Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper - MTG Card versions

Nath of the Gilt-Leaf - MTG Card versions

Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Marrow Chomper MTG card by a specific set like Alara Reborn, 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 Marrow Chomper and other MTG cards: