Bog Serpent MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Serpent
Released	2007-02-02
Set symbol
Set name	Planar Chaos
Set code	PLC
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	84
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Thomas M. Baxa

Key Takeaways

Bog Serpent offers card advantage through cycling, aiding in maintaining a full hand for strategic plays.
Resource acceleration is key with swamp lands, placing Bog Serpent effectively ahead on the board.
Flexibility in using the cycling ability at instant speed makes the Serpent a versatile pick.

Text of card

Bog Serpent can't attack unless defending player controls a Swamp. When you control no Swamps, sacrifice Bog Serpent.

"We thought it was a fallen tree trunk. Then it ate Snod." —Sneed, goblin barkwright

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bog Serpent provides a strategic edge by allowing you to cycle it from your hand, enabling you to draw another card. This action ensures that your hand remains stocked with answers and threats, essential for outpacing opponents in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: With a deck built around swamp cards, Bog Serpent can be an excellent addition. It thrives in an environment rich with swamp lands, often allowing for an accelerated board presence compared to other six-mana creatures. This can lead to a significant tempo advantage as you deploy threats ahead of the curve.

Instant Speed: While the Bog Serpent itself is not an instant, its cycling ability can be used at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to adapt to on-board situations, subtly turning a dead draw into potentially game-changing new options, all while staying efficient with your mana usage during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bog Serpent necessitates discarding a card to unlock its abilities, potentially putting you at a card disadvantage and depleting your hand, especially detrimental in long-drawn-out matches where resources are key.

Specific Mana Cost: This serpent’s appetite for swamp mana restricts it to black-centered decks, reducing its versatility across the diverse deck archetypes. Navigating this mana-hungry creature into multicolored decks can be challenging and sometimes not worth the deck-building gymnastics required.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Swinging in with a mana value that might make you think twice, the cost to get Bog Serpent in play could outweigh its benefits especially when sized up against other formidable creatures that bring more to the battlefield for a similar, or even lower, investment.

Reasons to Include Bog Serpent in Your Collection

Versatility: Bog Serpent offers a unique advantage in game formats where lands are plentiful in play. Its seamless integration into decks that focus on land control or landfall mechanics allows it to become a formidable threat quickly.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies that encourage or capitalize on having Swamps. In combination with land-search cards or cards that turn lands into Swamps, Bog Serpent can consistently attack or defend as needed, playing a key role in swamp-centric combos.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that sees less graveyard hate or where black-heavy decks are prominent, Bog Serpent excels by being a cost-effective creature with the potential to bypass many common defenses, aligning well with the swamp-heavy land bases of control and midrange decks.

How to beat

The Bog Serpent represents an intriguing challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This creature typically requires a particular environment to truly thrive, often requiring you to have a Swamp to enable it to attack each turn. Without this condition satisfied, the Bog Serpent is unable to show its full potential, becoming a dormant threat on the board.

Key strategies to counteract the Bog Serpent involve land management and creature control. Cards that allow you to alter the land types on the battlefield, such as Blood Moon or Spreading Seas, can turn the tide against the Serpent by removing its ability to attack. Ensuring you have a well-prepared array of removal spells, versatile answers like Path to Exile or Abrupt Decay can effectively address the creature before it becomes a pressing menace. Additionally, employing creatures with flying or reach gives you a defensive edge, as the Serpent is limited to terrestrial combat.

Overall, defeating the Bog Serpent hinges on proactive play and a diverse suite of answers. By disrupting its environment or preparing removals for when it can attack, you’ll neutralize its threat and maintain control over the game’s pace. This methodical approach will pave your way to victory against such situationally powerful creatures.

Cards like Bog Serpent

The Bog Serpent is an intriguing creature card that conjures images of weaving through the murky waters of MTG’s swamplands. As an inhabitant of the darker corners of the card universe, it shares traits with some other swamp-loving creatures. A notable comparison is with the Benthic Behemoth, which, like the Bog Serpent, requires a considerable amount of mana to play and is adept at providing a strong presence on the board. However, the Bog Serpent comes with a unique caveat; it can only attack if you have a swamp in play. This ties its functionality closely to your land type strategy.

Mirroring this serpent’s swamp-dependence, we encounter Twisted Abomination, a creature that not only has a solid presence but also offers land cycling capabilities, making it a flexible choice for deck building. Another serpent, the Scalebanes’ Elite, requires swamps to unlock its full potential but rewards players with enhanced strength and toughness.

Upon weighing similarities and distinct qualities, the Bog Serpent holds a special place in the realm of swamp-centric creatures. Its conditional attack ability can be seen as a strategic element that complements decks exploiting lands with deftness and deliberation.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bog Serpent MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos, 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 Bog Serpent and other MTG cards: