Craw Giant MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Giant
Abilities Rampage,Trample
Power 6
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Playing Craw Giant gives card advantage by forcing opponents to use multiple resources to counter it.
  2. Ramp spells enhance Craw Giant’s playability, enabling earlier and more powerful board states.
  3. Building with instant-speed cards around Craw Giant can strategically protect it and clear attack paths.

Text of card

Trample Rampage: 2

Harthag gave a jolly laugh as he surveyed the army before him. "Ho ho ho! Midgets! You think you can stand in my way?"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Craw Giant offers a robust presence on the battlefield that may demand multiple cards from an opponent to handle effectively. This can result in card advantage as opponents are often forced to use more than one resource to address the threat posed by the Giant.

Resource Acceleration: If combined with ramp spells or abilities that allow additional land drops, players can cast the Craw Giant sooner than usual, leading to faster and more impactful plays that advance the player’s board state significantly.

Instant Speed: While the creature itself does not have instant speed, deck-building around the Craw Giant might include instant-speed tricks and removals to protect the creature or clear the path for its attacks. This strategic layer adds to the Giant’s value within a game, providing indirect benefits tied to its inclusion in a deck.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Craw Giant necessitates a tribute of two cards from your hand to unlock its trample ability through the Threshold mechanic. This can put you at a considerable disadvantage, especially when your card advantage is already waning.

Specific Mana Cost: With its demand for one green mana specifically, Craw Giant imposes deck-building constraints, often requiring a commitment to green-centric land bases or mana-fixing strategies to be consistently playable.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Giant’s six mana investment, inclusive of the heavy green mana requirement, can be burdensome. Considering contemporary game standards where efficiency is key, several alternative creatures offer more impressive board presence or immediate impact with less mana commitment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Craw Giant can adapt to different play styles, fitting nicely into decks that prize ramping up to big creatures. Its trample ability ensures it remains a threat even when facing token strategies or armies of smaller blockers.

Combo Potential: As a part of the Rampage family, Craw Giant’s rampage 2 means it grows stronger against multiple blockers, pairing well with effects that force multiple blocks or strategies that clear the way for massive damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with board wipes and control elements, crawling back into the game with a substantial creature like Craw Giant can be crucial. It stands tall against many of the common removal spells due to its sizable presence on the board.


How to beat Craw Giant

Craw Giant is a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering with its trample ability and robust stats. To gain the upper hand against this creature, it’s essential to employ efficient removal spells or creatures with enough toughness that can withstand an attack and survive. Cards such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile can dispatch Craw Giant without much fuss, removing the threat before it becomes unmanageable.

Another effective strategy is to use creatures with deathtouch, such as Typhoid Rats, making any blocking scenario fatal for the giant. Enchantments that pacify or reduce the power of creatures can also inhibit the Craw Giant’s capacity to overwhelm the battlefield, ensuring it becomes less of a threat. Counterspells are a preemptive measure that can stop a Craw Giant from ever entering the battlefield.

Ultimately, overcoming the Craw Giant requires a combination of understanding its abilities, timing your responses correctly, and having the right answers within your deck to address this gargantuan threat.


Cards like Craw Giant

Craw Giant is a classic behemoth from the realms of Magic: The Gathering. This towering creature card echoes the traits of other high-impact giants like Colossal Dreadmaw. Much like Craw Giant, the Colossal Dreadmaw is a testament to size and power, featuring a hefty power/toughness ratio that demands attention on the battlefield. However, unlike the trample ability that Craw Giant possesses, Colossal Dreadmaw also includes the ability to break through an opponent’s creatures to inflict damage.

Another card that hearkens to Craw Giant is Thorn Elemental. Similar to Craw Giant, it offers the player the option to have its damage assigned as if it weren’t blocked. This ability can be a pivotal turn in a tight game, reflecting the strategic depth Magic: The Gathering is renowned for. However, Thorn Elemental diverges in mana cost and lacks the trample ability that enables Craw Giant to deal excess damage.

All things considered, Craw Giant finds its place among MTG’s colossal creatures with its unique blend of size, trample, and formidable presence. It’s a card that undoubtedly contributes to the diversity and excitement of ramp strategies within the game, and remains a solid choice for players looking to make grand statements with giant creatures.

Colossal Dreadmaw - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Colossal Dreadmaw - Ixalan (XLN)
Thorn Elemental - Urza's Destiny (UDS)

Cards similar to Craw Giant by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Penumbra Wurm - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - Odyssey Promos (PODY)
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - Judgment (JUD)
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Somberwald Beastmaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cultivator Colossus - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Garruk's Horde - Welcome Deck 2017 (W17)
Krosan Tusker - The List (PLST)
Avenger of Zendikar - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Hundroog - Legions (LGN)
Enormous Baloth - Tenth Edition (10E)
Ancient Ooze - Scourge (SCG)
Cytospawn Shambler - Dissension (DIS)
Panglacial Wurm - The List (PLST)
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - Tenth Edition (10E)
Duskdale Wurm - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Pelakka Wurm - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Engulfing Slagwurm - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Kalonian Behemoth - Salvat 2011 (PS11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Craw Giant MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Craw Giant and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Craw Giant Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-06-01LegendsLEG 1801993normalblackChristopher Rush
21995-07-01ChroniclesCHR 611993normalwhiteChristopher Rush
31997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 2851997normalwhiteScott Kirschner
42006-10-06Time Spiral TimeshiftedTSB 761997normalblackChristopher Rush

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Craw Giant has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks