Mephitic Ooze MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Ooze
Released	2004-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Darksteel
Set code	DST
Power	0
Toughness	5
Number	47
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alex Horley-Orlandelli

Key Takeaways

Gaining card advantage with Mephitic Ooze is possible through graveyard interactions and opponent creature deaths.
Its ever-increasing power applies pressure, potentially redirecting opponent’s resources to your benefit.
Despite not being instant speed, it favorably interacts on-board and survives many combat scenarios.

Text of card

Mephitic Ooze gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control. Whenever Mephitic Ooze deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature. The creature can't be regenerated.

In Mephidross, refuse doesn't last long—it's all scavenged, reanimated, or consumed.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mephitic Ooze presents a unique interaction with the graveyard, allowing you to potentially gain card advantage. Each card opponent’s creature that dies due to damage dealt by the Ooze represents one less resource for your opponent and a step closer to your own victory.

Resource Acceleration: Although Mephitic Ooze itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to grow in strength indirectly pressures opponents to deal with it, potentially diverting their resources and giving you an upper hand in the resource race.

Instant Speed: While Mephitic Ooze doesn’t operate at instant speed, it still interacts favorably on the board against creatures that would normally bypass sorcery-speed removal, especially considering it can survive most combat scenarios and continuous to pose a threat each turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the main drawbacks of Mephitic Ooze is the discard condition attached to its power-boosting ability. Players have to sacrifice an extra card from their hand, which can be a steep price, particularly in formats or situations where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Mephitic Ooze demands a precise combination of mana, including both black and green, to cast. This can be restrictive because it necessitates a deck tailored to these colors, potentially limiting deck-building flexibility and reducing the Ooze’s utility in more diverse deck strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana total with two color requirements, Mephitic Ooze’s mana cost is somewhat on the higher end. When the mana investment is considered alongside its ability costs, some players might find it less appealing compared to other creature options that provide immediate impacts on the game state for a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mephitic Ooze offers a unique blend of abilities that can be a game-changer in decks that utilize +1/+1 counters or require a consistent block deterrent. Its scalable power and the ability to deal damage to creatures it blocks or is blocked by, makes it a flexible option in several deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: Its damage dealing capability when blocking or being blocked aligns perfectly with strategies that aim to weaken opponent creatures incrementally. It works particularly well with effects that increase the number of counters on creatures or those that benefit from having creatures with counters on them.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Mephitic Ooze can become a potent tool. It deters attacks and, when it does block, can often lead to favorable trades, making it a valuable inclusion in a meta that favors combat-centric approaches.

How to beat

Mephitic Ooze is a unique card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, offering a blend of deathtouch and an evolving aspect that can be intimidating. To effectively navigate around its growing threat, one must consider cards that can handle or bypass creatures without directly engaging in combat. Among the strategies is to use removal spells like Path to Exile or Murder, which can eliminate Mephitic Ooze before it becomes a larger issue.

Another approach is to control the Ooze’s power level through creature tapping abilities or by preventing counters from being placed on it using cards such as Gideon’s Intervention or Solemnity. Additionally, utilizing cards that restrict the activation of creature abilities, such as Pithing Needle, can also be a viable solution. The key is to prevent the Ooze from leveraging its full potential or to swiftly remove it from the battlefield, ensuring it doesn’t pose a significant threat to your game plan.

Overall, while Mephitic Ooze has the potential to become a powerful adversary, a well-prepared player with the right cards and tactics can contain and surpass this slimy obstacle to maintain control of the game.

Cards like Mephitic Ooze

Mephitic Ooze stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering with its unique damage-blocking attributes. In comparison, similar cards like Mortivore also benefit from the death of creatures but lack the Ooze’s distinctive capability of dealing damage based on power. Mortivore’s strength grows too, yet without the toxic touch of the Ooze.

Viscerid Deepwalker shares a kinship with Mephitic Ooze in that both can manipulate their power, albeit in differing ways. While the Deepwalker can only bulk up by sacrificing other creatures, Mephitic Ooze does this passively through the actions of your opponent, gaining power every time a player casts a spell. Another card, Necroplasm, cleans the board by destroying all creatures with a certain converted mana cost, but again, it’s a far cry from Mephitic Ooze’s selective damage approach based on incurred spells.

In comparison, no other card blends the damage-dealing property with the accumulation of power quite like Mephitic Ooze. It is this singularity that ensures Mephitic Ooze’s place as a formidable contender in games, being a creature that cleverly penalizes spell-heavy strategies and snowballs in threat with each cast spell.

Cards similar to Mephitic Ooze by color, type and mana cost

Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions

Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions

Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions

Bloodlord of Vaasgoth - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mephitic Ooze MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel, 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 Mephitic Ooze and other MTG cards: