Arboreal Grazer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Beast
Abilities Reach
Power 0
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Arboreal Grazer offers card advantage through additional land drops, enhancing resource access and deck efficiency.
  2. Its ability to speed up mana availability allows for faster execution of strategies, helping to outpace opponents.
  3. While versatile and beneficial for ramp strategies, Grazer’s full potential hinges on having a land in hand.

Text of card

Reach When Arboreal Grazer enters the battlefield, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.

"We fight to stop a tyrant, but we also fight for the gentle creatures who have no concept of what befalls their world." —Vivien Reid


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Arboreal Grazer allows a player to put an additional land onto the battlefield, which can effectively be an extra card played that turn. Not only does this mean a step ahead in terms of resources, but it also thins the deck, increasing the chances of drawing non-land cards in subsequent turns.

Resource Acceleration: By putting a land from hand onto the battlefield, the Grazer provides a jump in available mana sources. This leads to a quicker execution of your strategy by enabling larger spells to be played ahead of the normal curve, effectively outpacing the opponent in resource development.

Instant Speed: While the Arboreal Grazer itself is not an instant, it allows for a land to be played as though it were at instant speed—during the main phase when the Grazer enters the battlefield. This immediate land drop can give the illusion of instant speed interaction, which is particularly useful if the land has abilities that could be activated at instant speed or in response to opponents’ actions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With the Arboreal Grazer, while there isn’t a discard requirement, there’s the need to have a land card in hand to maximize its land drop ability. If you don’t have extra land, this creature loses much of its potential value.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires green mana to play. Although its mana cost is low, its specificity means it’s primarily a fit for green or green-inclusive decks, limiting its versatility in mono-colored decks of other hues.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Arboreal Grazer is an early game card with a reach ability, however, its one toughness relative to its mana cost makes it vulnerable to early removal, and less impactful compared to other one-drop creatures in the game with similar abilities or better defensive capabilities.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Arboreal Grazer slips seamlessly into a wide variety of decks, especially ones that emphasize land strategies. By enabling an additional land drop upon entering the battlefield, it accelerates your game plan while offering a steadfast blocker with its Reach ability.

Combo Potential: The Grazer isn’t just about ramping; it can be a central piece in landfall combos. Each land drop could unleash cascading effects when combined with the right cards, greatly enhancing your position with each turn it remains on the field.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where early momentum can dictate the outcome, this creature ensures that you’re a step ahead by tweaking your mana curve. Plus, with its ability to interact favorably against flying threats, it remains pertinent in various meta scenarios.


How to beat

Arboreal Grazer stands out in MTG for its ability to ramp up your mana early in the game. It does this by allowing you to put an additional land card onto the battlefield tapped. To effectively counter the tactical advantage given by Arboreal Grazer, resource denial strategies are key. Cards like Blood Moon can transform non-basic lands into basic Mountains, which may disrupt your opponent’s mana base built through the Grazer. Land destruction cards such as Field of Ruin can also be employed to handle the accelerated land drops that Arboreal Grazer affords.

Moreover, removal spells that target non-creature permanents, like Assassin’s Trophy or Casualties of War, will allow you to deal with any troublesome lands that have been rapidly deployed. It’s also beneficial to use creature removals like Fatal Push or Path to Exile early in the game to eliminate the Arboreal Grazer itself, ensuring that it won’t be able to block any early swings you may have lined up. Take note that the Grazer’s reach ability can pose an issue for flying creatures, but by removing it swiftly, you maintain a clear path to chip away at your opponent’s life total.

While Arboreal Grazer can provide a significant speed boost in the early stages, effective countermeasures can mitigate its impact and maintain an equilibrium in the race for board dominance.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Arboreal Grazer is a gem for MTG enthusiasts, particularly for those inclined towards ramp-up strategies. As explored, its capacity to provide an extra land drop is a game-changer, allowing players to stretch their mana resources beyond the norm. The card fits snugly into decks focused on land mechanics and delivers a surprising defensive reach against flying creatures. However, savvy opponents can employ specific tactics to neutralize its advantages. For players seeking to augment their collection or finesse their deck-building skills, the dynamics around cards like the Arboreal Grazer are both rewarding and challenging. Dive deeper into strategies and find ways to integrate or counter this unique creature effectively with us.


Cards like Arboreal Grazer

The Arboreal Grazer is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering that accelerates mana by allowing its controller to put an additional land onto the battlefield when it enters play. It’s akin to cards like Sakura-Tribe Scout in its ability to put lands into play, but the Grazer does this instantly upon entry and it also provides a defensive body with reach early in the game.

Comparatively, Llanowar Scout offers a similar function with its tap ability to play an extra land, yet it isn’t immediate like Arboreal Grazer’s enter-the-battlefield effect. Elvish Pioneer, another parallel, can also drop an additional land when it comes into play, but the Pioneer imposes a limitation, requiring the land to come from your hand whereas Arboreal Grazer does not. Also, Grazer’s 0/3 stats give it a slight edge in survival against early aggression.

In essence, while there are several creatures within MTG that boast land-related abilities, Arboreal Grazer stands out due to its low cost, immediate land acceleration, and bonus of defensive utility. These features make it particularly appealing in decks that aim to ramp up quickly while maintaining a solid defense.

Sakura-Tribe Scout - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Scout - MTG Card versions
Elvish Pioneer - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Scout - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Llanowar Scout - Dominaria (DOM)
Elvish Pioneer - Onslaught (ONS)

Cards similar to Arboreal Grazer by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
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Scryb Sprites - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
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Ghazbán Ogre - Masters Edition (ME1)
Shanodin Dryads - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Wall of Wood - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Village Elder - Mirage (MIR)
Spike Drone - Tempest (TMP)
Skyshroud Elite - Exodus (EXO)
Elvish Berserker - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Tree Monkey - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wild Dogs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Elvish Herder - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pouncing Jaguar - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taunting Elf - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Llanowar Elite - Invasion (INV)
Scavenger Folk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Willow Geist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fyndhorn Elves - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nimble Mongoose - The List (PLST)
Sylvan Safekeeper - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arboreal Grazer MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Ravnica Remastered, 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 Arboreal Grazer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Arboreal Grazer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Jason Rainville.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 1492015normalblackJason Rainville
22024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 1312015normalblackJason Rainville
32024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 3431997normalblackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arboreal Grazer has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arboreal Grazer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2019-05-03 Arboreal Grazer’s effect doesn’t count as playing a land. It can put a land card onto the battlefield even if you’ve already played your land for the turn.

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