Cloudpiercer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dinosaur
Abilities Mutate,Reach
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Cloudpiercer mutation can greatly increase a creature’s power, influencing the state of the game.
  2. The ability to cycle cards ensures players maintain a flow of resources and deck consistency.
  3. Mutation at instant speed allows surprise tactics, giving players strategic flexibility.

Text of card

Mutate (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.) Reach Whenever this creature mutates, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cloudpiercer, when mutated onto another creature, induces the valuable effect of allowing you to cycle a card. This can help filter through your deck to find the necessary resources or answers by discarding a card that isn’t beneficial at the moment in exchange for drawing a new one.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a significant power boost when it mutates, Cloudpiercer not only provides an increase in the pressure you can apply on your opponent but also enables you to overcome formidable creatures your opponents control without expending additional cards.

Instant Speed: Despite not having instant speed itself, Cloudpiercer’s mutate ability can be executed at instant speed as long as it’s mutating onto a non-human creature that could have a mutate activation as an instant. This flexibility allows savvy players to adapt to the dynamic state of the game, effectively catching opponents off guard during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable downside to Cloudpiercer, like several mutate cards, requires that you discard another card to utilize its mutate ability. This can deplete your hand quickly if you don’t have sufficient card draw mechanics in play to replenish your resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Cloudpiercer comes with a specific mana cost that includes red mana, which may not always be conveniently accessible if your deck doesn’t heavily focus on red or you’re experiencing color fixing issues. Without the right mana, you might find this creature stranded in your hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mutate cost of four mana—five for hard casting—Cloudpiercer sits on the higher end of the mana curve. In faster-paced games or formats, this could slow you down, especially when considering other options that can provide similar levels of board presence or mutate effects at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Cloudpiercer in Your Collection

Versatility: Cloudpiercer can seamlessly adapt to various deck themes due to its mutate mechanic. This ability to stack onto other creatures gives players flexibility in combat and strategy.

Combo Potential: This card excels when paired with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects or when used to enhance creature-based synergies, elevating your gameplay through clever combinations.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creatures play a dominant role, Cloudpiercer stands out with its capacity to swing matches by transforming weaker creatures into significant threats.


How to Beat Cloudpiercer

Cloudpiercer is a formidable creature card in MTG, known for its ability to mutate onto other creatures and provide a significant power boost. However, with the right strategy, you can counter this aerial threat effectively. Since Cloudpiercer relies on the mutate mechanic, playing instant removal spells in response to a mutation attempt can disrupt your opponent’s plans. Cards like ‘Heartless Act’ or ‘Terminates’ are efficient at removing creatures before the mutation resolves.

Another tactic involves utilizing bounce spells, such as ‘Unsummon’ or ‘Brazen Borrower’, to return the mutated creature to your opponent’s hand. This not only resets their board but also forces them to spend additional resources to replay their creatures. It’s important to keep in mind that Cloudpiercer’s effect of discarding a card to draw a card can be detrimental to your opponent if played too frequently. Capitalize on this by incorporating hand disruption tools, like ‘Thoughtseize’, to limit their options and resources.

Lastly, if your opponent successfully mutates Cloudpiercer, consider using high toughness blockers to mitigate its combat damage or enchantments that prevent it from attacking. By employing these methods, you can neutralize the threat of Cloudpiercer and maintain control of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the utility of Cloudpiercer highlights its strategic role in MTG decks emphasizing mutate mechanics and power boosts. It shines by providing card advantage and flexing combat prowess, though mindful play is required to offset potential mana and hand size constraints. For those assembling decks with a focus on adaptability and creature enhancements, Cloudpiercer offers intriguing possibilities. Enhance your collection with this versatile card and exploit its potential to dominate the battlefield. Curious about integrating Cloudpiercer into your deck-building strategies? Visit us to discover detailed insights and strategies to optimize its use and ensure victory in your MTG endeavors.


Cards like Cloudpiercer

Cloudpiercer stands out in the lineup of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering due to its mutate mechanic. Like other creature cards with mutate, such as Auspicious Starrix or Porcuparrot, it allows for versatile battlefield tactics by mutating onto existing creatures. This can drastically amplify their threat level. However, Cloudpiercer distinguishes itself with its focus on boosting power, making it an ideal choice for a more aggressive strategy.

Comparing to Pouncing Shoreshark, another creature with mutate, Cloudpiercer lacks the tempo advantage provided by the Shoreshark’s ability to bounce an opposing creature to its owner’s hand. But Cloudpiercer compensates with its ability to give creatures an enormous power spike. In addition, Cloudpiercer’s mutate cost closely mirrors that of Gemrazer, but instead of offering a removal ability for artifacts or enchantments, it provides a repeatable source of card cycling, ensuring more consistency in your plays.

While selecting cards for a mutate-focused deck, Cloudpiercer promises to be an effective addition for those looking to capitalize on brute force. Its unique balance between card advantage and aggressive stat boosting makes it a card worth considering in the appropriate deck build in Magic: The Gathering.

Auspicious Starrix - MTG Card versions
Porcuparrot - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Shoreshark - MTG Card versions
Gemrazer - MTG Card versions
Auspicious Starrix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Porcuparrot - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Pouncing Shoreshark - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Gemrazer - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cloudpiercer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Cloudpiercer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cloudpiercer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2020-04-24. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 809792015mutateblackSteve Ellis
22020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 1122015mutateblackDan Scott
32020-04-24Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsIKO 2912015mutateblackSteve Ellis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cloudpiercer has restrictions

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

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