Makeshift Mauler MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Makeshift Mauler comes with an Undying mechanic, providing a repeated use of the creature after it dies. This can effectively lead to maintaining card advantage on the battlefield, as opponents must deal with the creature twice.

Resource Acceleration: This card can circumvent traditional mana costs through its self-reanimating ability. Essentially, it leverages graveyard resources, providing a form of acceleration by having a potent creature enter the battlefield potentially earlier than it otherwise could.

Instant Speed: Though Makeshift Mauler isn’t an instant, its resurrection effect can create strategic advantages similar to what instant speed play offers. Being able to bring back a creature after it dies during any turn can catch an opponent unprepared, much like the surprise factor of instant speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Makeshift Mauler requires you to exile a creature card from your graveyard as part of its casting cost, which diminishes your ability to utilize graveyard strategies or recurring creature abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands both blue and generic mana to cast, potentially restricting its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana, especially in the early game when casting a 4/5 creature could be game-changing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four total mana needed to cast Makeshift Mauler might be considered steep for a creature that brings no immediate board impact or built-in protection, especially when there are alternative creatures at a similar cost that offer more utility or lower costing creatures with comparable stats.

Reasons to Include Makeshift Mauler in Your Collection

Versatility: Makeshift Mauler can effortlessly adapt to various blue-based control or midrange decks. Its role as a sizable creature with the Undying ability makes it a robust defender and threat on the board.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs well with graveyard manipulation strategies. A deck engineered around self-mill or reanimation can leverage Makeshift Mauler for consistent board presence or as part of a larger combo finish with other synergistic pieces.

Meta-Relevance: Whilst the MTG meta consistently evolves, having a four-mana 4/5 creature that can be easily recurred may provide an edge in metas heavy on creature combat. Its presence can disrupt opponent strategies that rely on dealing with less sturdy creatures.

How to beat

Makeshift Mauler may not be the most formidable opponent on the battlefield, but it can stand as an unexpected obstacle in Magic: The Gathering matches. Understanding the card’s particular strengths is key in forming a strategy to overcome it. The Mauler’s defining feature is its cost-effective combination of a 4/5 body with the undead subtype, enabled by its status as a zombie. To effectively counter it, you can employ instant-speed removal spells that bypass its toughness, such as Doom Blade or Go for the Throat, which can dispose of nonblack creatures without delay. Alternatively, enchantment-based removal like Oblivion Ring or Banishing Light can whisk the creature away regardless of its color, neatly sidestepping potential hexproof or regeneration effects that could protect the card.

In games that feature Makeshift Mauler, it’s often advantageous to prioritize graveyard management. Cards that shuffle the graveyard back into the library, like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus, ensure that your opponent’s attempt to make use of the graveyard as a resource is hindered. This deals a significant blow to strategies that might utilize the mauler’s cost-effectiveness. By preparing your deck with these tools, you can ensure that Makeshift Mauler’s presence on the board is short-lived and that you maintain the upper hand.