Wrecking Beast MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Riot,Trample
Released	2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica Allegiance
Set code	RNA
Power	6
Toughness	6
Number	150
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Izzy

Key Takeaways

Wrecking Beast is flexible; its adapt ability can surprise opponents, enhancing combat tactics.
High mana cost may be a drawback, potentially slowing down your overall strategy.
In late-game scenarios, Wrecking Beast can be a powerful addition, dominating the board.

Text of card

Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.) Trample

"The best construction makes the most satisfying destruction." —Domri Rade

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While not directly providing card advantage in the traditional sense, Wrecking Beast’s built-in ability to create a 3/3 Beast creature token with trample when it’s adapted can effectively act like an additional card by putting more power on the board without needing another card from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Wrecking Beast offers a significant impact on the battlefield, which could be seen as a form of resource acceleration. By casting this creature, you are effectively accelerating your board presence, especially if you take advantage of its mana cost through ramp spells and land-fetching abilities.

Instant Speed: Although Wrecking Beast itself can’t be cast at instant speed, the adapt mechanic it possesses allows you to use its adaptation ability at instant speed. This enables you to surprise an opponent by enhancing its power and toughness during their turn, possibly turning the tide during combat or when you least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Wrecking Beast doesn’t require discarding as an upfront cost, having such a hefty creature in your hand may force you to make tough decisions about what to discard when confronted with hand size limits or opponent-induced discard effects.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Wrecking Beast demands seven mana, including two green. This specific mana requirement can pose a challenge, especially in multicolor decks that may struggle to consistently produce the necessary green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at seven mana, this creature comes with a steep price. Players may find that when Wrecking Beast is ready to hit the battlefield, they might be behind in board presence or opportunities compared to casting lower-cost creatures or spells that could contribute to their game plan earlier.

Reasons to Include Wrecking Beast in Your Collection

Versatility: Wrecking Beast, being a large creature with both trample and adapt abilities, offers flexibility in game play. It can serve as a formidable threat in decks that are designed to push through for late-game dominance.

Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal in combinations that exploit the presence of big creatures. Its adapt mechanic enables it to synergize with strategies focused on +1/+1 counter placements or interactions with trample-enabling effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to stretch into the later turns, Wrecking Beast can shine as a game-ending creature. It’s particularly effective against deck types that may struggle to remove large, beefy monsters in the later stages of the game.

How to beat

Wrecking Beast is a formidable presence on the battlefield, endowed with the trample ability and a substantial 6/6 body. This creature card from the Magic: The Gathering universe can represent a significant challenge for many players. To successfully navigate a confrontation with Wrecking Beast, it’s crucial to anticipate its arrival. Since it has a high mana cost, this creature often enters play in the later stages of the game, giving you ample time to set up an effective response.

Consider employing removal spells that can bypass the beast’s trample ability, such as “Murder” or “Path to Exile,” which can exile the creature regardless of its size or abilities. Countering the spell before the creature hits the board is another strategy, made possible by spells like “Counterspell” or “Cancel.” Moreover, setting up a robust defense with creatures that can endure a hit from Wrecking Beast or utilizing cards that force sacrifices, such as “Diabolic Edict,” could turn the tide in your favor.

In essence, defeating Wrecking Beast is a matter of preparation and control. By keeping removals or counters in hand, ensuring a strong defense, and managing your opponent’s threats effectively, you can mitigate the impact of this rampaging beast and maintain your position in the game.

Cards like Wrecking Beast

Wrecking Beast stands as a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering, bringing substantial power to the board. Its closest relatives include creatures like Carnage Tyrant, which also boasts an impressive size and the potential to end games quickly. While Wrecking Beast carries the Riot mechanic, allowing it to either enter the battlefield with haste or a +1/+1 counter, Carnage Tyrant edges it out with hexproof and an innate inability to be countered, ensuring its place on the battlefield.

In the same category, we see Ghalta, Primal Hunger, whose cost can be significantly reduced, outpacing Wrecking Beast in terms of mana efficiency. Ghalta also brings an astronomical 12/12 stat line that can overwhelm opponents rapidly. On the flip side, Siege Behemoth, although less known, gives all your attacking creatures a taste of its destructive power, letting them deal damage as though they weren’t blocked.

To sum up, while Wrecking Beast is a juggernaut with its own merit, especially for enabling choice upon entry, the existing catalog of high-cost green creatures offers a variety of strategies to dominate the late game. Mana efficiency, permanency on the board, and enhanced aggression are factors that often guide players in selecting the right giant for their deck’s needs.

Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wrecking Beast MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Wrecking Beast and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wrecking Beast has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-01-25	If a creature entering the battlefield has riot but can’t have a +1/+1 counter put onto it, it gains haste.
2019-01-25	If you choose for the creature to gain haste, it gains haste indefinitely. It won’t lose it as the turn ends or as another player gains control of it.
2019-01-25	Riot is a replacement effect. Players can’t respond to your choice of +1/+1 counter or haste, and they can’t take actions while the creature is on the battlefield without one or the other.