Spiked Baloth MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Trample
Released	2012-07-13
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2013
Set code	M13
Power	4
Toughness	2
Number	192
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daarken

Key Takeaways

Tax opponents’ removals and keep creature presence with Spiked Baloth’s intimidating board impact.
Offers solid return on investment with its 4-mana cost for a powerful trample creature.
Enhances green-based decks with its trample ability, scaling well and applying consistent pressure.

Text of card

Trample (If this creature would assign enough damage to its blockers to destroy them, you may have it assign the rest of its damage to defending player or planeswalker.)

If a baloth isn't hungry, it's dead.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Spiked Baloth might not directly contribute to drawing cards, its presence on the battlefield demands an answer from your opponent. This can lead them to expend valuable resources removing it, ultimately benefiting your hand by taxing their removal spells while maintaining creature presence.

Resource Acceleration: Spiked Baloth doesn’t provide traditional mana acceleration, but its 4-mana cost for a 4/2 creature with trample ensures you’re getting a solid return on investment. This cost-to-power ratio can help you stay ahead of the curve, deploying threats steadily and keeping pressure on your opponents.

Instant Speed: Although Spiked Baloth is a creature rather than an instant, its Trample ability ensures that if an opponent leaves mana open to interact during your turn, Spiked Baloth can still push through some damage. The threat of trample damage can influence an opponent’s decisions, potentially at instant speed if you have effects that could grant it temporary buffs or protection during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some other creatures in the game, Spiked Baloth doesn’t demand that you discard a card as part of its casting or ability resolutions. This characteristic is not associated with Spiked Baloth, thus, it doesn’t suffer the common setback of discarding which could hinder your hand advantage during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Spiked Baloth requires a specific mana investment of three generic and one green mana. This can be restrictive for multicolored decks that may struggle with producing the necessary green mana consistently or decks that aim for a faster curve with lower mana costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Bearing a casting cost of four mana for a 4/2 creature, Spiked Baloth presents a higher mana investment compared to other creatures with similar stats or abilities. In the current meta, where efficient resource management is key, opting for creatures that provide additional utility or have a lower casting cost could be more beneficial to a player’s strategy.

Reasons to Include Spiked Baloth in Your Collection

Versatility: As a creature with a substantial power-to-mana cost ratio, Spiked Baloth slips easily into various green-based decks. Its trample ability ensures it can push damage through blockers, making it a consistent threat on the board.

Combo Potential: Spiked Baloth’s trample pairs well with effects that increase its power. In decks that ramp quickly or utilize +1/+1 counters, it can become an even more formidable force, scaling well into the late game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where smaller creatures are common, Spiked Baloth can effectively break through defenses. Its presence in your collection means you can adapt to metas where applying consistent pressure is key to victory.

How to beat

Spiked Baloth is a creature that brings a considerable presence to the battlefield in MTG. Its trample ability allows it to deal excess damage to a player even when blocked by creatures with lesser power. To effectively counter Spiked Baloth, one strategy is to divert from direct combat and instead utilize removal spells that can dispatch these creatures regardless of their size. Spells such as Doom Blade or Murder are perfect for quietly removing Spiked Baloth from the field without having to face it head-on in battle.

Alternatively, countering Spiked Baloth can involve weakening or nullifying its abilities, such as with Pacifism, which can prevent the creature from attacking or blocking altogether, thereby neutralizing its trample capability. Additionally, one could employ bounce spells like Unsummon to return Spiked Baloth to its owner’s hand, disrupting your opponent’s momentum and buying you crucial time. Ensnaring the creature in these strategic ways minimizes its impact and protects your life points from its potentially hefty onslaught.

Assessing the right approach is key; whether it’s a swift elimination or a more controlled disabling method, understanding how to manage such threats is what distinguishes proficient MTG players from novices.

Cards like Spiked Baloth

Spiked Baloth is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering’s vast menagerie. It’s comparable to other four-mana green creatures like Battering Krasis, which shares the same mana cost and Trample ability. However, Spiked Baloth enjoys a slight advantage with an immediate 4/2 body, ready to deal significant damage upon entry, unlike Battering Krasis that starts as a 2/1 and needs to evolve to become a threat.

Another similar card is Centaur Courser, which stands out with its stable 3/3 stats for the same mana cost. Although it lacks Trample, its consistent power and toughness make it a reliable contender on the battlefield. Then there’s Stampeding Rhino, with a 4/4 body that boasts Trample as well. However, it comes at a higher mana cost, potentially delaying your offensive strategy compared with the punctual emergence of Spiked Baloth.

Ultimately, when looking at the impact and effectiveness of creatures within the four-mana slot in green decks, Spiked Baloth presents an attractive balance between power and playability, affirming its place among the game’s solid midrange green creatures.

Cards similar to Spiked Baloth by color, type and mana cost

Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions

Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spiked Baloth MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013, 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 Spiked Baloth and other MTG cards: