Megatherium MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Trample
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	259
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Paolo Parente

Key Takeaways

Megatherium offers a transformative board presence, forcing opponents to exhaust important resources to confront it.
Its synergy with ramp strategies enables massive plays earlier, intensifying your deck’s pressure and impact.
Leveraging instant speed interactions enhances Megatherium’s strategic value during pivotal gameplay moments.

Text of card

Trample When Megatherium comes into play, sacrifice it unless you pay o1 for each card in your hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Megatherium is known for its substantial body that, once on the field, can command a presence and tip the scales in your favor. By offering consistent creature threats, it helps to ensure a steady flow of pressure on your opponents. This often forces them to deal with Megatherium, thereby granting you card advantage as they deplete their resources.

Resource Acceleration: This massive beast has been designed to synergize with strategies that accelerate your resources. Its presence reinforces board states and enables larger plays earlier than usual, which can be particularly devastating in ramp decks that thrive on having abundant mana sources.

Instant Speed: While Megatherium itself may not have flash, its synergy with spells that can be played at instant speed can’t be understated. Interacting with it during your opponent’s turn, whether it’s through protective spells or ones that capitalize on surprise value, maximizes your strategic potential and ensures Megatherium’s impact is felt at critical moments during gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bringing Megatherium into play demands that you discard a card. This condition can set you back, particularly if your hand is already depleted or every card is crucial to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Megatherium’s casting cost includes not just a significant amount of generic mana but also one green mana. This specificity means it might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks or decks that rely heavily on other colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a hefty mana cost, Megatherium demands a large investment before it hits the battlefield. Given this substantial cost, players might find alternative creatures or spells that provide more immediate impact or versatility for the same, or lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include Megatherium in Your Collection

Versatility: Megatherium provides flexibility across various deck archetypes with its ability to adapt to different board states and support multiple strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can seamlessly integrate with other pieces to initiate powerful combinations, enhancing both offensive and defensive game plans.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its capacity to interact with prevalent decks and influence the game, Megatherium’s relevance in the current meta can not be overstated.

How to beat

Megatherium in MTG is a formidable creature that can dominate the battlefield if left unchecked. Luckily, several strategies can effectively counter this colossal beast. Considering its immense power, one of the direct approaches is to prevent it from hitting the board in the first place. Using counter spells such as Negate or Essence Scatter can nip the problem in the bud, securing your defenses early in the game.

Should Megatherium make it onto the battlefield, having removal spells at the ready is crucial. Instant-speed options like Murder or Path to Exile offer a quick and efficient way to deal with the threat, ensuring that you maintain control. Alternatively, board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the playing field, often swinging the momentum of the match back in your favor.

Lastly, keep in mind the power of exile effects, which can permanently remove Megatherium from the game, bypassing any graveyard shenanigans. Spells like Swords to Plowshares or Oblivion Ring can do just that, offering not only a solution to your current problem but also preventing any future recurrence. With these tactics, the key to victory against Megatherium lies in preparedness and timely response.

Cards like Megatherium

Megatherium in Magic: The Gathering finds company among many creature spells with imposing presences on the battlefield. Take, for instance, the Ghalta, Primal Hunger, a card that offers a significant Power/Toughness ratio for potentially less mana depending on the total power of creatures you control. While Ghalta can hit the board quickly with the right setup, Megatherium’s own set of conditions for a reduced cost involves a particular creature type presence, appealing specifically to players building around that synergy.

Another creature worth considering is the Verdurous Gearhulk, equally at home in decks that put a premium on permanent counters to empower creatures significantly. Megatherium’s potential for growth contrasts with the Gearhulk’s immediate impact, offering different tactical advantages depending on the game’s state. Thicket Elemental is also a familiar presence with a kicker ability that can summon additional creatures to the field. While the Elemental’s ability provides a broader immediate benefit by populating the board, Megatherium offers a more singular, potentially overwhelming threat.

Each of these creatures carves out its niche in Magic: The Gathering. Nonetheless, Megatherium stands out for its unique synergy with a specific creature type, providing both a challenge and a rewarding opportunity for deck builders focusing on that axis.

Ghalta, Primal Hunger - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Megatherium by color, type and mana cost

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Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions

Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - MTG Card versions

Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Megatherium MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Megatherium and other MTG cards: