Misshapen Fiend MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Horror Mercenary
Abilities	Flying
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	147
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Rex

Key Takeaways

Efficiently designed for creature interaction, Misshapen Fiend can be a keystone in sacrifice-based decks.
Low cost and synergy with other instants make Misshapen Fiend a tempo-keeping creature in quick-paced games.
Its morph ability adds an element of surprise, providing tactical advantages during the match.

Text of card

Flying

You'd scarcely believe they could fly until they drop out of the sky onto you.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Misshapen Fiend presents an opportunity for card advantage in MTG, especially within formats that value creature-based interactions or sacrifice mechanics. The Fiend can act as an efficient removal tool or pressure opponent’s planeswalkers while potentially staying on the board, paving the way for incremental advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: While Misshapen Fiend itself does not directly offer resource acceleration, its low mana cost enables a swift board presence. This allows players to keep resources open for other strategic plays, effectively accelerating the player’s strategy by efficiently using their mana and maintaining the tempo of the game.

Instant Speed: The ability to operate at instant speed is crucial in MTG, and while Misshapen Fiend is a creature, it can be synergised with other instant speed spells. Its synergy with flash mechanics or instant speed sacrifice effects can surprise an opponent during their own turn, disrupting their play and offering strategic depth to deck building.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unleashing Misshapen Fiend comes with the drawback of needing to discard a card, a steep price when your hand is already running thin.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored for black mana centric decks, the specific mana cost can be restrictive, hindering its inclusion in more diverse or multicolored strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability and stats, Misshapen Fiend might cost more mana than other creatures in its category, potentially slowing down your early game momentum.

Reasons to Include Misshapen Fiend in Your Collection

Versatility: Misshapen Fiend offers flexibility in deck building, able to serve both as an early-game blocker and as a creature that can apply pressure on your opponent. Its morph ability allows it to be played face down and turned face up at the right moment, fitting into strategies that keep your opponents guessing.

Combo Potential: This creature can work well with cards that capitalize on returning creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand. Its potential to combo with cards that reward you for having creatures enter the battlefield or be sacrificed can turn it into a key piece in more intricate gameplans.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where low-cost creatures can make a significant impact, Misshapen Fiend holds its ground. It’s particularly useful in environments where its evasion and morph mechanic can be exploited to offer unpredictable plays, making it a card worth considering for adaptability to an ever-shifting battlefield.

How to beat Misshapen Fiend

Misshapen Fiend is a unique card in MTG that offers specific challenges when faced in battle. Its ability can be a nuisance by giving it deathtouch, thereby threatening to kill any creatures that block or are blocked by it. This makes engaging in combat with Misshapen Fiend a tricky endeavor, as the potential for loss is significant.

However, there are effective strategies to overcome this fiendish adversary. Removal spells are a surefire way to deal with Misshapen Fiend without engaging it in direct combat. By using targeted removal such as Disenchant or Doom Blade, you can bypass its deathtouch ability altogether. Alternatively, employing creatures with first strike or using enchantments to buff your own creature’s toughness can also negate the Misshapen Fiend’s advantage.

It’s also beneficial to manage the battlefield proactively. Denying your opponent the open mana to activate Misshapen Fiend’s ability is a key strategy. This can be done by putting pressure on their mana resources through land destruction or taxing spells. In this way, you contain the threat posed by Misshapen Fiend, rendering it a less effective combatant and protecting your creatures from its potential deadly touch.

Cards like Misshapen Fiend

Misshapen Fiend is a card that veterans of MTG can appreciate for its early game presence. This creature card holds characteristics that resemble those of other low-cost creatures but with a unique twist—the menace ability. Offering an obstacle for opponents, Misshapen Fiend forces double blocks, akin to cards like Granger Guildmage. Yet, the Fiend comes with more attack power right off the bat.

Take Skittering Skirge for comparison—it also presents a creature that can impact the board early on. Both cards carry a low mana cost and offer an aggressive stance, but Skittering Skirge’s sacrifice trigger poses an additional condition for the player. Misshapen Fiend, alternatively, provides a stable option without this downside. Then there’s Dauthi Horror which shares the unblockable by white creatures trait and can reliably attack when facing decks heavy in white.

As you delve into the realm of MTG’s inexpensive and impactful creatures, Misshapen Fiend shines with its particular set of abilities, making it an intriguing choice for decks that thrive on early game pressure and evasion tactics.

Cards similar to Misshapen Fiend by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Misshapen Fiend 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 Misshapen Fiend and other MTG cards: