Pallid Mycoderm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Fungus
Power 2
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage through saproling production enhances board state, diversifying combat tactics.
  2. Resource acceleration via sacrificing boosts other creatures, fostering potential combos.
  3. Instant speed ability to empower fungi can unexpectedly tip combat situations.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Pallid Mycoderm. Remove three spore counters from Pallid Mycoderm: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play. Sacrifice a Saproling: Each Fungus and each Saproling you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pallid Mycoderm can be a linchpin in a saproling-focused deck, efficiently converting one fungus creature into multiple saproling tokens to ensure a greater presence on the battlefield over time.

Resource Acceleration: By using its “sacrifice a Saproling” ability, it accelerates your resources not just by giving your fungi creatures a boost, but by potentially interacting with other cards that benefit from creature deaths or token generation, thus opening avenues for synergies and combo potential.

Instant Speed: The ability to boost creatures at instant speed gives you significant flexibility during combat. You can surprise opponents by sacrificing a Saproling to give your fungi an unexpected power boost, ideally swinging the tide of battle in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pallid Mycoderm requires you to have spore counters on it to get the full benefit of its abilities. While not a direct discard, it imposes a constraint on your resources, necessitating the accumulation of counters before you can utilize its sacrifice ability for a significant advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands two white mana, which can be restrictive for decks that are not heavily invested in white mana or that are trying to maintain a wide color balance. This can make it less versatile and harder to cast on curve in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana to deploy, Pallid Mycoderm can be expensive compared to other creatures with similar or more immediate impact on the game. The need to wait for spore counters to accumulate makes it a slower option in a meta where speed can be key.


Reasons to Include Pallid Mycoderm in Your Collection

Versatility: Pallid Mycoderm is not simply a creature; it serves dual purposes. In decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters or the fungus theme, it offers consistent value. Plus, its ability to create Saprolings provides defensive and offensive options.

Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in strategies that exploit Saproling tokens. Working seamlessly with other Saproling producers, it can be part of an engine that generates massive amounts of tokens, setting up for a devastating, game-ending move.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies thrive, Pallid Mycoderm can contribute significantly. Its synergy with proliferate mechanics and the ability to buff your team provide a relevant edge in many matchups.


How to beat Pallid Mycoderm

Pallid Mycoderm, a creature often found lurking in the decks of fungi aficionados, brings a tactical advantage to the board by leveraging spore counters and saproling production. Much like other cards with synergy-based abilities, this fungus can be a cornerstone for building board presence and overwhelming opponents with a growing army of saprolings.

To outmaneuver this mycological menace, players should prioritize removal spells that can target Pallid Mycoderm directly, effectively neutralizing it before the spore counters grow out of control. Cards such as Path to Exile or Murder offer efficient solutions due to their ability to exile or destroy creatures for a low mana cost. Additionally, board wipes like Wrath of God or Doomskar serve as excellent countermeasures, clearing out multiple creatures including any amassed saprolings, resetting the advantage Pallid Mycoderm might have secured.

Denying resources is also key; by thwarting the accumulation of spore counters through abilities that either remove counters or prevent them from being placed, such as Power Conduit or Aether Snap, Pallid Mycoderm’s influence is significantly diminished. Combatting this MTG card requires a blend of foresight and disruption, ensuring the fungal growth is contained and your path to victory remains clear.


Cards like Pallid Mycoderm

Pallid Mycoderm as a part of Magic the Gathering’s extensive library of fungus-themed cards, stands out for its synergy with spore counter mechanics. When looking at relatives in the spore-counter family, one cannot ignore Thallid. Thallid is a classic, laying the groundwork with its ability to create Saproling creatures every three turns. Pallid Mycoderm takes this a step further by offering the ability to sacrifice a Saproling to bestow +1/+1 upon all Saprolings you control, thereby setting the stage for a powerful army.

Sporoloth Ancient is another related card that reduces the waiting period for spore counters, making fungi like Pallid Mycoderm more effective. While it lacks the direct offensive capabilities of the Mycoderm, its acceleration of the spore counter process is its claim to fame. Finally, Utopia Mycon may be mentioned for its flexible mana abilities using spore counters, although it operates more as a resource tool than a combat-oriented one like Pallid Mycoderm.

Targeting the right environment, Pallid Mycoderm can elevate a Saproling deck’s potential, showcasing its strength not only in creature generation but also in boosting a creature type that frequently populates the battlefield in the MTG ecosystem.

Thallid - MTG Card versions
Sporoloth Ancient - MTG Card versions
Utopia Mycon - MTG Card versions
Thallid - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Sporoloth Ancient - Future Sight (FUT)
Utopia Mycon - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pallid Mycoderm MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos and Modern Masters, 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 Pallid Mycoderm and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Pallid Mycoderm Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-02-02 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Jim Nelson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-02-02Planar ChaosPLC 102003normalblackJim Nelson
22013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 242003normalblackJim Nelson
32021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 312015normalblackJim Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pallid Mycoderm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 A creature that’s both a Fungus and a Saproling gets just +1/+1 from Pallid Mycoderm’s last ability.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks