Descendant of Masumaro MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Monk |
| Released | 2005-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Saviors of Kamigawa |
| Set code | SOK |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 126 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Rob Alexander |
Key Takeaways
- Expanding hand size directly fuels Descendant of Masumaro’s power, enhancing both attack and defense strategies.
- Can be crucial in decks with hand size focus, indirectly aiding resource acceleration for multiple threats.
- Pairing with instant speed card draw can unexpectedly boost its power, potentially tipping game balance.
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on Descendant of Masumaro for each card in your hand, then remove a +1/+1 counter from Descendant of Masumaro for each card in target opponent's hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Descendant of Masumaro shines in creating card advantage as it has the potential to become a powerhouse on the board. As you draw additional cards each turn, the card can exponentially grow in power, ensuring that your hand fuels both your offensive and defensive strategies.
Resource Acceleration: Though Descendant of Masumaro itself may not directly provide resource acceleration, it can be a pivotal piece in decks that focus on hand size. An increased hand size can synergize with other effects in your deck that ramp up your mana or allow you to deploy multiple threats in a turn, thereby indirectly accelerating your resources.
Instant Speed: While this creature doesn’t have an inherent instant speed ability, its synergy with instant speed card draw spells is where the true potential lies. Playing card draw spells at the end of your opponent’s turn not only increases your resources but also pumps Descendant of Masumaro unexpectedly, potentially swinging the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Descendant of Masumaro requires careful strategy as you’ll need to meet its discard demands. This aspect can potentially set you back, particularly if you’re already grappling with a depleted hand.
Specific Mana Cost: The distinct green mana specification of Descendant of Masumaro confines it predominantly to green-oriented decks. Diversifying into decks beyond those boundaries can be a challenge, restricting versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that sits on the higher end, this card can be slower to deploy compared to other options in your arsenal that could provide immediate benefits with less investment.
Reasons to Include Descendant of Masumaro in Your Collection
Versatility: As a creature that grows with the number of cards in your hand, Descendant of Masumaro fits nicely into decks that focus on card draw and maintaining a large hand size. Its ability to be a potential threat in the right build makes it a flexible addition to green-based decks.
Combo Potential: Not only does this creature benefit from individual card draw mechanics, but it can also be an integral part of combos that swell your hand size, turning it into a formidable force. Pairing it with card like Reliquary Tower, which removes hand size limits, can lead to an overwhelming board presence quickly.
Meta-Relevance: While it may not frequently headline competitive metagames, Descendant of Masumaro can surprise opponents in a meta with less emphasis on removal. It thrives in environments where games are drawn out, allowing you to maximize value from a consistently large hand size.
How to Beat
Descendant of Masumaro shines in decks centered around hand size, bolstering its power and toughness to towering heights. When facing this formidable creature, exploit its reliance on a full grip of cards to undermine its strength. Utilizing hand disruption tactics is key; cards that force your opponent to discard, such as Thoughtseize or Mind Rot, can quickly pare down their hand, thereby diminishing the Descendant’s power.
Edict effects that make a player sacrifice a creature, like Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil’s sacrifice ability, circumvent the need to tackle its potentially large size directly. Board wipes also remain an excellent response, with Supreme Verdict or Damnation resetting the board regardless of individual creature stats.
Bearing this strategy in mind, when you encounter Descendant of Masumaro on the battlefield, remember that diminishing your opponent’s hand and employing universal removal will be your pathway to victory, transforming what could be an overwhelming threat into a manageable one.
Cards like Descendant of Masumaro
The Descendant of Masumaro is a unique creature card that finds its niche in Magic: The Gathering’s diverse array of powerful beings. It draws a parallel to Maro, another creature that thrives on the abundance of cards in a player’s hand. While Maro’s strength is directly proportional to the hand size of its controller, Descendant of Masumaro goes a step further by counting the combined hand size of both the player and their opponent, potentially leading to an even larger power and toughness.
In a similar manner, Masumaro, First to Live also scales its power and toughness based on the cards in its controller’s hand, though without considering the opponent’s hand. This can make Descendant of Masumaro a more formidable option in multiplayer games where multiple hand sizes can be leveraged for greater advantage. Masumaro, First to Live does boast a larger base size, but the Descendant offers more dynamic gameplay.
A comparison wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Multani, Maro-Sorcerer. Multani capitalizes on the total number of cards in all players’ hands, gaining power and toughness that can outsize the Descendant of Masumaro, but unlike the Descendant, Multani cannot be targeted by spells or abilities making it a more resilient but solitary contender.
Cards similar to Descendant of Masumaro by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Descendant of Masumaro MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Descendant of Masumaro and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Descendant of Masumaro has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Descendant of Masumaro card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-06-01 | All +1/+1 counters on Descendant of Masumaro are removed, including those put on it by other effects. |
| 2005-06-01 | Descendant of Masumaro’s printed power and toughness is 1/1, so removing all the +1/+1 counters usually doesn’t reduce the creature’s toughness to 0. |
| 2005-06-01 | The counters are added and then removed without a pause for priority or state-based actions being checked in between. |
