Crawling Filth MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Fear,Soulshift
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	64
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Martina Pilcerova

Key Takeaways

Crawling Filth bolsters graveyard strategies and can become unblockable, applying pressure during pivotal moments.
Demands card discards and specific mana, potentially limiting its effectiveness and deck integration.
Its resilience through recursion and synergy potential make it a worthy addition to certain MTG decks.

Text of card

Fear Soulshift 5 (When this is put into a graveyard from play, you may return target Spirit card with converted mana cost 5 or less from your graveyard to your hand.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crawling Filth presents a reliable way to keep your graveyard stacked, which is instrumental in leveraging other cards’ synergies and maintaining an edge over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: Thanks to its soulshift ability, once Crawling Filth has exhausted its purpose on the battlefield, it can return another spirit card from your graveyard to your hand, effectively accelerating your resources and providing extended utility.

Instant Speed: Although Crawling Filth itself is not an instant, its fear ability allows it to often go unblocked, offering you the flexibility to apply pressure at crucial moments. This trait indirectly gives you the advantage of timing when to attack for psychological and strategic impacts against your opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Crawling Filth demands discarding a card to activate its return-to-hand ability, which might deplete your hand when you might least afford it.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card requires black mana for casting and ability activation, constraining its versatility to black-focused or multicolored decks that can accommodate the mana type.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Crawling Filth’s stats and abilities may not line up with the investment, especially when other creatures offer more bang for the buck.

Reasons to Include Crawling Filth in Your Collection

Versatility: Crawling Filth offers a flexible slot in decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy or require evasion capabilities. Able to be returned from the graveyard with its soulshift mechanic, it fits seamlessly into strategies centered on creature recursion.

Combo Potential: With the ability to become unblockable, this creature works well in combinations looking to deliver decisive blows using enhanced power or as part of an intricate sacrifice-and-return mechanic, common in black-aligned decks.

Meta-Relevance: As matches often shift towards a mid-game dominance, the persisting threat of Crawling Filth becomes an asset. Its place in the current game environment is solidified if opponents frequently use defensive creatures lacking “reach,” allowing it to repeatedly attack without obstruction.

How to beat

Crawling Filth is a creature that may at first glance seem unassuming in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering. Its primary ability is fear, allowing it to be blocked only by black creatures or artifact creatures, which can create an advantage in certain matchups. To navigate this obstacle, ensuring a diverse defense is key.

One effective countermeasure is to include creatures with reach or any form of creature removal in your deck. Cards like Naturalize or Shatter can also be invaluable, removing artifacts that might be enabling Crawling Filth’s evasion. Moreover, playing spells that can force your opponent to sacrifice a creature can work around Crawling Filth’s fear ability entirely. Always keeping mana open for countering or removing troublesome creatures will also help maintain control of the board.

Ultimately, while Crawling Filth can be a nuisance if left unchecked, a thoughtful deck build and strategic gameplay can mitigate its effect on the match’s outcome.

Cards like Crawling Filth

In the realm of stealthy attackers, Crawling Filth holds its own among cards that possess the fear mechanic. Its ability to be unblockable except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures mirrors the capabilities of creatures like Dross Prowler. The Prowler, though, edges out with a lower casting cost but lacks the recursion that Crawling Filth offers, able to return to your hand from the graveyard by paying the Soulshift cost.

Another comparison can be made with Phantom Warrior, a card that is unblockable by any creatures but doesn’t offer the graveyard retrieval feature of Crawling Filth. It stands out due to its straightforwardness, traded off against the strategic depth provided by the Soulshift mechanic. Then there’s the enchantment Cloak of Mists, which gifts unblockability to any creature, providing versatility but lacking the added benefit of recurring from the graveyard like Crawling Filth.

Hence, while there are other cards that share the unblockable feature, Crawling Filth’s unique mix of evasion and Soulshift offers a valuable combination for players looking for resilience in their creature line-up. The strategic advantage of recurring threats makes Crawling Filth an interesting option for decks utilizing the fear mechanic and graveyard synergies.

Cards similar to Crawling Filth by color, type and mana cost

Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions

Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions

Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crawling Filth MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers 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 Crawling Filth and other MTG cards: