Wild Mongrel MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 13 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Dog
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Wild Mongrel provides graveyard synergy, turning discards into strategic advantages for certain deck types.
  2. However, reliance on discarding can backfire when players run low on cards, diminishing tactical flexibility.
  3. This green creature’s color-shifting and instant-speed discard make it a formidable and adaptable card.

Text of card

Discard a card from your hand: Wild Mongrel gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.

It teaches *you* to play dead.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wild Mongrel provides a utility that can indirectly contribute to card advantage. Although it doesn’t allow you to draw cards directly, it facilitates the discarding of unwanted cards, potentially enabling interactions with graveyard mechanics that turn this action into an advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card can be vital for decks that thrive on graveyard synergy. Discarding a card to the Mongrel might seem like a cost, but in archetypes built around the graveyard, it works as an acceleration tool by populating the graveyard with resources for other spells or creature abilities that gain power from it.

Instant Speed: The ability to discard a card to Wild Mongrel at instant speed gives it flexibility. This adaptability is essential as it allows players to react to an opponent’s moves, protect the Mongrel from color-specific removal, or unexpectedly alter combat math in their favor at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Part of what makes Wild Mongrel unique also restricts its full potential. To make the most of its ability to buff its strength and change its color, you’re tasked with discarding a card. This action can be a double-edged sword, particularly if your hand is already short on cards, effectively reducing your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Wild Mongrel requires green mana, which pigeonholes it into green-centric or multi-colored decks. Its dependency on green mana could be a hindrance in formats where mana flexibility is crucial or in monochrome decks not aligned with green.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While it may initially seem efficient, Wild Mongrel’s two mana cost can be steep in the early game, especially when players are racing to establish their board presence. In an environment where creatures with impactful enter-the-battlefield effects or evasion capabilities abound, the investment in casting Wild Mongrel could be better allocated elsewhere.


Reasons to Include Wild Mongrel in Your Collection

Versatility: Wild Mongrel offers a flexible role in various deck builds. It allows players to discard cards at will, making it a valuable asset in graveyard-based strategies or for setting up threshold bonuses.

Combo Potential: This creature synergizes with decks that capitalize on discarding cards. Whether enabling madness abilities or growing in power with each discarded card, Wild Mongrel can become a formidable force while enabling other combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive strategies are effective, Wild Mongrel excels by quickly adapting on the battlefield. It can dodge color-specific removal and can unexpectedly swing for increased damage, making it a persistent threat in varied metas.


How to beat

Wild Mongrel, with its flexible color discarding ability, poses an interesting challenge on the battlefield. As a creature card, its power lies in its capacity to become unpredictable. The key to overcoming Wild Mongrel lies in its strength—discarding cards. This can be turned against it by waiting for your opponent to empty their hand, thus reducing their ability to alter the Mongrel’s power and toughness at will. Spot removal spells can work wonders if timed correctly after the opponent has committed to discarding, leaving them with fewer resources.

An alternative strategy entails controlling the game’s pace by utilizing instant-speed removal or board wipes. This can catch an opponent off-guard, especially if they’ve tapped out their mana to play other cards. By keeping removal in hand and being patient, the tables can turn quickly against a Wild Mongrel. Moreover, graveyard disruption tools can severely constrain the benefits gained from discarding, rendering the ability significantly less advantageous for your adversary.

In essence, patience and strategic timing are your best allies in countering this adaptable green creature. The proper use of removal and disruption can ensure that Wild Mongrel’s bite is much weaker than its bark.


Cards like Wild Mongrel

Wild Mongrel holds a unique place in Magic: The Gathering, standing out among green creature cards. It shares its creature type with other hounds, like Basking Rootwalla, which can be played at a low cost with the potential to beef up its power temporarily. Wild Mongrel offers a consistent power boost mechanism, enabling players to increase its strength while converting unwanted cards into advantageous play.

Aptly compared to Noose Constrictor, both cards allow the player to discard in exchange for a temporary power increase. Noose Constrictor also grants reach, providing defense against flying creatures which Wild Mongrel lacks. However, the Mongrel’s ability to change its color can be a clever tactical response to various threats on the battlefield. Aquamoeba is another similar card, with the discard ability present, but it doesn’t quite match the power boost potential of Wild Mongrel, trading strength for toughness instead.

Considering the strategic versatility and the direct power increment it provides, Wild Mongrel proves to be a worthy inclusion in decks that benefit from discard mechanics or require versatile defenders. Its synergies with graveyard mechanics further solidify its prominence within the Magic: The Gathering universe.

Basking Rootwalla - MTG Card versions
Noose Constrictor - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Basking Rootwalla - Torment (TOR)
Noose Constrictor - Eldritch Moon (EMN)
Aquamoeba - Torment (TOR)

Cards similar to Wild Mongrel by color, type and mana cost

Wyluli Wolf - MTG Card versions
Whirling Dervish - MTG Card versions
River Boa - MTG Card versions
Albino Troll - MTG Card versions
Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions
Quirion Elves - MTG Card versions
Blurred Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Loamspeaker - MTG Card versions
Genesis Hydra - MTG Card versions
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Heir of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - MTG Card versions
Wren's Run Vanquisher - MTG Card versions
Muscle Sliver - MTG Card versions
Utopia Tree - MTG Card versions
Bloodline Shaman - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
Stonewood Invoker - MTG Card versions
Oran-Rief Survivalist - MTG Card versions
Wyluli Wolf - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Whirling Dervish - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
River Boa - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Albino Troll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Silverglade Pathfinder - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Quirion Elves - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Blurred Mongoose - Invasion (INV)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Genesis Hydra - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Utopia Tree - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bloodline Shaman - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sakura-Tribe Elder - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)
Stonewood Invoker - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Oran-Rief Survivalist - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wild Mongrel MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Magic Online Promos, 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 Wild Mongrel and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wild Mongrel Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2022-11-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 2831997normalblackAnthony S. Waters
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 362402003normalblackAnthony S. Waters
32002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 rl2831997normalgoldAnthony S. Waters
42002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 bk2831997normalgoldAnthony S. Waters
52002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 shh2831997normalgoldAnthony S. Waters
62003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 dh2832003normalgoldAnthony S. Waters
72010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A891997normalblackAnthony S. Waters
82014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2392015normalblackAnthony S. Waters
92014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Garruk vs. LilianaGVL 52015normalblackAnthony S. Waters
102018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1942015normalblackAnthony S. Waters
112019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 13722003normalblackAnthony S. Waters
122020-09-26The ListPLST DDD-52003normalblackAnthony S. Waters
132022-11-02Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown KitSLC 20012015normalborderlessCrocodile Jackson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wild Mongrel has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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