Cauldron Familiar MTG Card


Creates valuable card advantage with its repeatable graveyard return, especially when paired with Witch’s Oven. Acts as a resource engine, leveraging sacrifice mechanics to enhance board presence and accelerate resources. Instant-speed interactions with sacrifice outlets offer unexpected combat plays, disrupting opponent strategies.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Cat
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

When Cauldron Familiar enters the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. Sacrifice a Food: Return Cauldron Familiar from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Every day the cat returns to kill the same mouse, which sinks again into the cauldron's brew.


Cards like Cauldron Familiar

When analyzing the dynamics of Cauldron Familiar, players note its ability to repeatedly enter and exit the battlefield. This quality is in league with creatures such as Bloodsoaked Champion, which also showcases resilience through its raid mechanic, allowing it to return from the graveyard. Unlike Bloodsoaked Champion, Cauldron Familiar offers the added benefit of life drain, subtly tipping the scales each turn it’s resurrected.

Similarly, the potential of recursive creatures is seen in Scrapheap Scrounger. With the ease of returning to play, Scrapheap Scrounger excels in aggressive strategies but lacks Cauldron Familiar’s ability to manipulate life totals. Gutterbones enters this comparison as another recursive threat. While it requires a specific condition to be met for its return, the ease of fulfilling this in a standard Rakdos build aligns it closely to the steady tempo Cauldron Familiar provides.

Evaluating their various strengths, Cauldron Familiar stands out within the array of recursive creatures in Magic. Its unique blend of board presence and incremental life advantage position it as a favorite in strategies that value endurance and resource attrition. The feline familiar not only claws back from the graveyard but brings a touch of witch’s brew to the resource stew.

Bloodsoaked Champion - MTG Card versions
Scrapheap Scrounger - MTG Card versions
Gutterbones - MTG Card versions
Bloodsoaked Champion - MTG Card versions
Scrapheap Scrounger - MTG Card versions
Gutterbones - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Cauldron Familiar by color, type and mana cost

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Dark Supplicant - MTG Card versions
Bile Urchin - MTG Card versions
Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions
Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Dark Supplicant - MTG Card versions
Bile Urchin - MTG Card versions
Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Cauldron Familiar. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Dimir VampiresDimir Vampires PioneerDimir VampiresPioneer Challenge 64 2024-04-27
WBGWBG PauperPauper League 2024-04-23
Rakdos SacrificeRakdos Sacrifice PioneerRakdos SacrificePioneer Challenge 32 2024-04-07
BGBG PioneerPioneer League 2024-04-22
BRGBRG PauperPauper League 2024-04-22
Asmo FoodAsmo Food ModernAsmo FoodModern Challenge 64 2024-04-07 (1)
DecklistDecklist Free formHoliday Night Magic
Four-color TronFour-color Tron PauperTronOgonyok
Lonis ComboLonis Combo ModernLonis ComboModern Challenge 64 2024-04-06 (1)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cauldron Familiar offers a repeatable process for returning to the battlefield from the graveyard, especially when combined with cards like Witch’s Oven. This synergy creates a loop that can consistently chip away at an opponent’s life total while bolstering your own—effectively trading resources for incremental advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: By utilizing Cauldron Familiar’s return mechanic, players can exploit various sacrifice triggers and abilities, turning the cat into a resource engine. Whether it’s generating food tokens or triggering death-related abilities on other permanents, this feline accelerates your resource game and increases your overall board presence with each cycle.

Instant Speed: Although the Cat itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its interaction with instant-speed sacrifice outlets can create unexpected combat tricks and end-of-turn plays that disrupt opponents’ strategies. This can lead to valuable tempo swings and position you more favorably on the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To unlock its full potential, Cauldron Familiar often necessitates pairing with Witch’s Oven, making it less autonomous and potentially hampering your strategy if you cannot access or retain both cards.

Specific Mana Cost: While the black mana cost aids in casting consistency in mono-black decks, it can be restrictive for multicolored decks, limiting the card’s flexibility in diverse strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its initially low casting cost, the true value of Cauldron Familiar comes with repeated use, which can lead to a high cumulative mana investment over the duration of a game. Alternatives may offer a quicker and less resource-intensive path to victory.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cauldron Familiar proves itself as a flexible card, easily sliding into a variety of deck archetypes. It’s particularly essential in sacrifice-based strategies, contributing to both offense and defense with its recurrent ability to chip away opponents’ life totals while also providing a blocker that can recur.

Combo Potential: Paired with the Witch’s Oven, Cauldron Familiar sets up a resilient and consistent loop that can be the backbone of many combo decks. This synergy generates an advantage, allowing players to whittle down an opponent’s life while fortifying their own position on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where small creatures reign and incremental advantages lead to victory, Cauldron Familiar shines. It’s a staple in any environment where gaining and draining life can turn the tide of a tightly-contested match, making it a valuable card for collectors and competitors alike.


How to beat

Cauldron Familiar is a creature card that has woven its way into Magic the Gathering strategies thanks to its synergy with Witch’s Oven. For many, it’s the repetitive life gain and loss, coupled with the resurrection mechanic, that makes this card a persistent thorn in their side. To triumph against this pesky feline, one effective strategy is to disrupt the combo by targeting the Witch’s Oven with artifact removal spells or abilities. Without the oven, Cauldron Familiar loses a lot of its value.

Graveyard hate cards are also an excellent countermeasure. With spells that exile cards from the graveyard, you can prevent the familiar from making its return to the battlefield. This stops the loop and keeps your opponent from gaining incremental advantage. Furthermore, since Cauldron Familiar is often found in decks that rely on sacrificing creatures for profit, cards that limit or punish sacrificing strategies can be especially disruptive.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of maintaining pressure on your opponent’s life total. Aggressive strategies can help race against the life swings provided by Cauldron Familiar and force your opponent to play defensively. By keeping these tactics in mind, you’ll increase your chances of success against decks utilizing the Cauldron Familiar.


BurnMana Recommendations

For MTG enthusiasts who prize resilience and incremental advantages, Cauldron Familiar is a gem worth considering for your collection. This tenacious feline offers a multifaceted approach to gameplay that thrives in sacrifice-based decks. It’s an unassuming force that can shift the momentum of a match by consistently clawing its way back onto the board. If you’re looking to sharpen your deck with strategies that outlast and outplay your opponents through cunning and resourcefulness, diving deeper into the possibilities Cauldron Familiar introduces is a must. Enhance your gameplay, outwit your competition, and learn more about optimizing this card’s potential with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cauldron Familiar MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Jumpstart, 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 Cauldron Familiar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cauldron Familiar Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Milivoj Ćeran.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 812015NormalBlackMilivoj Ćeran
22020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2162015NormalBlackMilivoj Ćeran
32020-09-26The ListPLST ELD-812015NormalBlackMilivoj Ćeran

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cauldron Familiar has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-10-04 If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Gingerbrute to activate the last ability of Tempting Witch.
2019-10-04 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Cauldron Familiar's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 1 life twice, and you gain 1 life once.
2019-10-04 You can't activate Cauldron Familiar's last ability unless it's in your graveyard.