Giant Adephage MTG Card


Giant Adephage offers card advantage through replicating tokens without depleting your deck. Multiplication ability enhances resource acceleration but requires considerable mana investment. Despite the high cost, its versatility and combo potential in green builds are undeniable.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Insect
Abilities Trample
Power 7
Toughness 7

Text of card

Trample Whenever Giant Adephage deals combat damage to a player, put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of Giant Adephage.

"To a creature like that, we must seem like, well, bugs." —Dars Gostok, Firefist captain


Cards like Giant Adephage

The Giant Adephage is a unique creature in MTG that offers incredible potential for token generation. Comparable to the mechanics of cards like Hydra Broodmaster, it allows for the creation of a copy of itself whenever it deals combat damage to a player. However, unlike the Broodmaster’s ability to produce multiple tokens at once, the Adephage focuses on the gradual buildup of an army one token at a time.

Another card to consider alongside Giant Adephage is Kalonian Hydra, which doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control when it attacks. While both cards amplify your creature presence, the Adephage creates new, separate creatures, giving you more blockers or attackers. This differs from the Hydra, which boosts existing creatures’ offensive potential. Tendershoot Dryad also shares thematic roots, with a sizing up of your board by creating tokens. Yet it doesn’t require combat to trigger and caters to a go-wide strategy faster than the solo creature replication of Giant Adephage.

With its imposing presence and potential to overwhelm opponents through replication, Giant Adephage stands out as an imposing force in green creature decks that favor the long game and commander formats where it can truly shine.

Hydra Broodmaster - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Hydra - MTG Card versions
Tendershoot Dryad - MTG Card versions
Hydra Broodmaster - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Hydra - MTG Card versions
Tendershoot Dryad - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Giant Adephage by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
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Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Once the Giant Adephage deals combat damage to a player, it creates a token that’s a copy of itself, effectively doubling your threat on the board and providing substantial card advantage without drawing from your deck.

Resource Acceleration: The generated tokens from Giant Adephage can be an asset for resource acceleration strategies. Each token has the potential to propagate more copies, giving you a growing army without expending additional cards from your hand.

Instant Speed: While not an instant, the repeatable nature of Giant Adephage’s ability to create copies can pose a similar threat to opponents, forcing them to keep resources at the ready or risk being overwhelmed by growing numbers of this formidable creature.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Giant Adephage doesn’t have a traditional discard requirement, its high casting cost can necessitate discarding other cards in order to make room for necessary mana acceleration or survival tactics until it can be played.

Specific Mana Cost: The Giant Adephage demands a significant amount of green mana, which may not always be readily available, especially in multicolored decks where mana resources are spread among various color needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, playing Giant Adephage requires a considerable setup. There are more cost-effective creatures that can be played much earlier in the game, meaning its high mana cost can often be a hindrance in faster-paced matches.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Giant Adephage can thrive in diverse deck builds, especially those that emphasize creature-based strategies or green ramp decks, due to its ability to create copies of itself.

Combo Potential: This creature’s ability to multiply can synergize with effects that capitalize on creature count, such as “Warstorm Surge,” allowing for exponential damage potential.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where the board state can become locked down by powerful creatures, Giant Adephage stands out as a persistent threat that can quickly overwhelm opponents if left unchecked.


How to beat

Confronting the Giant Adephage in Magic: The Gathering requires a specific game plan due to its potent ability to create token copies of itself when dealing combat damage to a player. As a seasoned player, you’ll want to prioritize keeping this creature off the board entirely or negate its combative capabilities. A timely removal spell is often the simplest solution, and cards like Murder or Path to Exile can dispatch the Adephage before it begins cloning itself. Should the Giant Adephage make it onto the battlefield, reactive cards like Settle the Wreckage can turn a daunting attack into an opportunity to clear the threat.

Alternatively, consider employing counter magic like Counterspell or Mana Leak to prevent the Giant Adephage from ever entering the field of play. If it does stick around, enchantment-based control like Pacifism or journey to nowhere can nullify the creature’s offensive, excluding it from combat interactions. It’s also wise to have board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation on hand as an insurance policy against swarms of token creatures that could be generated. Ultimately, handling the Giant Adephage is about preemptive action and having a contingency for its replication ability.


BurnMana Recommendations

Inviting all strategists and collectors alike, the Giant Adephage is a formidable card that can transform your gameplay experience. With its ability to double your board presence and foster a growing army, it’s a game-changer for those who wield it skillfully. The Giant Adephage isn’t just a card; it’s a path to unexpected victories and the thrill of seeing your opponents face an unstoppable force of nature. Assembling the right strategy to bring this leviathan to life will undoubtedly earn you a formidable reputation on the battlefield. Are you ready to command this green juggernaut? Continue evolving your deck-building prowess and dive deeper into the world of MTG with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Giant Adephage MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Commander 2019, 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 Giant Adephage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Giant Adephage Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 1212003NormalBlackChristine Choi
22019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1692015NormalBlackChristine Choi
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 14152015NormalBorderlessWooden Cyclops
42022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2932015NormalBlackChristine Choi
52024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1642015NormalBlackChristine Choi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Giant Adephage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-01-24 As the token is created, it checks the printed values of the Giant Adephage it's copying—or, if the Giant Adephage whose ability triggered was itself a token, the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put it onto the battlefield—as well as any copy effects that have been applied to it. It won't copy counters on the Giant Adephage, nor will it copy other effects that have changed Giant Adephage's power, toughness, types, color, or so on. Normally, this means the token will simply be a Giant Adephage. But if any copy effects have affected that Giant Adephage, they're taken into account.