Rotfeaster Maggot MTG Card


Enhances strategic plays by exploiting opponent creature cards in graveyards and gaining life. Works well in graveyard-centric decks, offering combo potential and synergy with graveyard manipulation. High mana cost and specific requirements may limit its flexibility in some multicolored decks.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Insect
Power 3
Toughness 5

Text of card

When Rotfeaster Maggot enters the battlefield, exile target creature card from a graveyard. You gain life equal to that card's toughness.

Is it at the top of the food chain or the bottom?


Cards like Rotfeaster Maggot

Rotfeaster Maggot may not be the flashiest creature card in MTG, but it does have some interesting parallels with other life-gain creatures. For starters, it shares a functional resemblance with cards like Foulmire Knight, which also serves a dual purpose: creature deployment and life gain. However, Rotfeaster Maggot differentiates itself with an enter-the-battlefield effect that directly correlates the life gained to the toughness of a creature card in a graveyard.

Another creature card worth comparing is Gray Merchant of Asphodel, commonly known as Gary in MTG circles. Gary has a significant impact upon entering the battlefield, potentially swinging life totals by large margins based on your devotion to black mana symbols. Unlike Gray Merchant, Rotfeaster Maggot’s life gain is not tied to a particular mechanic, providing a more reliable, albeit less explosive, life gain effect.

In a wider context, Rotfeaster Maggot competes with cards like Morbid Opportunist for a place in decks seeking incremental advantage. While the maggot ensures a one-time life boost, cards like Morbid Opportunist offer longer-term value in the form of card draw. Yet, in certain graveyard-centric strategies, the immediacy of Rotfeaster Maggot’s life gain can be remarkably beneficial.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Morbid Opportunist - MTG Card versions
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Morbid Opportunist - MTG Card versions

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Sengir Vampire - MTG Card versions
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Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: On entering the battlefield, Rotfeaster Maggot lets you extract additional value by targeting a creature card in a graveyard. This allows you to effectively negate one of your opponent’s creatures while bolstering your life total, offering a swing in momentum and strategic advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Gaining life can be an indirect form of resource acceleration in MTG. With Rotfeaster Maggot, the life gained can put you out of range of an opponent’s aggressive strategy, buying you crucial turns to deploy more resources or stabilize your board position without the immediate pressure of a dwindling life total.

Instant Speed: While Rotfeaster Maggot itself is not an instant, it interacts well with cards that can be played at instant speed. Removing a creature from the graveyard at the opportune time disrupts opponents’ plans involving graveyard strategies. This preemptive or reactive play can be a defining moment, especially when timed with other instant-speed responses.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Rotfeaster Maggot doesn’t require discarding as an entry cost, its value diminishes if your graveyard is low on creature cards, acting as an indirect discard requirement by making you manage your graveyard resources carefully.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a specific mana arrangement of one black and four colorless, which can be less flexible in multicolored decks or those with a strained mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, the Maggot’s impact on the battlefield might fall short compared to other options. By the time it’s playable, you might find better ways to impact the game state or gain life.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rotfeaster Maggot offers flexibility in deck building, fitting seamlessly into life gain strategies or acting as a useful sideboard card against creature-heavy decks where its entrance to the battlefield can swing life totals in your favor.

Combo Potential: As a creature that interacts with graveyards, Rotfeaster Maggot has synergy with graveyard-centric decks, potentially fueling delve strategies or enabling reanimation tactics with its life gain effect upon entering the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies are prevalent, the life gain and sizable body of Rotfeaster Maggot can be crucial for stabilizing the board and outlasting opponents, making it a smart addition for anyone looking to improve their midrange or control matchups.


How to beat

Rotfeaster Maggot may not be the flashiest creature in Magic: The Gathering, but it comes with a specific ability that can be pivotal in some matches. When it enters the battlefield, it enables its controller to gain life equal to the toughness of a creature card in a graveyard. This can turn the tides, especially in games where life totals are teetering on the edge. To overcome this lifegain obstacle, consider exile effects that can remove key creatures from graveyards before the Maggot hits the field. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void can ensure graveyards are not stocked with high-toughness creatures that Rotfeaster Maggot could exploit.

Another strategy involves controlling the board so that Rotfeaster Maggot’s impact is minimized upon arrival. Cards like Counterspell prevent it from being cast in the first place, while removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can deal with the Maggot immediately after it resolves. Prioritizing the Maggot as a target for removal is crucial if you’re playing against a deck that’s likely to take advantage of its lifegain ability. By being proactive and strategic with your card choices and play, you can mitigate the effects of Rotfeaster Maggot and maintain the upper hand in your matches.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rotfeaster Maggot MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Iconic Masters, 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 Rotfeaster Maggot and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rotfeaster Maggot Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-18Magic 2015M15 1122015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 1052015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
32018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1572015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7582015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
52020-09-26The ListPLST M15-1122015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rotfeaster Maggot has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2014-07-18 Rotfeaster Maggot’s ability is mandatory. If you are the only player with creature cards in your graveyard, you must target one of them.