This was an early favorite for me, and has remained so. I love playing it, and don't find the fading much of a problem. It's easy to say all the things it could have had, or even needed, to be truly good, but...it's a strong beater for the price.
I've usually coupled it with the Serow or Wildebeasts(?) to get the replay.
stygimoloch
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
I still play this a 4-of in a lot of green stompy decks even today. There aren't a great many ways around this when it hits the table other than blockers, and even then you can often get a 2-for-1. Successive Blastoderms on turns four and five are a serious headache for the vast majority of decks, wiping out a number of blockers even if they don't hit the player, especially if preceded by a turn-three Wirewood Savage or followed up with an Overrun. I've always found that Green can use this card much more effectively than white can Calciderm, too.
PaladinOfSunhome
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Cheap and powerfull. If you can keep it in play long then it's awesome.
3.5
LeoKula
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
My favorite green creature. Way to go, blasto!
blastodermis
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
fading only makes it more ruthless as it muscles its way through your opponent's defenses. shroud makes it unstoppable. 5/5
Faidite
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(7 votes)
It's not bad for a beater, but I think it's too expensive to use routinely.
A3Kitsune
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
The new Proliferate ability goes great with him. And Doubling Season is great, of course. A gating creature like Shivan Wurm is a great way to bounce the 'derm for a reset.
SAllison87
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Blastoderm is usually used as a combo card with Fires of Yavimaya. A turn one Birds of Paradise followed by a T2 Fires of Yavimaya allowed a T3 5/5 Shroud Haste. This combo, if followed up by a T4 Saproling Burst, usually spelled doom to Standard players circa 2000-2001 season. This strategy was developed by Magic Hall Of Fame player Zvi Moshowitz.
Gabriel422
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
There were some reasonable decks against which this card reads "Deal 15 damage to target player". Or lose three Mogg Fanatics.
RedJaron
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Sheer awesomeness when paired with gating in the Invasion set. Just when your opponent thinks he'll fade out, throw a Fleetfoot Panther out at the end of their turn and listen to them groan.
This is the green Juzám Djinn; with shroud. Isn't it enough?
Kirbster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sooo nice. It would be somewhere between a Searing Wind-and-a-half or a Violent Ultimatum for four mana... and in green.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only creature with "Blasto" in it's name.
Blasto tribal will be a thing one day.
SlipperyDevil
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Let's not forget Varolz, the Scar-Striped turning Fading into an asset after it puts Blasto in the graveyard as a 4 cost Scavange for 5 +1/+1 counters... throw in a Corpsejack Menace and after 4 mana you've got yourself a serious threat. Becomes a viable alternative OR cohort for Dreg Mangler in a Scavenge Deck. And Jarad likes this too for an added middle finger during Main Phase 2....
Comments (15)
I've usually coupled it with the Serow or Wildebeasts(?) to get the replay.
3.5
This combo, if followed up by a T4 Saproling Burst, usually spelled doom to Standard players circa 2000-2001 season.
This strategy was developed by Magic Hall Of Fame player Zvi Moshowitz.
Blasto tribal will be a thing one day.