Monstrosity seems to be costed as playing an above-the-curve creature. As for this specific card, I feel it would be more flavorful with double strike, but that plus monstrosity would probably push it up to at least uncommon.
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Pauper Green Stompy, welcome your new champion!!
NARFNra
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Yet another card from Theros that makes me happy since it gives tribal help to a smaller type.
Purplerooster
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Doesn't have a nice triggered effect associated with the Monstroity, but I would never be unhappy to play this in sealed.
LordOfTheFlies87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Gonna be nasty in limited.
Tiggurix
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card should have been called "Nessian Amphisbaena".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphisbaena
Eternal_Blue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone who is worried about the high monstrosity cost on Nessian Asp need not worry as you won't ever actually go long enough into a game to be able to use it anyhow. Just consider it a nice, big 4/5 with reach for most intents and purposes and if it ever actually does 'monstrify', well, then that's a nice bonus.
volkiteSerpenta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This little baby helped me win a fair deal in the prerelease in a mana-ramp G/B deck. The 4/5 Reacher usually made even a spirited offence falter. When it became an 8/9 next turn even some of the more offensive decks I played against spontaneously turned turtle.
PrezBOTW
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I really like this card. If there is anything I learned at the prerelease, this thing does so much work as Theros is a very powerful limited environment. Ramping up into one of these and even being able to threaten making him monstrous can just stop your opponents in their tracks. It trades with most everything you would be likely to see in a limited environment. Good job, Wizards!
Sleepy_Jackdaw
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Okay, about Theros limited (especially sealed) - if you play with enough skill and luck, you WILL be able to afford monstrosity. Yes. It's that slow, unless maybe you make a Voltron Boros deck. True story.
An extremely terrifying presence in mid-late game limited. I played an extremely aggressive R/W deck balancing heroic and flying and plowed 2-0 through every deck in a draft but fell flat when it came to ONE of these.
At 5 toughness, this fellow's extremely tough to pull from the board via damage, and it is a perfectly reasonable thing to expect it to hit 8/9 before the game ends if you aren't quick enough.
If you want to turn the tables in the midgame, you drop one of these - anyone drafting green or even splashing green should strongly consider pulling these from draft, at the very least to assure one less to deal with yourself.
Outside of limited, it's not all that powerful, but it's still a very solid creature, especially at common-level and has more than enough potential to get very big in the right deck... perhaps in a doubling season build?
deworde2510
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember saying when everyone was doing their head in over how complex Polyukranos was, "Guys, the commons are going to have 'monstrosity 3' and no triggered ability. It'll just get big, and you'll remember because of how big it is".
Predicting the predictable since 2008.
Daedalus3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow. This guy is not only super useful in any sealed/draft event, this guy just takes over Pack Wars games on its own. Great common, would never turn down a big beater that has mana sink bigger beater in late picks.
One of my favorite cards for limited. Really carried me during the prerelease. I really appreciate when commons like these are printed. It's not constructed-worthy, but who cares? It's awesome. Good job wizards. Fantastic development for this set. The prerelease events and drafts are super fun for this set and that's all I play.
Kingnolybear
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card. Reach is a must have especially with those kids who use archetype of imagination and the option to make it monstrous is just a little bonus.
Toraka
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Play a land..." "Alright, now you have two, four, six, se... crap." "Yup."
In Limited, this guy alone is a reason to go Green. No, seriously. Either your opponent instantly has hard removal or the Asp will win you the game. Don't listen to the people saying it's too expensive either: Monstrosity comes out on the second turn after you play it, when it has already cured from summoning sickness, and then it becomes positively invulnerable to all but Sip of Hemlock and Portent of BetrayLOLOLOL. Make sure to keep chumps open at all times even if the Asp is on your side.
TexasDice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've heard somewhere that this picture, done by Alex Horley-Orlandelli, is in fact traditional art without any photoshop enhancements.
Amazing.
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In Theros limited, this card really is a pain in the asp to fight against.
Comments (22)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphisbaena
I played an extremely aggressive R/W deck balancing heroic and flying and plowed 2-0 through every deck in a draft but fell flat when it came to ONE of these.
At 5 toughness, this fellow's extremely tough to pull from the board via damage, and it is a perfectly reasonable thing to expect it to hit 8/9 before the game ends if you aren't quick enough.
If you want to turn the tables in the midgame, you drop one of these - anyone drafting green or even splashing green should strongly consider pulling these from draft, at the very least to assure one less to deal with yourself.
Outside of limited, it's not all that powerful, but it's still a very solid creature, especially at common-level and has more than enough potential to get very big in the right deck... perhaps in a doubling season build?
Predicting the predictable since 2008.
"Alright, now you have two, four, six, se... crap."
"Yup."
In Limited, this guy alone is a reason to go Green. No, seriously. Either your opponent instantly has hard removal or the Asp will win you the game. Don't listen to the people saying it's too expensive either: Monstrosity comes out on the second turn after you play it, when it has already cured from summoning sickness, and then it becomes positively invulnerable to all but Sip of Hemlock and Portent of BetrayLOLOLOL. Make sure to keep chumps open at all times even if the Asp is on your side.
Amazing.