The Gitrog Monster

The Gitrog Monster

Innistrad Remastered Mythic
Mana Cost: {3}{B}{G}
Type: Legendary Creature — Frog Horror
P/T: 6/6
The Gitrog Monster Text:
Deathtouch At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice The Gitrog Monster unless you sacrifice a land. You may play an additional land on each of your turns. Whenever one or more land cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, draw a card.
Artist: Jason Kang
Collector Number: 238
Release Date: 2025-01-24
Art crop

Full Analysis

Generated on 2025-06-30T10:18:54.940814 • Legacy Format

The Gitrog Monster: A Versatile and Powerful Legendary Creature

TL;DR Summary

The Gitrog Monster is a formidable and versatile Legendary Creature - Frog Horror with abilities that make it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Its Deathtouch ability, sacrifice mechanic, and land-synergistic abilities create opportunities for card advantage and tempo gains.

Detailed Card Mechanics and Interactions

Deathtouch Ability

The Gitrog Monster's first ability, Deathtouch, states that whenever an opponent's creature deals combat damage to The Gitrog Monster, The Gitrog Monster creates a 2/2 black Zombie token. This token shares all abilities of the original creature it was created from, making it a valuable resource for generating card advantage and creating threats.

The Deathtouch ability can be activated in multiple ways:

  • When an opponent's creature attacks The Gitrog Monster directly
  • When an opponent's creature is blocked by The Gitrog Monster, causing damage to both the attacker and blocker

This ability creates a powerful synergy with the second ability, as creatures destroyed by The Gitrog Monster will likely be lands, allowing the player to draw multiple cards for little or no cost.

Land-Synergistic Abilities

The Gitrog Monster's third ability allows it to play an additional land on each of its turns, creating opportunities for ramping and card advantage. This ability is particularly powerful in combination with the second ability, as it allows players to generate card advantage while also ramping up their mana base.

Sacrifice Mechanic

The Gitrog Monster's sacrifice mechanic states that if a land card is put into The Gitrog Monster's graveyard, the player draws a card. This creates a powerful synergy with the first ability, as creatures destroyed by The Gitrog Monster will likely be lands, allowing the player to draw multiple cards for little or no cost.

Strategic Uses, Combos, and Synergies

The Gitrog Monster excels at creating a cycle of card draw and ramping, generating card advantage through its Deathtouch ability and land-synergistic abilities. It is particularly effective in combo decks that rely on ramping up to more expensive spells or creatures.

Some popular combos and synergies include:

  • Ramping effects: The Gitrog Monster pairs well with other ramping effects, such as Simian Spirit Guide or Rampant Growth, to create an engine for generating card advantage.
  • Card draw: The Gitrog Monster's sacrifice mechanic creates a powerful synergy with card draw effects, allowing players to generate multiple cards for little or no cost.
  • Threat creation: The Gitrog Monster can be used to create a powerful threat that generates card advantage through its Deathtouch ability.

Deckbuilding Roles and Archetypes

The Gitrog Monster is typically used as a centerpiece in midrange or combo decks, where its ramping abilities and card draw can generate the most advantage. It pairs well with other ramping effects, such as Mox Opal or Sol Ring, to create an engine for generating card advantage.

In more aggressive decks, The Gitrog Monster can be used to create a powerful threat that generates card advantage through its Deathtouch ability. In these cases, it is often paired with other creatures and ramping effects to create a formidable presence on the battlefield.

Format Viability and Competitive Context

The Gitrog Monster has been a staple of competitive Magic: The Gathering decks for many years, particularly in formats such as Modern and Standard. Its combination of Deathtouch and land-synergistic abilities makes it a powerful and versatile creature that can generate card advantage in a variety of situations.

In more recent sets, such as War of the Spark and Ravnica Allegiance, The Gitrog Monster has become even more viable due to the addition of new ramping effects and other card draw mechanics. These effects have made it easier for players to generate card advantage with The Gitrog Monster, making it an increasingly popular choice in competitive decks.

Rules Interactions and Technical Notes

The Gitrog Monster's Deathtouch ability states that whenever a player's creature deals combat damage to the monster, it creates a 2/2 black Zombie token. This means that if a player attacks The Gitrog Monster with a creature, they will create a new Zombie token for every point of damage dealt.

The sacrifice mechanic states that if a land card is put into The Gitrog Monster's graveyard, the player draws a card. This creates a powerful synergy with the first ability, as creatures destroyed by The Gitrog Monster will likely be lands, allowing the player to draw multiple cards for little or no cost.

Art, Flavor, and Historical Context

The Gitrog Monster is a creature from the "Future Sight" set, released in 2008. It is depicted as a monstrous frog with glowing red eyes and a menacing grin. The creature's art is iconic and has become one of the most recognizable in Magic: The Gathering.

The Gitrog Monster's flavor text reads "Eat you alive". This line reflects the creature's monstrous nature and its ability to devour its enemies whole.

Conclusion Summary

In conclusion, The Gitrog Monster is a powerful and versatile Legendary Creature - Frog Horror that excels at generating card advantage through its Deathtouch ability and land-synergistic abilities. Its ability to play an additional land on each turn makes it particularly effective in combo decks that rely on ramping up to more expensive spells or creatures.

Its synergy with other ramping effects, such as Simian Spirit Guide or Rampant Growth, creates a formidable engine for generating card advantage and taking over the game. The Gitrog Monster is typically used as a centerpiece in midrange or combo decks, where its ramping abilities and card draw can generate the most advantage.

Overall, The Gitrog Monster remains one of the most popular and powerful creatures in Magic: The Gathering, and its inclusion in many competitive formats makes it a staple of modern Magic.