How Humor Shapes MTG Play With Psychosis Crawler

In TCG ·

Psychosis Crawler card art from Murders at Karlov Manor Commander

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Humor at the Table: Psychosis Crawler, Card Draw, and the Joy of MTG

Humor isn’t just a garnish on a Magic: The Gathering table—it’s part of the strategy, the timing, and yes, the memes that make a long, grindy game feel like a rollercoaster with friends. When you bring Psychosis Crawler to the party, you’re not just bringing a body for your cockpit of artifacts; you’re inviting a social mechanic into the game. Every card drawn can tilt the mood as easily as it tilts life totals, and that balance between clever play and comedic pressure is where the best table moments live. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Psychosis Crawler is a colorless artifact creature with a five-mana cost, a rare slot in the Murders at Karlov Manor Commander set, and a very telltale question: what happens when your hand size becomes the source of a threat? Its power and toughness scale with the number of cards in your hand, which means the more you draw, the tougher it gets for your foes. And every time you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life. It’s a built-in punchline: in the middle of a grand plan, you pull a card and watch the table react as if you just revealed the joke that was hiding in plain sight. 💎🎲

“Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.” — Scryfall card data

The card at a glance

For those who want the stats in plain language: Psychosis Crawler costs {5} to cast, is an Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror, and is colorless. In practice, it behaves like a living, growing gauge of how large your hand is and how much you’ve disrupted the table’s flow. The Oracle text is straightforward but deliciously devious: your hand size fuels its combat prowess, and every draw drains life from every opponent. The flavor text—“If that brain can't figure out the secret of the serum, then add more brains.” —Rhmir, Hand of the Augur—packs a grim wink at the zoo of experiments that inhabit Mirrodin’s darker corners. It’s science and mischief in one inked line. 🎨⚔️

In terms of design, Psychosis Crawler embodies a classic, patient MTG effect: a powerful body that scales with a resource you actively manage. The more cards you draw, the bigger the threat—both on the battlefield and around the table. It’s a card that rewards planning, but it also invites playful sabotage through timing and table talk. The rarity is rare within a Commander-focused set, which adds to its aura as a memorable, share-worthy pick in casual and “kitchen-table” environments. The fact that it’s a non-foil, black-border reprint with a robust, high-res art treatment by Stephan Martiniere only sweetens the nostalgia. 🔥💎

Play patterns you’ll actually enjoy

  • Draw with a smile: Wheel effects, big draw spells, or artifact-based card draw can push your hand into absurd territory. With a large hand, Psychosis Crawler often becomes a towering creature that can swing games from a safe distance. Your opponents know what’s coming, and that knowledge shapes their politics at the table. 🎲
  • Politicking through pressure: The life-loss trigger on every draw is a potent social tool in multiplayer formats. It creates a shared, escalating tension where someone always suspects the next draw will collapse their life total. Use humor, not hostility, to keep the table on side—a well-timed quip or a friendly nudge goes a long way. 🧙‍♂️
  • Hand-size management: Deck-building with Psychosis Crawler rewards you for hoarding answers, not just gasping for “one more card.” You’ll want modest, consistent sources of card draw that don’t overcommit you to a single line—unless you’re aiming for a big, memorable finish. 💎
  • Artifact synergies: As a colorless creature, it slots into any color combination that can accelerate card draw or protect a growing board. Ramps, tutors, and a handful of draw-enabled artifacts can turn a routine game into a showcase of late-game drama. ⚔️
  • Flavor-forward moments: The flavor text sets the mood: a world where experiments spiral into the next brainy idea. When you drop a card that triggers life loss for everyone else, you’re not just winning—you’re staging a little theater at the table. 🎨

Humor at the table isn’t about jokes for jokes’ sake; it’s about shared moments where clever lines and clever plays align. Psychosis Crawler is the kind of card that invites those moments, because it makes the act of drawing a card feel like a decision with consequences—on both sides of the board. And let’s be honest, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching response triggers ripple outward while you lean back with a grin. 🧙‍♂️

Why this card remains a talking point in collections

Beyond the thrill of the game, Psychosis Crawler sits at an interesting crossroads of design and collectability. Its artwork by Stephan Martiniere is a standout, its status as a reprint in a dedicated Commander set makes it accessible for players building around big-hand strategies, and its price point—a few dimes in USD depending on print and market—keeps it approachable for casual players who want to inject some theatrical fun into their tables. The card’s practical power, paired with its flavorful flavor text, makes it a memorable piece for any nostalgia-driven Commander deck. 💎

As you map out your own table dynamics, keep in mind the unpredictable joy that humor can spark in a match. It’s not about making every game a laugh riot; it’s about empowering the table to lean into the chaos together, with planning and mischief twinned like twin fires in a forge. The more you celebrate the play, the more the cards talk—and the more that talk becomes legend at the next play night. 🧙‍♂️🔥

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Psychosis Crawler

Psychosis Crawler

{5}
Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror

Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.

Whenever you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life.

"If that brain can't figure out the secret of the serum, then add more brains." —Rhmir, Hand of the Augur

ID: d0f42a19-c180-45b1-9f4c-787cf3a4a649

Oracle ID: 2876e74f-a242-4995-9702-0b737a1ab67a

Multiverse IDs: 650328

TCGPlayer ID: 535700

Cardmarket ID: 753452

Colors:

Color Identity:

Keywords:

Rarity: Rare

Released: 2024-02-09

Artist: Stephan Martiniere

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 450

Penny Rank: 10869

Set: Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (mkc)

Collector #: 234

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — legal
  • Timeless — legal
  • Gladiator — legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.35
  • EUR: 0.37
  • TIX: 0.02
Last updated: 2025-11-15