TCG Playability
Creature — Pest
When this creature enters, look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a land or double-faced card from among them and put that card into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
If only the biofluctuations students could have seen what became of their prize specimen after its escape.
Overgrown Pest is a versatile green creature that offers excellent card selection and tutoring potential in the form of a compact two-mana package. This 2/2 creature enters the battlefield with an immediate impact, allowing you to search the top five cards of your library for either a land or double-faced card, providing flexibility in what you're searching for depending on your current board state and mana needs. The card's tutoring ability makes it particularly valuable in deck-building strategies where consistency matters, as you can guarantee access to critical pieces without sacrificing tempo. The land-finding component makes this especially useful in ramp-heavy strategies, multi-color control decks, or any strategy where hitting your land drops is essential for executing your game plan. Double-faced card support opens up additional synergies, particularly in decks featuring modal spells or transforming creatures that benefit from being in your hand rather than drawn naturally. Beyond casual play, Overgrown Pest sees competitive applications across numerous formats. In Pioneer and Modern, it slots naturally into green-based midrange and ramp strategies. In Commander, it provides consistent tutoring for specific utility lands while filling your creature count efficiently. The card's legality across pauper and penny formats demonstrates its accessibility, while its presence in Timeless and Historic makes it relevant in digital formats. Players seeking a creature that advances their gameplan while improving deck consistency should seriously consider including Overgrown Pest, particularly if they're running land-heavy strategies or decks with significant double-faced card synergies.
Illustrated by Eelis Kyttanen