Craterhoof Behemoth MTG: Commander’s Finest Finisher
Craterhoof Behemoth ends games the moment it hits the battlefield. For {5}{G}{G}, this mythic Beast from Avacyn Restored pumps every creature you control by its own power and hands them all trample — turning a board of mana dorks and token chaff into a single lethal attack. More than a decade after its 2012 debut, it remains one of the most-copied finishers in Commander: per EDHREC, it appears in tens of thousands of green decks, from precon upgrades to tuned elf ball lists. This spotlight breaks down what Craterhoof Behemoth does, why it dominates EDH combat math, its five most iconic printings, and whether to buy one or proxy it.
Quick Facts
What Craterhoof Behemoth Does
Craterhoof Behemoth’s rules text reads: “When Craterhoof Behemoth enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +X/+X and gain trample until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.” That includes itself. With six other creatures on the battlefield, your entire team gets +7/+7 and tramples over every blocker.
The scaling is the point. In Commander, boards grow fast — tokens, mana creatures, and value bodies pile up. By turns 8-10, a green deck routinely fields eight to fifteen creatures. A +12/+12 anthem with trample attached means even 1/1 Elf tokens connect for double-digit damage. Three players at 40 life each looks like a lot until you count total attacking power: fifteen creatures averaging 13 power is 195 damage in one combat.
Two details matter when evaluating the card:
> Flavor text: “Its territory is defined by the stomping of the ground.” > — Avacyn Restored
- It’s an enters-the-battlefield trigger, not an aura or anthem — the pump lasts only until end of turn, but it happens immediately and can’t be responded to after resolution beyond countering the spell or stunting the trigger.
- No haste — unless something else grants it, opponents get one full turn to find a fog effect, a mass blink, or a chump-block plan before the attack. That’s the only window they get.
Strategic Applications
Why Craterhoof Behemoth Wins in Commander
Commander decks win through combat in exactly two ways: an unstoppable voltron commander, or a critical mass of small creatures that suddenly becomes lethal. Craterhoof Behemoth is the cleanest expression of the second plan ever printed. It converts the resource every creature deck already accumulates — bodies — directly into damage, with no combat math required from you.
Deck archetypes that lean on it:
That last line matters: Natural Order puts Craterhoof Behemoth onto the battlefield for just {2}{G}{G} and a sacrificed creature, and Birthing Pod chains straight into it at 8 toughness. In higher-power pods, the card is less “turn 9 finisher” and more “combo enabler that costs zero cards of tempo.”
Best Formats for Craterhoof Behemoth
Sample Deck Inclusion
“` Commander: Lathril, Blade of the Elves Main Deck 1 Craterhoof Behemoth 1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader 1 Archetype of Imagination 1 Beast Whisperer 1 Elvish Archdruid 1 Priest of Titania 1 Llanowar Elves 1 Elvish Mystic 1 Heritage Druid 1 Natural Order 1 Tooth and Nail 1 Chord of Calling 1 Finale of Devastation 1 Concordant Crossroads 1 Akroma’s Will 1 Beastmaster Ascension … “`
Lathril lists want exactly this curve: ramp into ten elves, resolve Craterhoof Behemoth, attack for lethal across the table in a single combat.
- Elf ball (Marwyn, Ezuri, Lathril) — elves tap for mana and flood the board; Craterhoof cashes them in
- Token swarm (Trostani, Ghired, Krenko) — twenty goblins become twenty 21/21 tramplers
- Go-wide aristocrats — even sacrifice decks keep a hoof copy as the plan B kill
- cEDH Ad Naus / green stompy shells — as a one-card finisher off a Birthing Pod chain or Natural Order
Craterhoof Behemoth vs Old Gnawbone: Which Green Finisher Wins?
Both cards reward you for attacking with a wide board, but they pay out differently:
The short version: Craterhoof Behemoth is the finisher — it converts board state into a win now. Old Gnawbone is an accelerator that snowballs. Most green creature decks run the Hoof first because games that go long are games you were already losing.
Iconic Print Variations
Craterhoof Behemoth has 14 unique printings from Avacyn Restored (2012) through Tarkir: Dragonstorm (2025). These are the five most visually distinctive versions — each by a different artist.
Avacyn Restored (2012) #172 — The original. Chris Rahn paints the Behemoth mid-stomp in a shattered forest clearing, tiny humans scattering beneath its hooves. The classic frame and warm palette make this the version every player pictures — and still the cheapest tournament-legal print at ~$20.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm (2025) #138 — The modern standard-border reprint by Magali Villeneuve. A tighter, more cinematic composition with dramatic lighting on the charging Beast. It brought the card back into Standard-adjacent circulation and became the go-to budget copy alongside the original.
Secret Lair Drop #376 — The fan-favorite crossover painted by Kira, age 5½. Part of the “Secret Lair x Kids” drop, this crayon-style rendering of a very large animal is genuinely charming — and somehow still reads as a game-ending threat. The most joyful version of the card, full stop.
Tarkir: Dragonstorm (2025) #346 Borderless — The anime-styled showcase treatment by Tuan Duong Chu. Dynamic perspective, saturated color, and a borderless frame make this the flashiest tournament-legal printing — the version sleeved-up players who care about table presence pick.
Secret Lair Drop #375 — Lars Grant-West’s contribution to the same kids’ art drop: a delightfully earnest colored-pencil Beast that looks lifted from a bedtime storybook. Between the two Secret Lair versions, collectors usually grab both — the drop is the only place these artists appear on a Magic card.
Looking for a specific print? Our proxy service covers the most popular versions — from the AVR original to the newest showcase frames.
Competitive Viability
Strengths
Weaknesses
Meta Positioning
Craterhoof Behemoth occupies a rare spot: a casual all-star that never left competitive relevance. In casual pods it’s the most-feared card in green — the moment it resolves, scoops start. In higher-power tables it’s a Natural Order target that closes games before grindy plans come online. Its price tells the story: despite more than half a dozen reprints, demand keeps every copy between $20 and $26. Wizards clearly agrees — Tarkir: Dragonstorm gave it yet another standard-printing cycle in 2025, and it will keep being reprinted wherever green goes-wide themes appear.
- One-card win condition — resolves with a typical board and the game is effectively over
- Scales automatically — no targeting, no math, X counts whatever you have
- Trample included — chump blocks don’t save the table
- Enabler support — Natural Order, Birthing Pod, Tooth and Nail, and Chord of Calling all fetch it cheaply
- Not on the Reserved List — reprinted in MM3, Jumpstart, Commander Masters, Innistrad Remastered, and Tarkir: Dragonstorm; supply keeps prices near $20-26
- Instant table respect — resolving it forces every opponent to answer or lose
- No haste — one full turn for opponents to interact between cast and attack
- Dies to instant-speed interaction — countered or killed before the trigger resolves in cEDH pods
- Needs a board — cast into an empty battlefield, it’s an expensive 3/3
- Fog effects blank it — a single Dawn to Dusk-style fog or Angelsong buys the turn back
- Dead in low-board-count decks — control and combo shells have no use for it
The Practical Reality: Owning vs Proxying Craterhoof Behemoth
Here’s the catch for Commander players: you only need one copy per deck, but green creature decks multiply fast. Run elves, tokens, and a Marwyn list and that’s three copies of a $20+ card — $60-80 tied up in a single slot that never leaves the 99.
Current pricing snapshot (Scryfall, August 2026):
This is exactly the profile of card worth proxying: format staple, multiple decks, zero collector premium you actually need. At MakeProxyCard, a Craterhoof Behemoth proxy in any print style costs a fraction of market price — from US$1.60 per card, with tiered bulk pricing down to US$0.80 per card at 100-card deck volume (a full Commander deck ships for about US$80). Print the AVR original for the purists and the borderless showcase for the flex, and spend the savings on actual cards.
- Avacyn Restored (original): ~$20.67
- Jumpstart: ~$21.00
- Innistrad Remastered: ~$21.69
- Modern Masters 2017: ~$25.76
- Tarkir: Dragonstorm (standard + borderless): ~$24
- Secret Lair kids’ art drops: ~$22-25
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Scryfall — Craterhoof Behemoth (Avacyn Restored, Original Print)
Scryfall — All Craterhoof Behemoth Prints (14)
EDHREC — Craterhoof Behemoth Commander Statistics
MTGGoldfish — Craterhoof Behemoth Price Tracker
MTG Wiki — Craterhoof Behemoth Mechanics and History
Related Reading
- MTG Proxy Guide 2026 — Everything You Need to Know
- Sol Ring MTG: The Turn-One Artifact That Defines Commander
- How to Build Your First Commander Deck with Proxies