Abyssal Crawler

Description
At the end of your turn, turn a nearby space into Shadow Creep.

How to Get
This card is from the base set. The standard version of this card is automatically available to all players, and all three versions of the Prismatic version are obtained by reaching level 34 in Abyssian.

Strategy
Abyssal Crawler is the engine in Creep decks: it creates the conditions necessary for Creep decks to utilize their synergies. Since it has a weak body, Abyssal Crawler is usually played in the backlines where it can generate Creep tiles undisturbed. However, this gives the player less ability to contest Mana Tiles. While the Shadow Creep tiles to do not affect opponents directly (i.e. they never need to position to avoid creep damage from these tiles), they activate late-game finishers such as Obliterate and Ghost Azalea, as well as the midgame Abyssal Juggernaut. With this foreknowledge, players playing against Creep decks prioritize removing Crawlers. An Abyssal Crawler is often answered by pings from cards such as Bloodtear Alchemist, Blistering Skorn, and Ghost Lightning.

Gauntlet Strategy
Generally speaking, Abyssal Crawler's effect will not have much synergy to an average Gauntlet deck, as any kind of synergy in a deck is not guaranteed. Its 2/1 statline make it worse than standard one-drops. Overall, it is fairly weak without synergy.

Balance Changes
v. 0.0.1 - Added: Abyssal Crawler 1 mana 2/1 Opening Gambit: Turn a nearby tile into Shadow Creep.

v. 0.0.10 - Text changed to: Dying WIsh: Turn this space into Shadow Creep.

v. 1.71 - Text changed to: “At the end of your turn, turn a nearby space into Shadow Creep.”