Earthbind MTG Card


Earthbind offers strategic play by neutralizing the advantage of flying creatures, enhancing red decks. Its instant speed allows flexibility, disrupting opponents’ plans and maintaining a strong defense. Despite its niche role, Earthbind requires careful deck consideration due to its specific mana and card costs.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Text of card

Earthbind does 2 damage to target flying creature, which also loses flying ability.


Cards like Earthbind

When players examine Earthbind in Magic: The Gathering, they often look at other cards that lock down creatures. Earthbind uniquely restricts flying creatures from taking off, but it’s worth considering how it stacks up against similar enchantments. Cards like Unstable Footing have a similar function by nullifying abilities that prevent or redirect damage, though not specifically targeting flying creatures.

Goblin War Drums serves as another enchantment that impacts creature abilities indirectly by granting your creatures menace, which complicates block strategies for your opponent. However, Earthbind remains unique with its specific enchant creature ability and the single red mana cost which makes it accessible early in the game. On the flip side, Earthbind is narrow in scope, as it only impacts flyers and doesn’t offer the broader utility found in other red enchantments like Clinging Mists, which prevents combat damage rather than disabling flying.

Overall, Earthbind holds a firm place in the niche of red control cards, complementing a strategy explicitly designed against decks heavy on flying creatures, although its utility may feel limited when compared to the breadth of options in red’s enchantment pool.

Unstable Footing - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Drums - MTG Card versions
Clinging Mists - MTG Card versions
Unstable Footing - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Drums - MTG Card versions
Clinging Mists - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Earthbind by color, type and mana cost

Firebreathing - MTG Card versions
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Storm World - MTG Card versions
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Need for Speed - MTG Card versions
Crackling Club - MTG Card versions
Firebreathing - MTG Card versions
Burrowing - MTG Card versions
Storm World - MTG Card versions
Eternal Warrior - MTG Card versions
Immolation - MTG Card versions
Imposing Visage - MTG Card versions
Ironclaw Curse - MTG Card versions
Veteran's Voice - MTG Card versions
Mob Mentality - MTG Card versions
Crown of Flames - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Rage - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Blade - MTG Card versions
Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Mark of Fury - MTG Card versions
Incendiary - MTG Card versions
Seal of Fire - MTG Card versions
Laccolith Rig - MTG Card versions
Brutal Suppression - MTG Card versions
Need for Speed - MTG Card versions
Crackling Club - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Earthbind itself doesn’t draw cards, its unique ability to disable flying creatures can indirectly contribute to card advantage by neutralizing opponents’ threats that are otherwise difficult to deal with using ground units.

Resource Acceleration: Although Earthbind does not directly provide resource acceleration, it can help maintain your pace on the board by effectively handling flying creatures, thereby conserving your other resources for more pressing threats.

Instant Speed: Earthbind’s strength lies in its element of surprise. As an instant, it allows players to respond to opponents’ actions during their turn, particularly when they attempt to evade your defenses with flying creatures. The ability to cast Earthbind in response to such maneuvers can leave an adversary’s board exposed and disrupt their strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When it comes to Earthbind, players must be prepared for situations where the enchantment might not be the optimal card to hold onto. If your hand is already scarce, being forced to part with another precious card to leverage Earthbind’s effect can be detrimental, especially in a close match where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Earthbind’s requirement of red mana for casting makes it exclusive to red or multicolored decks. This limitation can be restrictive when players are designing their deck and aiming for a strategy that doesn’t naturally incorporate red mana. For those who play monochromatic or colorless decks, Earthbind will remain an unplayable card.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might seem modest at first glance, players must consider the overall efficiency of Earthbind. In the vast pool of MTG cards, alternatives may provide similar or better effects for the same, if not a lower, cost. Thus, it begs the question of whether Earthbind represents the best use of a turn’s mana investment compared to other cards that could enhance your board state or hand with greater impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Earthbind is an iconic card with the ability to neutralize threats across various game situations. Its role in restricting creatures with flying adds strategic depth to red decks that often lack flying creatures.

Combo Potential: This card offers combo potential in formats where enchantments matter. It can be used as part of an intricate strategy to control the board and disarm key components of your opponent’s offense.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where flying creatures dominate, Earthbind provides an efficient solution. It’s a classic from the early sets, offering historical value and practical utility against decks that rely heavily on flying creatures for victory.


How to beat

Earthbind is a unique card that can disrupt your aerial strategies in Magic: The Gathering. This red spell prevents creatures from flying, essentially neutralizing a key advantage creatures with flying usually have. While this card might feel limiting, there are several ways to overcome its effect.

Firstly, enhancing your ground forces can make Earthbind less of a setback. By focusing on strengthening your land-based creatures, you can mitigate the need to rely on flying creatures. Additionally, enchantment removal spells are highly effective against Earthbind. Green spells like Naturalize or White spells like Disenchant can quickly dispel the binding and free your winged warriors to take to the skies once again. Another tactic is to diversify your threats such that removing the ability to fly does not critically impair your board presence. This can involve including creatures with other evasion abilities or simply playing a variety of creatures with balanced strengths.

Ultimately, while Earthbind is designed to keep your creatures grounded, knowing your deck and the right countermeasures to apply will ensure that your strategy remains on course, soaring high above this potential obstacle. Keep these tips in mind, and Earthbind won’t keep you down for long.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Earthbind MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Earthbind and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Earthbind Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 1994-06-21. Illustrated by Quinton Hoover.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1451993NormalBlackQuinton Hoover
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1461993NormalBlackQuinton Hoover
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1461993NormalWhiteQuinton Hoover
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1461993NormalBlackQuinton Hoover
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1461993NormalBlackQuinton Hoover
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1471993NormalBlackQuinton Hoover
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1471993NormalWhiteQuinton Hoover
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1471993NormalWhiteQuinton Hoover

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Earthbind has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Earthbind card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 If the enchanted creature gains flying after Earthbind is put onto it, it will have flying. The two effects are simply applied in timestamp order.