A-Winota, Joiner of Forces MTG Card


A-Winota, Joiner of Forces - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Warrior
Released2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set nameIkoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set codeIKO
Power 4
Toughness 4
NumberA-216
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMagali Villeneuve

Key Takeaways

  1. Winota offers card advantage by putting non-Human creatures into play without their mana costs.
  2. She accelerates resources by cheating mana curves, essential for tempo domination.
  3. Her triggered ability at combat speed surprises opponents, drastically shifting board states.

Text of card

Whenever one or more non-Human creatures you control attack, look at the top six cards of your library. You may put a Human creature card from among them onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. It gains indestructible until end of turn. Put the rest of the cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Winota, Joiner of Forces enables players to put powerful non-Human creatures onto the battlefield without paying their mana costs. This ability can overwhelmingly tip the scales in your favor by increasing your board presence and providing you with multiple threats or valuable resources at once.

Resource Acceleration: Unlike traditional mana ramp spells, Winota’s unique approach to resource acceleration bypasses mana costs entirely. By attacking with non-Human creatures, you effectively cheat mana curves, deploying high-impact creatures early in the game and gaining a significant tempo advantage.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Winota’s triggered ability acts at the speed of combat, introducing an element of surprise. Opponents must be wary of any attack when she’s on the field, as it can instantly lead to a drastic shift in board state with the right creatures joining the fight.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Winota, Joiner of Forces does not have a discard requirement herself, building a deck that maximizes her ability often involves card choices that might require you to discard. This can be particularly disadvantageous when playing against control decks that may force additional discards, potentially depleting valuable hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Winota’s casting cost demands both red and white mana, restricting her to decks that can reliably produce both colors. This can complicate the mana base and make it more vulnerable to disruption, especially in formats with a significant presence of nonbasic land hate.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Winota enters the battlefield later than some other impactful three-mana commanders or creatures in the format. This can sometimes put players at a tempo disadvantage, as the initial turns are critical for establishing board presence and the four mana cost can delay other plays.


Reasons to Include Winota, Joiner of Forces in Your Collection

Versatility: Winota, Joiner of Forces is a powerful addition to any deck that leverages creatures. Her ability to cheat creatures onto the battlefield can turn the tide in a variety of match-ups, making her a flexible choice for players who enjoy multiple strategies. Whether you’re running a human or non-human deck, Winota provides value and unexpected plays for your opponents to contend with.

Combo Potential: The true strength of Winota lies in her combo potential. When paired with cards that can produce multiple non-human creatures quickly, she can bring your high-cost humans into play early. This often leads to a significant advantage as you put out a formidable presence that can overwhelm opponents before they have a chance to establish their game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s often dictated by fast-paced aggro or creature-heavy decks, Winota stands out as a relevant force. Her ability to accelerate your board state plays well against control archetypes and keeps pace with other aggressive strategies, ensuring she has a place in the ever-evolving competitive scene.


How to beat

Winota, Joiner of Forces represents a powerful force on the battlefield, capable of quickly shifting the tide in Magic: The Gathering games. This formidable card thrives on synergy with non-Human creatures to cheat powerful Humans onto the field at no cost. To effectively counter this strategy, it is crucial to limit Winota’s ability to trigger her ability.

Removal spells that can deal with Winota the moment she hits the board are essential; consider utilizing instant-speed interactions like Fatal Push or Heartless Act to prevent any attack triggers. Additionally, board wipes such as Wrath of God or Doomskar can reset the board state before your opponent can capitalize on Winota’s strengths. Another nuanced approach is to employ cards that restrict creature-based strategies, such as Grafdigger’s Cage, which can prevent creatures from being put onto the battlefield from the library. Finally, maintaining pressure and an aggressive stance can prevent your opponent from safely deploying Winota without risk of an immediate counterattack.

Through careful deck construction and strategic play, one can navigate around the explosive potential of Winota, Joiner of Forces, ensuring that your opponent’s plans don’t come to fruition as they might have hoped in an MTG match.


Exploring the Strategic Advantages of Winota, Joiner of Forces

In the realm of power-packed creature cards, Winota, Joiner of Forces makes a dramatic entrance. Born from the lore-rich plane of Ikoria, she stands tall against other notable cards like Tazri, Beacon of Unity. While Tazri allows players to search their libraries for specific creature types, Winota’s ability to cheat them directly onto the battlefield at no cost during combat can be a game-changer. This not only skews the board state in your favor instantly but also sidesteps mana costs, making her an unpredictable and potent threat.

Cards like A-Winota, Joiner of Forces

Winota, Joiner of Forces shares a kinship in function with cards like Collected Company, a formidable spell that looks at the top six cards of the library, putting up to two creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less onto the battlefield. Although Collected Company offers immediate board presence, Winota has the potential for a larger and less restrictive impact over time, particularly in human-centric decks.

Goblin Rabblemaster is another comparable card that creates creatures. However, while Rabblemaster itself swells the battlefield with goblins, Winota can diversify the field with various creature types. The explosive potential she brings, to summon multiple humans onto the field, often with impactful enter the battlefield abilities, sets her apart from Rabblemaster’s predictable singular creature type generation.

High synergy decks allow Winota, Joiner of Forces to shine, turning every combat phase into an opportunity to tilt the game’s balance. This ability to generate massive value without tapping additional mana resources might just make her the ace of creature deployment, an enticing pick for players who want to stay ahead of the curve.

Tazri, Beacon of Unity - MTG Card versions
Collected Company - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions
Tazri, Beacon of Unity - MTG Card versions
Collected Company - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase A-Winota, Joiner of Forces MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 A-Winota, Joiner of Forces and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where A-Winota, Joiner of Forces has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal