Circle of the Moon Druid MTG Card
2021-07-23 - Number 177
2022-07-07 - Number 204
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Elf Druid |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Offers card advantage and adaptability by filtering draws during each turn.
- Speeds up gameplay with mana ramp capabilities for faster, bigger plays.
- Instant speed activation allows reactive and strategic plays against opponents.
Text of card
Bear Form — As long as it's your turn, Circle of the Moon Druid is a Bear with base power and toughness 4/2. (It loses all other creature types.)
Druids of the Circle of the Moon are fierce guardians of nature who haunt the deepest parts of the wilderness.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Circle of the Moon Druid provides consistent deck filtering due to its ability to look at the top cards of your library and draw one, giving you more options and adaptability during each of your turns. This ensures that you’re more likely to have the answers or threats you need when you need them.
Resource Acceleration: With its potential to tap for mana, Circle of the Moon Druid aids in ramping up your resources. This acceleration can be a significant edge, allowing you to deploy bigger threats ahead of schedule or enabling multiple spell casts in a single turn.
Instant Speed: The Circle of the Moon Druid can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves. This feature allows strategic plays by making it easier to adapt to the changing battlefield while keeping up the pressure or defense as necessary.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Circle of the Moon Druid presents a challenging discard condition as part of its activation cost. For players who rely on maintaining card advantage, this requirement could be especially detrimental, as each discard could represent a loss of crucial tactical options or potential answers to threats on the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise arrangement of mana, including green, which may not align seamlessly with all deck types. Players running multi-color decks might find the mana requirement restrictive, forcing them to modify their land base or other mana sources to accommodate it, potentially at the cost of deck consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might be deemed steep for its abilities, Circle of the Moon Druid can be eclipsed by other cards that perform similar functions at a lower cost. In a dynamic game where efficiency is key, the higher investment can be a significant drawback, particularly in fast-paced games or against decks that aim to establish a winning board state rapidly.
Reasons to Include Circle of the Moon Druid in Your Collection
Versatility: Circle of the Moon Druid offers a range of utility in various deck builds. With its ability to provide creature-based strategies, adapt to multiple situations, and function as a reliable blocker or an aggressive beater, it’s a flexible choice for many MTG players.
Combo Potential: This card acts as a cornerstone in synergistic plays, allowing creature spells to gain flash, enabling end-of-turn surprises or interruptions during your opponent’s turn. It can dynamically alter the pace of the game, setting the stage for unexpected combos.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to adapt swiftly to the ever-changing landscape of the meta, Circle of the Moon Druid proves to be a valuable asset in the collection of any player keen on staying competitive. It blends well with decks that aim to outmaneuver other tempo-based strategies, solidifying its role in the current gaming environment.
How to beat
Circle of the Moon Druid has woven its way into the fabric of creature decks in Magic: The Gathering, providing not just resilience but also formidable adaptability on the battlefield. Much like versatile creatures from MTG’s storied past, this Druid offers not only impressive longevity, owing to its ward ability, but also an integral versatility through its daybound and nightbound transformation mechanics.
To effectively counter Circle of the Moon Druid, consider using removal spells that bypass its ward ability. This includes unconditional removals like Vraska’s Contempt or board wipes such as Doomskar that don’t target specific creatures. Utilizing instant spells can also be strategic, as they allow you to adapt to the Druid’s daybound and nightbound states. Should the game shift into night, the Druid’s defensive capabilities are diminished, and that’s the opportune moment to strike. Additionally, employing exile effects sidesteps the Druid’s regeneration potential, ensuring that once it’s removed, it stays gone. Focus on timing your spells for maximum impact and stay one step ahead of this shapeshifter to maintain control of the game flow.
In essence, staying flexible and proactive with your removal strategy is key to mastering the matchup against Circle of the Moon Druid, asserting domination over the creature’s dual nature on your path to victory.
Cards like Circle of the Moon Druid
Circle of the Moon Druid is an intriguing card providing versatility in creature-based strategies within Magic: The Gathering. This card is reminiscent of versatile creatures like Sakura-Tribe Elder, which also offers a choice between a land ramp and a blocker. However, Circle of the Moon Druid presents a more flexible option, giving players the ability to choose between a land or transforming it into a formidable creature under certain conditions.
When considering adaptability, Ilysian Caryatid comes to mind which adapts to the number of creatures with power 4 or greater you control, providing ramp to your mana pool. Yet, Circle of the Moon Druid stands apart with its creature transformation capability. Comparatively, Nissa, Vastwood Seer is another card that transforms but it flips into a planeswalker providing a different form of utility entirely.
Evaluating different cards, Circle of the Moon Druid showcases its unique strengths well, especially in decks that can consistently meet its transformation condition, yielding both an early game ramp and a late-game threat within MTG creature dynamics.
Cards similar to Circle of the Moon Druid by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Circle of the Moon Druid MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Circle of the Moon Druid and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Circle of the Moon Druid Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Nicholas Elias.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | AFR | 177 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nicholas Elias | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 204 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nicholas Elias |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Circle of the Moon Druid has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
