Ancient Spring MTG Card

Offers mana versatility, aiding card-drawing engines and strategic flexibility in play. Comes into play tapped, which may slow momentum during early turns. Valuable for multicolored decks, enriching the game’s competitive diversity.

Rarity	Common
Type	Land
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	319
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Don Hazeltine

Text of card

Ancient Spring comes into play tapped. oc T: Add o U to your mana pool. oc T, Sacrifice Ancient Spring: Add o Wo B to your mana pool.

Cards like Ancient Spring

The allure of mana flexibility in Magic: The Gathering comes to life with Ancient Spring. This nonbasic land offers a splash of color variety, similar to the likes of Coastal Tower. Both hold the capability to tap for a blue or a white mana. However, what sets Ancient Spring apart is the inclusion of black mana to the mix, widening the potential mana spectrum for players and allowing for a more diverse spell cast in multicolored decks.

Comparing it further, we also look at cards like Elfhame Palace. Like Coastal Tower, Elfhame Palace taps for both green and white mana without the option of black. Ancient Spring, on the other hand, foregoes the green for black, catering to a different deck archetype altogether. Yet, all these lands enter the battlefield tapped, a common trait that requires strategizing the timing of their play.

To summarize, Ancient Spring carves its niche as a mana source within multicolored land options in Magic: The Gathering. Its distinct blend of colors presents players with more avenues to cast a variety of spells, despite the shared setback of coming into play tapped with similar alternatives. In deckbuilding strategy, it holds its ground as a valuable asset.

Cards similar to Ancient Spring by color, type and mana cost

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Ancient Spring. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Event
Five-color Combo	Premodern	Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Decklist	Free form	80#CS
Balancing Tings	Premodern	Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Ancient Spring itself doesn’t directly allow you to draw more cards, its inclusion in a deck built around card-drawing engines can facilitate a smoother flow of options, ensuring you’re well-prepared to execute your strategy and keep up with your opponent’s plays.

Resource Acceleration: As a nonbasic land card, Ancient Spring provides access to three different types of mana (blue, black, and red). This versatility aids in resource acceleration by enabling you to tap into various mana combinations early in the game, potentially leading to faster and more efficient plays.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Ancient Spring can be tapped for mana anytime you could play an instant, ensuring that you can respond to your opponents’ actions promptly. Its mana contribution can be pivotal in casting those crucial instant-speed spells that could significantly alter the game’s state in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ancient Spring doesn’t require a discard, it comes into play tapped. This delay can hinder your tempo, especially during the early crucial turns of the game where every mana counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Ancient Spring provides mana specifically for blue, black, or colorless spells. This color specificity can be restrictive if your deck needs a diverse color palette or if you’re trying to cast spells with heavy color requirements outside of its mana offerings.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Ancient Spring doesn’t have a high mana cost to play, it does produce mana at a delayed rate due to coming into play tapped. Other land options could provide immediate mana, which might be more beneficial for maintaining momentum and casting spells on curve.

Reasons to Include Ancient Spring in Your Collection

Versatility: Ancient Spring comes with a flexible color profile that taps for blue, black, or red mana, opening the doors for inclusion in multicolored decks, particularly in the Esper or Grixis variations that require a smooth mana base.

Combo Potential: This land provides crucial mana in combos, such as those requiring a diverse spectrum of colors to cast intricate spells or activate essential abilities. Its contribution can be especially pivotal in setting up game-winning sequences.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape evolves, having access to versatile mana sources can make a significant difference. Ancient Spring holds its ground in metas that prize speed and adaptability, as it supports casting a wide array of spells integral to remaining competitive.

How to Beat

Confronting the Ancient Spring card in MTG can be an interesting challenge. This land from the Invasion set doesn’t pose a direct threat as a creature or enchantment might, but it does offer its controller a way to diversify mana. As a nonbasic land, Ancient Spring provides blue, black, or red mana, but with a drawback—it enters the battlefield tapped and hence cannot be tapped for mana on the turn it is played.

When your opponent relies on Ancient Spring, you’ll have a window of opportunity to gain tempo owing to the land’s entrance tapped status. One strategy might include aggressive plays that capitalize on their slower mana development. Pressure them early in the game before they stabilize their mana base. Artifact or land removal spells like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can be employed to disrupt their mana sources. Additionally, dexterous land destruction or mana denial strategies, incorporating cards like Blood Moon or Choke, can be highly effective against decks dependent on multicolored nonbasic lands like Ancient Spring.

Overall, while Ancient Spring can enable multicolor deck flexibility, it also potentially opens up a vulnerability that astute players can exploit, particularly in the early game where tempo is critical.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ancient Spring MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Ancient Spring and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ancient Spring has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal