Awakener Druid MTG Card

Enhances board presence by transforming a Forest into a 4/5 Treefolk without using extra cards. Can rapidly produce extra mana by pairing with untap effects, creating a dynamic advantage. Immediately alters the game with its Druid’s ability, simulating the impact of an instant.

Magic 2010 (M10)
2009-07-17 - Number 167

Magic 2011 (M11)
2010-07-16 - Number 163

Jumpstart (JMP)
2020-07-17 - Number 379

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Druid
Power	1
Toughness	1

Text of card

When Awakener Druid enters the battlefield, target Forest becomes a 4/5 green Treefolk creature as long as Awakener Druid is on the battlefield. It's still a land.

The druids of Mazar treat each seedcone with respect for the warrior it will become.

Cards like Awakener Druid

Awakener Druid holds its own within the realm of creature-based MTG cards with unique land animation abilities. Similar cards, such as Sylvan Awakening, also bring lands to life, but Awakeners Druid directly targets a single Forest and transforms it into a formidable 4/5 green Treefolk creature as long as the Druid remains on the battlefield. This provides a tactical advantage of having a strong creature emerge on the same turn as the Druid.

Comparatively, cards like Rude Awakening have the flexibility to animate all lands, not just one. However, Rude Awakening is a sorcery that requires a higher mana commitment and offers this transformation only once, whereas Awakener Druid’s effect persists across turns. Then there’s Nissa, Who Shakes the World, a planeswalker with the power to animate lands. While Nissa turns lands into 3/3 creatures with her +1 ability, she also elevates your mana production, unlike the one-time effect of the Druid.

Awakener Druid finds its niche by immediately impacting the board with a significant presence and synergizes well in decks that benefit from creature-based strategies. It makes a solid choice for players looking for early game assertiveness combined with the land-creature dynamic.

Nissa, Who Shakes the World - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Awakener Druid itself doesn’t directly result in card draw, it generates significant board presence by transforming a basic Forest into a 4/5 green Treefolk creature as long as it’s on the battlefield. This effectively gives you an additional, powerful creature without spending a card from your hand, tangentially contributing to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The 4/5 Treefolk token created by Awakener Druid doesn’t just serve as a formidable creature; it also has the potential to be an outstanding resource accelerator. Should you pair it with effects or spells that untap lands such as with “Voyaging Satyr” or “Garruk Wildspeaker,” you can potentially utilize the Treefolk to produce extra mana, accelerating your gameplay faster than your opponent.

Instant Speed: Despite Awakener Druid not being an instant, its ability’s impact is felt immediately as it hits the battlefield. This quick transformation of a Forest into a 4/5 creature can be as strategically valuable as an instant, allowing surprise blocks or attacks that can swing the game state in your favor. Additionally, the Druid’s ability is akin to an instant in that it provides an immediate creature presence as soon as it enters the battlefield, catching opponents off guard.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: No actual discard is required to play Awakener Druid, making it straightforward in terms of card retention when casting.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitates two green mana, which might restrict its inclusion to green-centric or two-color decks where green is a primary feature.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Awakener Druid may compete with other three-drops in your deck that could potentially offer more immediate impact or value on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Awakener Druid in Your Collection

Versatility: Awakener Druid can seamlessly integrate into a variety of green decks, especially those focused on land-centric strategies. Her ability to animate lands as formidable creatures makes her a dynamic inclusion in any deck looking to capitalize on board presence.

Combo Potential: This card holds significant synergy with effects that benefit from lands becoming creatures, setting the stage for compelling combos. With the right setup, Awakener Druid can be a linchpin in strategies looking to amass powerful creatures quickly.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where land ramp and big creatures reign supreme, Awakener Druid shines. Her capacity to turn any forest into a 4/5 creature helps maintain pressure against control decks and can quickly escalate the pace of the game in your favor.

How to beat

Awakener Druid transforms any forest into a formidable 4/5 green Treefolk creature as long as the Druid is on the battlefield. This can oftentimes catch opponents off guard or enable high-powered attacks early in the game. To counteract this strategy, targeted removal spells are highly effective. Cards like Path to Exile or Murder can make quick work of the animated lands before they cause too much havoc.

Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation also prove to be excellent equalizers, resetting the field and dealing with multiple animated forests at once. Enchantment removal like Naturalize or Disenchant can disrupt the synergy by targeting other cards that might be bolstering the Druid’s effect. Strategic use of counterspells before the Awakener Druid’s ability activates can also prevent the transformation altogether.

Lastly, passive strategies involving deathtouch or reach creatures, such as Thornweald Archer, can act as deterrents against the Treefolk creatures, neutralizing the threat without spending too many resources. With the right cards and timing, overcoming the might of the Awakener Druid is a manageable feat in any MTG matchup.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Awakener Druid MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Magic 2011, 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 Awakener Druid and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Awakener Druid Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Jason Chan.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2009-07-17	Magic 2010	M10	167	2003	Normal	Black	Jason Chan
2	2010-07-16	Magic 2011	M11	163	2003	Normal	Black	Jason Chan
3	2020-07-17	Jumpstart	JMP	379	2015	Normal	Black	Jason Chan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Awakener Druid has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	Awakener Druid’s ability affects a land with the land type Forest, not necessarily a land with the name Forest.
2009-10-01	Awakener Druid’s ability is mandatory. When it enters the battlefield, you must target a Forest (if there is one), even if you don’t control that Forest.
2009-10-01	If Awakener Druid and the Treefolk are dealt lethal damage at the same time, both will be destroyed. However, if Awakener Druid leaves the battlefield before the Treefolk is dealt damage, it will immediately revert to being just a land and thus can’t be dealt damage.
2009-10-01	If Awakener Druid leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, nothing happens to the targeted Forest when that ability resolves. It won’t become a creature.
2009-10-01	If the targeted Forest entered the battlefield this turn, it will be affected by “summoning sickness” once it becomes a Treefolk. You won’t be able to attack with it or use its activated abilities that have in the cost (including its mana ability).