Back-Alley Gardener MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Creature — Elf Druid |
| Abilities | Alliance,Seek |
| Released | 2022-06-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: New Capenna |
| Set code | YSNC |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 17 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Francisco Miyara |
Key Takeaways
- Lands becoming creatures with each multicolored spell cast can significantly strengthen board presence.
- Resource acceleration is key, enabling bigger plays sooner and taking advantage of landfall synergies.
- Despite its benefits, the necessity to discard for activation could be a steep price to pay in tight games.
Text of card
Alliance — Whenever one or more other creatures enter the battlefield under your control, seek a land card, then put it onto the battlefield tapped. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Back-Alley Gardener is a versatile addition to your deck that can generate additional land cards. This effect progresses your board state while maintaining the same number of cards in hand, a crucial aspect in outpacing your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: This MTG card can put a basic land card onto the battlefield tapped each time you cast a multicolored spell. Not only does this bolster your mana base, enabling more costly spells earlier, but it also synergizes well with landfall strategies, potentially triggering additional effects with each land played.
Instant Speed: While Back-Alley Gardener itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it complements decks that include instant spells. By casting multicolored instants on your opponent’s turn, you get to maximize your mana each turn and immediately benefit from Back-Alley Gardener’s land acceleration ability.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Back-Alley Gardener is the necessity to discard a card for its ability. This can be a significant setback, particularly when your hand size is dwindling, or the discarded card could have been pivotal for upcoming strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: The card comes with a specific mana cost that may not seamlessly fit into every deck build. Requiring both green and red mana, it can be restrictive and poses a challenge for those aiming for a more color-diverse mana base or mono-colored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost, Back-Alley Gardener is on the pricier side for its abilities. This can hinder deck efficiency, as there are alternative cards that may provide similar or better functionality at a lower mana investment, allowing for a more flexible game plan.
Reasons to Include Back-Alley Gardener in Your Collection
Versatility: Back-Alley Gardener has the flexibility to fit into a variety of deck builds, aligning exceptionally well with strategies that value landfall triggers or multicolored mana demands. Since it transforms lands into creatures, it provides a unique angle of play.
Combo Potential: This card has a solid synergy with effects that untap your lands or cards that benefit from creature count increases. It can also support a more aggressive strategy by turning every land drop into potential board presence.
Meta-Relevance: The constantly shifting MTG landscape means adaptability is crucial. As metas trend towards longer games, Back-Alley Gardener’s ability to create threats and ramp your mana can be a game-changer, offering sustained value as the game progresses.
How to beat
Back-Alley Gardener presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in MTG, offering players the ability to transform their lands into potential threats. With its ability to create Plant tokens when lands enter the battlefield under your control, it requires a strategic approach to counteract. Addressing this card requires swift removal, as allowing it to stay in play can quickly turn the tides with a growing army of Plant tokens.
Effective removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can neutralize the Gardener before it can impact the game significantly. Moreover, land destruction or control strategies to limit the number of lands entering play can be pivotal. Cards like Ghost Quarter can disrupt the Gardener’s landfall synergy, minimizing the advantage it provides. Similarly, countering or preventing its casting altogether with spells like Counterspell or Thoughtseize ensures that the Gardener’s potential never takes root.
Dealing with the Back-Alley Gardener sufficiently and proactively can be the difference between a manageable board state and an overwhelming onslaught of vigilant Plant creatures. A blend of quick removal and preemptive action is key to keeping the Gardener at bay.
Cards like Back-Alley Gardener
In the diverse world of Magic: The Gathering, Back-Alley Gardener stands out among cards that engage with land mechanics. With a history of cards like Vinelasher Kudzu, players have seen the potential in landfall strategies. Vinelasher Kudzu, much like our Gardener, gets stronger with each land played, but lacks the nuance of creating tokens. The Gardener’s ability to produce Plant tokens not only buffs its strength but also aids in board presence. It’s a dynamic not found in the straightforward growth of the Kudzu.
Another card to consider in tandem with Back-Alley Gardener is Rampaging Baloths. This behemoth of a card also benefits from the landfall strategy, creating 4/4 Beast tokens rather than Plants. While the Baloths offer a more significant individual threat with each land played, they come at a higher cost and lack the steady power increase of the Gardener. This illustrates a trade-off between immediate board impact and potential long-term growth.
Ultimately, Back-Alley Gardener finds its niche in MTG as a hybrid of token generation and power accrual, marking it as a versatile choice for decks that emphasize land play. The presence of similar yet distinct cards underscores the Gardener’s unique role in a player’s arsenal.
Cards similar to Back-Alley Gardener by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Back-Alley Gardener MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: New Capenna, 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 Back-Alley Gardener 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Back-Alley Gardener has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |