Borrowing the East Wind MTG Card

Provides final push with damage scaling up by each controlled land, turning tables late in the game. Instant speed casting gives flexibility, allowing strategic responses on an opponent’s turn. The heavy dependency on card discard and specific mana can hamper playability in some decks.

Borrowing the East Wind - Portal Three Kingdoms

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	1999-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal Three Kingdoms
Set code	PTK
Number	133
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	White
Illustred by	Gao Yan

Text of card

Borrowing the East Wind deals X damage to each player and each creature with horsemanship. (This includes you and your creatures with horsemanship.)

Cards like Borrowing the East Wind

Exploring the dynamics of potent damage-dealing cards in MTG, Borrowing the East Wind stands out for its scalability in gameplay. This card echoes the attributes of Earthquake, as both deal damage to each creature and each player. However, unlike Earthquake, Borrowing the East Wind lacks the restriction of not hurting flying creatures, presenting a uniform threat to all. Additionally, Rolling Earthquake, another counterpart, also causes widespread damage yet it carries horsemanship avoidance, a nuance absent in Borrowing the East Wind’s straightforward destruction.

Blaze is another similar card; it allows you to direct damage to a target. Whereas Borrowing the East Wind—a sorcery card—might impact the entire field, Blaze offers precision control, focusing on a singular target which can be crucial in certain scenarios. Then there’s Hurricane, the green parallel, inflicting damage to all creatures with flying and players, enhancing the tactical layer when facing decks heavily reliant on flyers.

All considered, Borrowing the East Wind contributes a robust option for players seeking to clear the board or press for a game-ending strike, its value cemented by its unprejudiced area effect and scaling damage potential.

Cards similar to Borrowing the East Wind by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Borrowing the East Wind can serve as a powerful finisher in a game, particularly in situations where the board state is at parity or you’re slightly behind. By inflicting damage based on the number of lands you control, it turns your land development into potential damage output, helping to swing the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This spell shines in decks that focus on ramping up their mana. The ability to convert an abundance of lands into a significant burst of damage means that the land acceleration strategy can have a direct and decisive impact on the game’s outcome.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Borrowing the East Wind at instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows players to wait until the end of an opponent’s turn to decide whether to unleash the card’s effect, keeping mana available for other interactions or bluffing counterspells which can mislead opponents into unfavorable plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Borrowing the East Wind offers a potentially powerful effect, its playability is reduced by the requirement to have numerous cards in hand to discard. This can be highly restrictive and may deplete your hand, leaving you vulnerable in subsequent turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specialized and somewhat inflexible mana requirement, demanding both red and generic mana. This specificity can make it challenging to cast in multicolored decks that may not reliably produce the necessary mana types, especially early in the game when mana resources are limited.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the effect of damaging each opponent, Borrowing the East Wind’s mana cost may appear steep compared to other options in the game. It demands a significant mana investment that increases with the desired impact, making it less efficient than alternative spells with similar effects.

Reasons to Include Borrowing the East Wind in Your Collection

Versatility: Borrowing the East Wind stands out for its flexibility. This card can deal damage to each player and creature, which makes it an adaptable option for decks that aim to control the board or finish off opponents in later game stages.

Combo Potential: This spell’s scalable nature allows for significant combo potential, as it can be tailored to the amount of mana you have available. It works well with strategies that capitalize on dealing damage across the board or that benefit from each player losing life.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where swarm strategies or creature-heavy decks are common, Borrowing the East Wind can serve as a crucial reset button, disrupting your opponents’ board presence and clearing the way for your own win conditions.

How to beat

Borrowing the East Wind is an impactful card, bringing a wave of damage that scales with your investment of mana. Its damage potential increases with each additional mana spent, posing a threat to creatures and opponents alike. To effectively counter this sweeping force, it’s essential to have strategies in place.

One effective method is to maintain a low board presence, making it less enticing for an opponent to commit a large amount of mana to this spell. Additionally, employing instant-speed life gain effects or damage prevention shields can mitigate the impact, while cards that counter noncreature spells straight from your hand can stop Borrowing the East Wind before it ever takes effect. Counterspell, a staple in blue decks, offers a direct and efficient way to neutralize this threat without overextending your resources.

Focusing on the careful management of your mana and resources is key. Running cards with proactive defense capabilities allows you to keep up the pressure while being ready to intercept high-cost threats like Borrowing the East Wind, ensuring your deck can weather the storm and emerge victorious.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Borrowing the East Wind MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Borrowing the East Wind and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Borrowing the East Wind has restrictions

Format	Legality
Predh	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal