Honden of Life's Web MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeLegendary Enchantment — Shrine

Key Takeaways

  1. Honden of Life’s Web offers unmatched token generation, bolstering your board presence every turn without depleting resources.
  2. Its specificity in mana requirements and hefty casting cost present deck-building challenges, demanding strategic inclusion.
  3. Despite its drawbacks, its synergistic potential in Shrine-focused and token-heavy decks can create formidable combinations.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token into play for each Shrine you control.

To the sorrow of all, its web became a net that strangled those who helped weave it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Honden of Life’s Web thrives on generating a continuous stream of creature tokens. Every upkeep, you’re granted a new token, ensuring you never run out of board presence and always have creatures to work with.

Resource Acceleration: This card’s token-generating ability acts as a form of resource acceleration. You effectively gain additional creatures without expending cards from your hand, enabling you to deploy more threats or use the tokens as fodder for various other gameplay strategies.

Instant Speed: While not an instant, Honden of Life’s Web’s effects yield a constant advantage at a pace that can overwhelm an unprepared opponent. The end of each of your turns brings a new token, seamlessly blending with your overall game plan, allowing you to maintain pressure without pausing for additional actions.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Honden of Life’s Web demands a specific combination of mana, including three generic and two green. This requirement can be problematic for decks that are not primarily green, potentially affecting the card’s versatility in multi-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, the initial investment to get Honden of Life’s Web on the field is substantial. The cost may slow you down, especially when comparing the card to other creature generation options available that may have lower mana requirements or offer immediate impact.

Discard Requirement: While Honden of Life’s Web does not have a direct discard requirement, its inclusion in a Shrine-focused deck means you are often playing a longer game, where each piece is vital. Losing even one Shrine, including Honden of Life’s Web, can disrupt your strategy, potentially requiring you to discard other valuable cards to protect your setup or rebuild.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Honden of Life’s Web can seamlessly integrate into a variety of deck builds, particularly those that focus on creature strategies or enchantment synergies. Its ability to generate tokens every turn makes it a solid choice for decks that capitalize on creatures’ presence on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card plays well with the other Shrines, setting up opportunities for massive token generation. It enables intricate interactions with cards that benefit from creature tokens being created, potentially unlocking explosive turns for savvy players.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where longer, grindier games prevail, Honden of Life’s Web’s consistent token production can be a game-changer, offering a persistent threat that can overwhelm opponents and tip the scales in your favor over time.


How to beat

Honden of Life’s Web is a unique enchantment that can be quite the formidable magic card when left unchecked in any deck. On principle, facing any card that can exponentially increase a player’s board presence with creature tokens each turn demands strategic interventions. A key measure against this enchantment’s growth potential is employing targeted enchantment removal spells. White offers excellent options such as Disenchant which can efficiently deal with it at a low mana cost. Green also provides a natural answer through cards like Naturalize or Return to Nature, which remove artifacts or enchantments and offer versatility.

Competing with the card’s token generation feature requires a player to address the card swiftly, lest it overwhelms the game with a swarm of creatures. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation play a critical role here. As a preemptive measure, controlling the game’s pace with counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak when your opponent tries to cast Honden of Life’s Web allows you to maintain board advantage. In essence, a well-planned strategy involving timely removal and disruption can nullify the impressive generating capabilities of Honden of Life’s Web and keep you ahead in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Honden of Life’s Web is a compelling choice for decks that lean on synergy and the power of enchantments. Its ability to amplify your board with creature tokens each upkeep can be the linchpin of victory in prolonged matches. Building around this card within the MTG myriad of options unlocks a strategy that thrives on accumulation and resilience. It’s essential to pair it with cards that protect your Shrines or take advantage of the influx of tokens. If you’re keen on crafting a deck that utilizes Honden of Life’s Web’s potential or simply wish to understand its place in the MTG ecosystem, delve deeper with us. Learn, adapt, and allow this card to weave your path to triumph.


Cards like Honden of Life's Web

Honden of Life’s Web occupies a unique position within the enchantment suite of Magic: The Gathering, offering an interesting parallel to cards that generate creature tokens. Honden of Life’s Web produces a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token for each Shrine you control at the beginning of your upkeep, expanding your board presence systematically. This steady token generation is reminiscent of cards like Luminarch Ascension, which also allows for the creation of 4/4 white Angel creature tokens under certain conditions.

Another similar card is Awakening Zone, which provides a consistent source of 0/1 color Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens that can be sacrificed for mana. Although these tokens from Awakening Zone aren’t as impactful individually compared to the Spirits provided by Honden of Life’s Web, they offer a mana ramp benefit. Conversely, Bitterblossom yields 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature tokens with flying at the expense of losing 1 life each turn, emphasizing a balance between token creation and self-preservation.

It is clear that in the realm of token-generating enchantments, Honden of Life’s Web allows for scalable field dominance, especially when synergized with other Shrines. Its value increases linearly with the number of Shrines controlled, solidifying its status among Magic: The Gathering’s strategic card options for token-focused decks.

Luminarch Ascension - MTG Card versions
Awakening Zone - MTG Card versions
Bitterblossom - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Ascension - Zendikar (ZEN)
Awakening Zone - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Bitterblossom - Morningtide (MOR)

Cards similar to Honden of Life's Web by color, type and mana cost

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Centaur Glade - MTG Card versions
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Gutter Grime - MTG Card versions
Lost in the Woods - MTG Card versions
Primal Vigor - MTG Card versions
Tornado - Masters Edition (ME1)
Nature's Revolt - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Midsummer Revel - Urza's Saga (USG)
Saproling Burst - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Verdant Succession - Odyssey (ODY)
Unnatural Growth - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Glorious Sunrise - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Paradox Zone - Commander 2021 (C21)
Centaur Glade - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Doubling Season - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Perilous Forays - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Hibernation's End - Coldsnap (CSP)
Verdant Embrace - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Flourishing Defenses - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Gigantiform - Zendikar (ZEN)
Vastwood Zendikon - Jumpstart (JMP)
Asceticism - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Gutter Grime - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Lost in the Woods - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Primal Vigor - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Honden of Life's Web MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa and Eternal Masters, 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 Honden of Life's Web and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Honden of Life's Web Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-10-01 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by Rob Alexander.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12004-10-01Champions of KamigawaCHK 2132003normalblackRob Alexander
22016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1722015normalblackRob Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Honden of Life's Web has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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