Choking Vines MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 1997-06-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Weatherlight |
| Set code | WTH |
| Number | 123 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ted Naifeh |
Text of card
Play only when blockers are declared. X target attacking creatures are considered blocked. Choking Vines deals 1 damage to each of those creatures.
Cards like Choking Vines
Choking Vines holds an interesting position in the array of green enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often paralleled with cards like Lignify, which similarly neutralizes the capabilities of opponent creatures. However, Choking Vines offers a unique advantage by preventing all damage the enchanted creature would deal, contrasting Lignify’s approach of reducing a creature’s stats to a harmless 0/4.
Analogous effects can be found in cards such as Encase in Ice from the blue spell category, which not only taps the creature but also prevents it from untapping during its controller’s untap step. Though Choking Vines doesn’t tap creatures, it still effectively limits an opponent’s aggressive strategies. Additionally, there’s Bonds of Mortality, which not only locks a creature down but also strips it of its hexproof and indestructible attributes, offering a broader application beyond damage prevention.
Assessing the utility and adaptability in gameplay, Choking Vines stands out in terms of its straightforward interference with enemy creatures’ combat effectiveness. It proves to be a valuable tactical spell in Magic: The Gathering, specifically for its capacity to control an adversary’s offensive momentum without the need for complex conditions.
Cards similar to Choking Vines by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Choking Vines offers players the ability to control the board while maintaining card advantage. By potentially negating an opponent’s creature attack, it can prevent loss of your own creatures and maintain a hand that’s ready for any situation.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana, Choking Vines can indirectly aid in resource acceleration by buying you time—preserving your life total and reducing the need to commit additional blockers or removal spells, which can save your mana for crucial turns.
Instant Speed: The strength of Choking Vines at instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows you to react with precision, potentially surprising an opponent during combat. This flexibility can shift the momentum of the game in your favor while opting for the best strategic moment to play it.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Choking Vines necessitates discarding a card as part of its casting process. This can prove to be a hefty toll, particularly in situations where your hand is nearly depleted or when every card holds critical value for upcoming plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Choking Vines requires a particular blend of mana, which could restrict its inclusion to decks that can reliably generate the necessary colors. For players running multi-color decks, this might not pose a significant issue, but it can be limiting for others.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Choking Vines might offer a unique effect, its mana cost is considered high when weighed against other control or removal options available in the MTG universe. Players may find alternative cards that provide similar or better effects without needing as much mana investment.
Reasons to Include Choking Vines in Your Collection
Versatility: Choking Vines is a card that can seamlessly adapt to various green-centered strategies. It’s particularly useful in decks that aim to disrupt or delay the opponent’s plays while setting up your own board.
Combo Potential: This card can work well within decks that focus on amplifying the effects of enchantments or benefit from casting multiple spells in a turn. Pair it with bounce effects or copy enchantment abilities for increased utility.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where creatures are a dominant force, Choking Vines can be a tactical inclusion. It can slow down aggressive starts and can be a nuisance against creature-heavy strategies that aim to overwhelm quickly.
How to beat Choking Vines
Choking Vines is a potent control card in MTG, stymieing your creatures’ ability to swing through for damage. On the surface, it may seem daunting, especially when your pace of play is dictacted by this stifling enchantment. However, there are strategies you can employ to counteract its constricting effects.
A straightforward approach is employing enchantment removal cards. Green is rich in these with cards like Nature’s Claim or Back to Nature, which can remove Choking Vines along with other troublesome enchantments. Alternatively, countering it when it’s on the stack is also an excellent choice. Blue players might consider a spell like Negate to preemptively handle threats like this before they settle on the battlefield.
Adapting your playstyle can also mitigate Choking Vines’ impact. Instead of going ‘all in’ on one or two powerful creatures, diversifying threats forces your opponent to make tough decisions on what to target with Choking Vines. Ultimately, while Choking Vines can certainly shape the game, it’s not insurmountable with the right cards and tactics at your disposal.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Choking Vines MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight, 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 Choking Vines and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Choking Vines has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Choking Vines card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Choking Vines will make any creatures it targets become blocked, even if the creature had blocking restrictions on it. For example, you can make a creature with Islandwalk become blocked even if the defending player has Islands. This is because evasion abilities only prevent creatures from being assigned to block them. |
| 2004-10-04 | You can declare zero targets, with X=0. |
| 2008-04-01 | Choking Vines isn’t particularly effective against creatures with trample. Since the creature with trample has no blocker to assign damage to, all the damage will be assigned to the defending player. |
| 2008-04-01 | If a previously unblocked creature becomes blocked as a result of Choking Vines, any “When this creature becomes blocked” abilities that creature has will trigger. Any “When this creature becomes blocked by a creature” abilities that creature has won’t trigger. |
| 2008-04-01 | You may target a blocked creature with Choking Vines. Choking Vines will deal 1 damage to it, and have no other effect on it. |