Basalt Monolith MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 19 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides significant mana advantage by tapping for three colorless mana each turn.
  2. Essential for enabling high-cost plays and combo strategies in numerous deck archetypes.
  3. Adaptability to meta changes and combo potential make it a must-have for players.

Text of card

Tap to add 3 colorless mana to your mana pool. Does not untap as normal during untap phase, but can be untapped at any time for 3 mana. Tapping this artifact can be played as an interrupt.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Basalt Monolith may not directly allow you to draw additional cards, but its ability to generate three colorless mana with a single tap can lead to significant advantage by enabling you to deploy more of your hand onto the battlefield or activate costly abilities earlier in the game than your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: The Basalt Monolith is exceptional in its role as a resource accelerator. For the cost of three mana, it untaps to provide three mana every turn without depletion. This effectively triples the output of a single land, setting the stage for powerful plays and enabling strategies that revolve around big mana expenditure.

Instant Speed: While the Monolith’s tap ability is not at instant speed, its untap ability can be utilized at the end of your opponent’s turn. This allows you to bypass the downside of the card becoming tapped on your turn, thus freeing up mana resources when you most need them and keeping your opponents guessing about your available resources.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Basalt Monolith doesn’t have an intrinsic discard requirement, but to gain meaningful advantage from it often requires additional cards that can profit from the infinite mana or untap it, which can deplete a player’s hand.

Specific Mana Cost: While the Basalt Monolith requires only colorless mana to cast, its activation cost for untapping is three generic mana, which might compete with other demands for your mana resources during a given turn.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its ability to provide an immediate return on the investment, the upfront cost of the Basalt Monolith is moderately high. This can be especially relevant in faster game formats where tempo is critical, and other lower-cost mana solutions might be preferable.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Basalt Monolith can be a powerhouse in decks that capitalize on untapping effects or require significant mana investments. Its ability to add three mana to your pool in one go makes it a perfect fit for a range of strategies from ramp to control decks.

Combo Potential: This artifact card shines brightly when combined with cards like Power Artifact or Rings of Brighthearth, enabling infinite mana loops. Players looking for a game-ending combo can find great synergy with Basalt Monolith at the heart of their deck.

Meta-Relevance: In the dynamically changing landscape of MTG, having a card with time-tested resilience boosts your deck’s performance. Basalt Monolith’s colorless nature means it can adapt to virtually any meta, supporting strategies that require a sudden burst of mana or complementing key artifacts.


How to beat

Battling against the Basalt Monolith in MTG requires a strategic approach due to its potential for generating infinite mana in combination with cards that can untap it. Facing this artifact, your game plan should include artifact removal or disruption tools to prevent your opponent from exploiting its abilities. Cards like Nature’s Claim or Abrade can dismantle the Monolith, hindering its synergy with other combo pieces.

To further impede your opponent’s strategy, consider using stax effects from cards like Stony Silence or Collector Ouphe to suppress the activation of artifacts. Disrupting the rhythm of play can be crucial, as Basalt Monolith often plays a key role in the setup of a game-winning combo. Denying your opponent the ability to untap their Monolith smoothly can throw their plan into disarray, ultimately tipping the scales in your favor.

Remember, timing is everything. Observing your opponent’s mana availability and recognizing the key moments to execute your removal or disruption can turn the tide of the match. Successfully overcoming the challenge of the Basalt Monolith not only requires the right cards but also a keen sense of the flow of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the fine intricacies of MTG, Basalt Monolith stands as a test of strategic depth and deck-building prowess. Harnessing the Monolith’s potential can catapult your gameplay to formidable heights, whether you’re aiming for combo executions or simply fortifying your mana base. Its colorless nature unlocks doors across various strategies and formats, inviting both new and seasoned players to innovate. If you’re looking to capitalize on resource acceleration or delve into the combo-heavy realms of MTG, consider integrating Basalt Monolith into your collection. Dive deeper with us and unveil the synergies that could define your next victorious match.


Cards like Basalt Monolith

Basalt Monolith is an iconic mana-generating artifact in Magic: The Gathering that has found its way into many decks. Its strength lies in its ability to untap for just three mana, allowing users to generate a large amount of mana over the course of a few turns. Mana Vault is a close relative to Basalt Monolith, capable of unleashing a burst of mana in a single turn. However, its drawback is a hefty upkeep cost if you don’t untap it, contrasting with Basalt Monolith’s more flexible untap condition.

Grim Monolith resonates with Basalt Monolith through its ability to unlock mana, yet it skews towards a higher initial output at the cost of a more expensive untap process. Then there’s Gilded Lotus, a powerful alternative, delivering three mana of any one color but with none of the untapping intricacies that the Monoliths present. This straightforwardness can be advantageous for players seeking consistency in their mana base.

Each of these artifacts presents unique advantages tailored to different gameplay strategies in Magic: The Gathering. While Basalt Monolith may not offer colored mana or an immediate high yield, its balance of cost and flexibility makes it a continually relevant and versatile choice for players requiring a reliable mana source during their matches.

Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Grim Monolith - MTG Card versions
Gilded Lotus - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Grim Monolith - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Gilded Lotus - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Basalt Monolith by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions
Pristine Talisman - MTG Card versions
Alloy Myr - MTG Card versions
Guardians of Meletis - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Herald's Horn - MTG Card versions
Manalith - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Loxodon Warhammer - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sword of Feast and Famine - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Training Drone - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Pristine Talisman - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)
Alloy Myr - Jumpstart (JMP)
Guardians of Meletis - Magic Origins (ORI)
Vedalken Shackles - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Herald's Horn - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Manalith - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Basalt Monolith MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Basalt Monolith and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Basalt Monolith Magic the Gathering card was released in 18 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2311993normalblackJesper Myrfors
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2321993normalblackJesper Myrfors
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2321993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2321993normalblackJesper Myrfors
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2321993normalblackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2351993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2351993normalblackJesper Myrfors
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2351993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
92002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 436022003normalblackYeong-Hao Han
102011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 1821997normalblackJesper Myrfors
112013-11-01Commander 2013C13 2372003normalblackYeong-Hao Han
122015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2442015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
132015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 1202015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
142017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 2102015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
152018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1732015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
162020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2322015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
172022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5241997normalblackJesper Myrfors
182022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2272015normalblackJesper Myrfors
192023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2742015normalblackPablo Mendoza

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Basalt Monolith has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 Basalt Monolith's last ability can untap it as often as you can pay for it. If you believe you've found a way to generate an unbounded amount of mana with it, you're probably right.

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