Elderwood Scion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elemental
Abilities Lifelink,Trample
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Elderwood Scion’s ability reduces mana costs, giving players a strategic advantage in spell casting efficiency.
  2. Its requirement for specific mana makes deck building with Elderwood Scion a precise art.
  3. A robust defense makes Elderwood Scion a challenging creature for opponents to remove from play.

Text of card

Trample, lifelink Spells you cast that target Elderwood Scion cost less to cast. Spells your opponents cast that target Elderwood Scion cost more to cast.

The Sunbriar druids believe that every life begins in its heart and ends under its hooves.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Elderwood Scion can be a potent source of card advantage. Its lower cost for spells that target it encourages a strategy built around spells and abilities, leading to more cards drawn or more creatures on the battlefield. In a deck well-suited to it, you’re likely to keep your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: Playing Elderwood Scion effectively accelerates your resources by reducing the mana cost of spells that target this card. This allows for a more efficient use of mana, enabling you to cast multiple spells in a turn or save mana for defensive plays, keeping the pressure on your opponents consistently.

Instant Speed: Elderwood Scion’s benefits extend to instant speed spells specifically. By turning your combat tricks or protective spells into more cost-effective measures, you maintain tempo and battlefield presence against your opponents without sacrificing card quality or quantity in your deck build.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Elderwood Scion’s abilities may lead you to discard other potential game-changers from your hand, weighing down your strategic options and hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: With a combination of green and white mana needed to cast Elderwood Scion, it requires a dedicated mana base, making it less flexible for multi-color decks that don’t heavily feature these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a hefty five mana, one of which is color-specific, this card’s deployment can be slower compared to other creatures or spells that could provide immediate board presence or impact at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Elderwood Scion in Your Collection

Versatility: Elderwood Scion is a card that suits various deck archetypes due to its cost reduction for creature spells and resistance to targeted removal, making it a valuable addition to both creature-heavy and multi-colored decks.

Combo Potential: With its ability to lower the cost of creature spells and resist enemy spells, it pairs well with strategies that involve casting numerous creatures and using abilities that are triggered when creatures are cast or enter the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where spot removal is rampant, Elderwood Scion stands out by requiring opponents to invest more resources to handle it, potentially skewing tempo in your favor and making it a force against decks that rely on pinpoint disruption.


How to beat

Elderwood Scion presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its cost-reduction and lifelink abilities, making it a tough opponent in MTG. To effectively neutralize the Scion’s impact, players need to adopt a strategy that revolves around bypassing its strengths. Removal spells that don’t target, such as board wipes like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation,” are effective ways to clear it from the board without triggering its ability to make spells cost more.

Another approach is to utilize spells that force opponents to sacrifice creatures, like “Diabolic Edict,” which can work around the Elderwood Scion’s ability since they don’t target it directly. Permission-based control decks can also keep the Scion in check by countering it before it ever lands on the battlefield.

Overcoming the Elderwood Scion involves clever deck building and strategic play. Players will find that removal spells that circumvent its abilities, sacrificing mechanisms, and countering it before it can take effect are all ways to ensure that Elderwood Scion doesn’t dominate the game.


Cards like Elderwood Scion

Elderwood Scion stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful creature that interacts beneficially with spells. It draws parallels with cards like Uril, the Miststalker which also enjoys benefits from being targeted by spells. Unlike Uril, Elderwood Scion reduces the cost of spells that target it, offering a unique mana-saving advantage. Additionally, Elderwood Scion forces opponents to pay more to target it with spells or abilities, adding a defensive edge that Uril lacks.

Also in the mix, we find Sigarda, Host of Herons, an eminent card that shares a protective trait similar to Elderwood Scion, shielding itself from being forced into a sacrifice by opponents’ spells. While Sigarda doesn’t reduce the cost of aura and equipment spells, it compensates with a robust evasion ability and prevents sacrifices, a different form of protection than the cost-increasing effect found on Elderwood Scion.

In essence, Elderwood Scion represents a unique and formidable choice for players seeking a creature that offers economical and protective features for aura and equipment spells, amidst other similar options in Magic: The Gathering.

Uril, the Miststalker - MTG Card versions
Sigarda, Host of Herons - MTG Card versions
Uril, the Miststalker - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Sigarda, Host of Herons - Open the Helvault (PHEL)

Cards similar to Elderwood Scion by color, type and mana cost

Jasmine Boreal - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Frostbeast - MTG Card versions
Scalebane's Elite - MTG Card versions
Treefolk Healer - MTG Card versions
Maja, Bretagard Protector - MTG Card versions
Dromoka, the Eternal - MTG Card versions
Juniper Order Ranger - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Sagittars - MTG Card versions
Phytohydra - MTG Card versions
Old Ghastbark - MTG Card versions
Oversoul of Dusk - MTG Card versions
Rhox Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Sigarda, Host of Herons - MTG Card versions
Armored Wolf-Rider - MTG Card versions
Sigarda, Heron's Grace - MTG Card versions
Arahbo, Roar of the World - MTG Card versions
Rosemane Centaur - MTG Card versions
Trostani Discordant - MTG Card versions
Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves - MTG Card versions
Kharis & The Beholder - MTG Card versions
Jasmine Boreal - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Kjeldoran Frostbeast - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Scalebane's Elite - Visions (VIS)
Treefolk Healer - Invasion (INV)
Maja, Bretagard Protector - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Dromoka, the Eternal - Commander 2017 (C17)
Juniper Order Ranger - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Selesnya Sagittars - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Phytohydra - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Old Ghastbark - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Oversoul of Dusk - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Rhox Bodyguard - Conflux (CON)
Sigarda, Host of Herons - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Armored Wolf-Rider - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Sigarda, Heron's Grace - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Arahbo, Roar of the World - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Rosemane Centaur - The List (PLST)
Trostani Discordant - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves - The List (PLST)
Kharis & The Beholder - 2018 Heroes of the Realm (PH18)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Elderwood Scion MTG card by a specific set like Planechase 2012 and Planechase Anthology, 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 Elderwood Scion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Elderwood Scion Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2012-06-01 and 2018-08-09. Illustrated by Nils Hamm.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-06-01Planechase 2012PC2 882003normalblackNils Hamm
22016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 882015normalblackNils Hamm
32018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1772015normalblackNils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Elderwood Scion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2012-06-01 Aura spells require a target when they are cast. Elderwood Scion’s cost-reduction ability will affect Aura spells cast targeting it.
2012-06-01 Elderwood Scion’s cost-reduction ability can apply to any cost of a spell, including additional or alternative costs.
2012-06-01 Elderwood Scion’s cost-reduction ability can’t reduce the colored mana requirement of a spell.
2012-06-01 None of Elderwood Scion’s abilities affect abilities that target it.
2012-06-01 Spells you cast that target Elderwood Scion will cost less to cast even if those spells have additional targets. The same is true for spells your opponents cast costing more.

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