From Under the Floorboards MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Madness

Key Takeaways

  1. A tactical MTG card offering board presence, resource acceleration, and a surprise factor through instant speed plays.
  2. Flexibility is a double-edged sword, with specific mana requirements and a draw on hand size as potential drawbacks.
  3. The card excels in versatility and combo potential, making it a deft addition to certain MTG deck strategies.

Text of card

Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.) Put three 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and you gain 3 life. If From Under the Floorboards's madness cost was paid, instead put X of those tokens onto the battlefield tapped and you gain X life.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: From Under the Floorboards is notable for offering players the chance to escalate their board presence with multiple Zombie tokens. This not only swells your ranks but effectively disrupts your opponent’s strategy by forcing them to address a sudden influx of attackers or blockers. Moreover, this can tip the scales towards victory by amassing an army capable of overwhelming defenses.

Resource Acceleration: The card’s inherent flexibility is a boon, featuring both madness and an X casting cost that allows for scaling impact. Casting it for its madness cost can be an unexpectedly efficient move, utilizing otherwise wasted mana to pave the way for substantial swings in board state on future turns. Such a strategy can accelerate your resources as you deploy threats while still efficiently managing your mana pool.

Instant Speed: While From Under the Floorboards is a sorcery, its madness ability circumstantially inherits the speed of an instant. This adaptation occurs when it’s discarded and cast for its alternative madness cost, permitting a reactive playstyle. This surprise factor can catch opponents off-guard, as they may not account for a sudden horde of Zombie tokens disrupting their calculations mid-combat or end-of-turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the main drawbacks of From Under the Floorboards is the necessity to discard a card in order to utilize its madness ability. While this can synchronize well with certain strategies, it can also deplete your hand size and reduce your options later on in the game, especially if you are not set up to capitalize on discarding.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a strict black mana cost, necessitating at least three black sources to cast it normally. This can be challenging in multi-colored decks that may not have consistent access to the required mana, limiting the flexibility of when and where this card can be played effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a base cost of five mana, which includes three black, From Under the Floorboards can be considered a costly investment. For those five mana, other cards might provide more immediate impact or versatility. Furthermore, the card’s effectiveness is heavily dependent on the number of zombies you can create, which is directly tied to the amount of excess mana you can spend, making it potentially less efficient in the early-to-mid game.


Reasons to Include From Under the Floorboards in Your Collection

Versatility: From Under the Floorboards is a dynamic card that can be slotted into a variety of black decks. Whether you are playing a control strategy or a zombie tribal, this card offers the flexibility of creating creature tokens and gaining life, which are both valuable in different phases of the game.

Combo Potential: This card has high synergy with mechanics that benefit from making multiple creatures, such as sacrifice effects or effects that power up from the number of creatures you control. It also works exceptionally well with madness, providing an alternate casting approach for additional value.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to potentially turn the tide against aggressive decks by providing blockers and life while beefing up your army, From Under the Floorboards can be a very relevant card in a meta that’s creature-heavy or where life totals are of utmost importance.


How to beat

From Under the Floorboards is a unique card in MTG with the ability to dramatically shift the board state by creating multiple Zombie tokens and gaining you life. This card can be a real challenge to overcome, especially if it’s been cast for its madness cost, making it unexpectedly quick and cost-effective. When facing this card, it’s critical to keep graveyard interactions in check. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze, can effectively neutralize its potential before it becomes a threat.

Moreover, applying pressure early in the game is paramount. Swift aggression can limit the time your opponent has to set up their strategy and reduce the impact of a turn spent casting From Under the Floorboards. Board wipes like Wrath of God, are also invaluable, allowing you to clear the tokens post-summoning. Another tactic is to disrupt your opponent’s hand and madness enabling cards, utilizing thoughtseize effects or counterspells like Dovin’s Veto. This strategic preemption can prevent the card from ever hitting the battlefield, ensuring you maintain control of the game flow.

A proactive plan to manage your opponent’s threats and a strategic reaction to their plays will be key to outlasting the surge that From Under the Floorboards could bring to the table.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic depths of MTG with From Under the Floorboards as a cornerstone of your deck. Its ability to produce a swarm of Zombie tokens and gain life makes it a game-changer in many matchups. Whether you’re thwarting aggressive strategies or commanding your own undead army, this card can be a pivotal addition to your collection. Explore its interactions with various decks and the tactics to best leverage its potential. Harness the power of resource acceleration and surprise your opponents with instant-speed madness. Join us to refine your strategies and gain the upper hand in your MTG duels.


Cards like From Under the Floorboards

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, From Under the Floorboards offers a unique twist in the zombie token-creating cards genre. Its most direct comparison is with cards like Moan of the Unhallowed, which similarly creates zombie creature tokens. While Moan of the Unhallowed lacks the madness mechanic that allows for a potentially discounted casting cost that From Under the Floorboards possesses, it does offer a valuable flashback ability letting you cast it from the graveyard.

Then there’s Army of the Damned, another heavyweight in zombie token creation. Army of the Damned brings an overwhelming number of zombies into play, but its high mana cost makes it a late-game player. From Under the Floorboards, with its flexibility provided by madness, can be a game-changer much earlier. Combined with life gain, it presents a different tactical approach, balancing quantity with strategic timing and life resource management.

When evaluating similar cards in the context of strategic advantages, From Under the Floorboards garners attention for its versatility and the immediate impact it can have on the game state, especially when played for its madness cost, making it an intriguing option for players who like to keep their opponents guessing.

Moan of the Unhallowed - MTG Card versions
Army of the Damned - MTG Card versions
Moan of the Unhallowed - Innistrad (ISD)
Army of the Damned - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to From Under the Floorboards by color, type and mana cost

Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
Soul Shred - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
Coveted Prize - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
Sever Soul - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Aether Snap - MTG Card versions
Vicious Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Dance of Shadows - MTG Card versions
Brainspoil - MTG Card versions
Head Games - MTG Card versions
Voices from the Void - MTG Card versions
Promise of Power - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Reign of Terror - Mirage (MIR)
Soul Shred - Portal (POR)
Living Death - The List (PLST)
Beacon of Unrest - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Coveted Prize - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Final Punishment - Scourge (SCG)
Soul Feast - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Sever Soul - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Patriarch's Bidding - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
Aether Snap - Commander 2014 (C14)
Vicious Betrayal - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Dance of Shadows - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Brainspoil - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Head Games - Tenth Edition (10E)
Voices from the Void - Conflux (CON)
Promise of Power - Commander 2014 (C14)
Rise from the Grave - Zendikar Rising Commander (ZNC)
Incremental Blight - Archenemy (ARC)
Dakmor Plague - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Spread the Sickness - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase From Under the Floorboards MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Promos, 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 From Under the Floorboards and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The From Under the Floorboards Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 1112015normalblackSteven Belledin
22016-04-08Shadows over Innistrad PromosPSOI 111s2015normalblackSteven Belledin
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1132015normalblackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where From Under the Floorboards has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-04-08 A spell cast for its madness cost is put onto the stack like any other spell. It can be countered, copied, and so on. As it resolves, it’s put onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card or into its owner’s graveyard if it’s an instant or sorcery card.
2016-04-08 Cards are discarded in a Magic game only from a player’s hand. Effects that put cards from a player’s library into that player’s graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.
2016-04-08 Casting a spell for its madness cost doesn’t change its mana cost or its converted mana cost. You just pay the madness cost instead.
2016-04-08 Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too.
2016-04-08 If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it’s put into your graveyard. You don’t get another chance to cast it later.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness to pay the cost of a spell or activated ability, that card’s madness trigger (and the spell that card becomes, if you choose to cast it) will resolve before the spell or ability the discard paid for.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness while resolving a spell or ability, it moves immediately to exile. Continue resolving that spell or ability—the card is not in your graveyard at this time. Its madness trigger will be placed onto the stack once that spell or ability has completely resolved.
2016-04-08 Madness works independently of why you’re discarding the card. You could discard it to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can’t discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
2016-04-08 When you cast a card with madness, it was still discarded. If it was discarded to pay a cost, that cost is still paid. Abilities that trigger when a card is discarded will still trigger.

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