Might of Alara MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Domain
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Number	85
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve Prescott

Key Takeaways

Offers significant power boosts potentially leading to card advantage through overpowering opponent’s creatures.
Instant speed allows for tactical surprises, disrupting your opponent’s plans with unforeseen power shifts.
Might of Alara excels in decks with diverse basic land types, leveraging the domain mechanic for strength.

Text of card

Domain Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each basic land type among lands you control.

The combined strength of all five planes spawned creations none had seen before.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the benefits of Might of Alara is that it can become a key playmaker in your deck, by significantly boosting a creature’s power. This increase can often lead to a card advantage as your enhanced creature can overpower and eliminate multiple opposing creatures without being destroyed itself.

Resource Acceleration: Unlike cards that only grant temporary boosts, Might of Alara has the potential to provide a long-lasting impact. Although it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the domain mechanic incentivizes you to diversify your land types, indirectly promoting a mana base that can accelerate resources and give you access to a wider variety of spells in your deck.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Might of Alara provides strategic flexibility within your gameplay. You can adapt on the fly to threats or opportunities, engaging this spell during combat on either player’s turn. This can result in powerful surprise swings that can disrupt your opponent’s plans and make Might of Alara a pivotal play when timing is crucial.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its potential to amp up a creature significantly, Might of Alara requires a card discard to initiate its effect. This could be a setback when you have precious few cards in hand and need to maintain a strategic edge over the opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands one green mana, Might of Alara’s utility becomes restricted. It fits primarily within decks that leverage green mana sources, potentially limiting its versatility in multi-color deck structures that may favor a more diversified mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The spell demands a relatively high mana input for its effect, which might be considered disproportionate by some players. There are alternative cards that can bolster a creature’s power at a lower mana cost, possibly making Might of Alara a less efficient choice in certain deck builds where mana conservation is key.

Reasons to Include Might of Alara in Your Collection

Versatility: Might of Alara is a card that can easily adapt to a variety of decks, particularly those that focus on a Domain mechanic, where the number of basic land types you control can significantly boost your creatures’ power.

Combo Potential: This card becomes increasingly powerful when paired with creatures that have trample or evasion, allowing you to turn even the slightest advantage into a game-winning move.

Meta-Relevance: Due to its scaling nature, Might of Alara remains relevant in the ever-shifting landscape of the game, especially in formats that emphasize multicolored decks and where domain strategies can flourish.

How to beat

Might of Alara resonates with the raw power of land synergy, presenting a tough challenge for opponents who face this formidable instant card. Its strength scales with the number of basic land types controlling players possess, potentially escalating a creature’s statistics to daunting levels with each land type adding a significant +1/+1 boost to their creature’s power and toughness.

Combatting Might of Alara requires a tactical approach, with successful strategies often hinging on a two-pronged attack: disruption and speed. Players may consider implementing land destruction or land type alteration to stifle and reduce the Might of Alara’s impact. Quick removal spells that can be cast either before or after it’s played are crucial in mitigating the sudden surge in creature size. Cards like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization provide swift solutions, irrespective of how formidable a creature has become due to Might of Alara’s influence.

Ultimately, mitigating the effects of Might of Alara comes down to preemptively managing an opponent’s land types and staying prepared with instantaneous removal. This strategy keeps the threat manageable and preserves the delicate balance of power on the battlefield.

Cards like Might of Alara

Exploring the landscape of mana-boosting Magic: The Gathering spells, Might of Alara emerges as a potent option for boosting a creature’s strength. Its mechanics resonate with those found in the Giant Growth spell which also grants a sudden burst to a creature’s power, but Might of Alara has the unique element of potentially offering a larger increase depending on the number of basic land types you control.

Another comparable spell is Titanic Growth, which consistently provides a more substantial power and toughness boost for a set amount of mana regardless of the lands in play. While Titanic Growth’s impact is more predictable, Might of Alara’s scalability can offer larger swings in power in a multi-colored deck. Similarly, Blossoming Defense finds a place in this discussion, not only boosting a creature’s power but also conferring hexproof, a strategic advantage Might of Alara lacks.

Each of these spells brings a distinct strategic depth to MTG gameplay. Choice often depends on deck type, play style, and the need for either predictable strength or flexible potential. Might of Alara’s strength is tied to a multicolored setup and can be a game-changer in the right deck, proving its merit among Magic’s varied suite of enhancing spells.

Cards similar to Might of Alara by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Might of Alara MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Might of Alara and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Might of Alara has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-02-01	A number of nonbasic lands have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control — they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, an Overgrown Tomb, and a Madblind Mountain, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out.
2009-02-01	How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests is the same as one Forest.
2009-02-01	To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look at the lands you have on the battlefield and ask yourself whether the subtypes Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest appear within that group. The number of times you say yes (topping out at five) tells you how powerful your domain abilities will be.