Wall of Vines MTG Card

Magic 2011 (M11)
2010-07-16 - Number 199

Core Set 2019 (M19)
2018-07-13 - Number 210

Jumpstart (JMP)
2020-07-17 - Number 443

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Plant Wall
Abilities	Defender,Reach
Power	0
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Its reach ability and low cost make Wall of Vines an ideal defense against flying creatures, enhancing battlefield stability.
Despite lacking direct card benefits, it shores up early plays by saving resources for later, more potent turns.
Wall of Vines’ suitability in specific decks highlights its role as a niche but strategic choice in green defenses.

Text of card

Defender (This creature can't attack.) Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)

Like all jungle plants, the vines must fight and claw for sunlight. Once their place is secured, they grow strong, sharp, and impenetrable.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Wall of Vines doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its sturdy defense can help maintain your card advantage on the battlefield. By blocking and deterring attacks, it indirectly preserves the creatures and resources you already have in play.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wall of Vines doesn’t generate mana or tokens, its low casting cost can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. By only spending one green mana, you allocate your resources efficiently, saving them for more impactful plays in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: While the Wall of Vines is a creature and not an instant, its Reach ability can be as surprising as an instant by blocking flying creatures when your opponent least expects it. This adds a defensive layer to your game, often at a critical moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some green defensive spells that offer added benefits, Wall of Vines doesn’t provide any bonus effects nor ask for a discard, potentially missing an opportunity to synergize with graveyard-based strategies prevalent in some green deck builds.

Specific Mana Cost: Wall of Vines requires green mana, which whilst being a low cost, commits players early to that color and can impact the fluidity of multicolor deck strategies that are less focused on creatures and more on spell diversity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a single green mana, Wall of Vines offers only a basic defensive capability. When compared with other one-mana green creatures or control options, this card may appear less appealing given the escalating dynamics and power levels of more recent sets and their respective cards.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wall of Vines, with its reach ability, is a flexible card capable of defending against flying creatures, a common threat in many MTG games. Its low mana cost makes it an accessible option for nearly any deck that values early defensive setups.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with abilities that care about defenders or wall-type creatures. It can serve as an essential piece of an intricate defensive strategy or work in conjunction with cards like “Axebane Guardian” to generate large amounts of mana.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of aggressive flying creatures in current play, having a cheap defender like Wall of Vines can frequently be the difference between an early loss and stabilizing your board presence, making it a relevant addition to decks facing aerial assaults.

How to beat

Wall of Vines is a unique defender card known for its ability to block flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering, making it an asset for its cost-efficient defense mechanism. Its low mana cost and reach ability can deter early airborne threats. However, overcoming this emerald barrier is not out of reach.

To successfully bypass Wall of Vines, focus on spells that can remove or bypass defenders. Direct removal spells such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile can efficiently dispose of the Wall without much investment. Alternatively, strategies that don’t rely on combat, like burn spells or mill tactics, can circumvent the Wall’s defensive prowess entirely. Another effective method is to utilize trample, which allows excess combat damage to spill over to the defending player.

Ultimately, while Wall of Vines can be a thorn in the side of an aggressive sky assault, a well-rounded deck equipped with versatile removal or non-combat win conditions will find this leafy fortification to be a minor obstacle on the path to victory.

Cards like Wall of Vines

Wall of Vines is an intricately woven card in the Magic: The Gathering arsenal of defensive spells. It finds its closest parallels in cards like Wall of Wood and Wall of Blossoms. Each of these cards, like Wall of Vines, are designed to fortify a player’s defenses. Wall of Wood and Wall of Vines both share the same converted mana cost and boast a sturdy toughness, creating an effective early game barrier. However, Wall of Vines edges out with its reach ability, allowing it to block flying creatures, a significant advantage in aerial combat.

Comparing it to Wall of Blossoms, the biggest difference lies in Wall of Blossoms’ ability to draw a card upon entering the battlefield, providing an immediate benefit beyond its defensive utility. While Wall of Vines might not offer the card draw perk, its lower mana value and reach trait often justify its inclusion in a deck, particularly one that faces numerous flying threats.

Each of these walls contribute uniquely to a player’s defense strategy. Yet, Wall of Vines distinguishes itself within the MTG community with its cost-effective blocking against both ground and airborne assailants.

Cards similar to Wall of Vines by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wall of Vines MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Core Set 2019, 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 Wall of Vines and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wall of Vines Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by John Stanko.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2010-07-16	Magic 2011	M11	199	2003	Normal	Black	John Stanko
2	2018-07-13	Core Set 2019	M19	210	2015	Normal	Black	John Stanko
3	2020-07-17	Jumpstart	JMP	443	2015	Normal	Black	John Stanko

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wall of Vines has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal