Wakeroot Elemental MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Elemental
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	202
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Filip Burburan

Key Takeaways

Enables potent card advantage through land untapping, enhancing mana accessibility each turn.
High mana cost puts it at risk against faster decks or decks with effective removal.
Valuable in green-centered land-synergy decks, offering robust combo possibilities.

Text of card

: Untap target land you control. It becomes a 5/5 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land. (This effect lasts as long as that land remains on the battlefield.)

"When the forest walks, it's too late to run." —Horent, Khalni druid

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wakeroot Elemental enables a unique form of card advantage by granting you the ability to repeatedly untap a land. This advantage becomes pronounced when said land produces multiple mana, allowing you to access more resources than usually permitted on a given turn.

Resource Acceleration: With its ability to untap lands, Wakeroot Elemental can significantly ramp up your mana capabilities, especially when synergized with lands that tap for more than one mana. This can accelerate the pace at which you play high-cost spells, giving you a formidable edge over your opponent.

Instant Speed: Although Wakeroot Elemental itself is not an instant, its untap ability can be used at instant speed. This grants you the flexibility to react to your opponent’s actions during their turn, potentially untapping a land to activate abilities or cast spells when it is most beneficial to your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Wakeroot Elemental doesn’t directly require a discard, it’s important that players have other cards to leverage its untap ability. Without a diverse hand, the Elemental’s potential may not be fully realized, which could put players at a disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The Elemental demands a heavy green mana investment, making it less flexible for multi-colored decks. This specificity can be a hurdle in mana-fixing, especially in formats with faster-paced metagames where color diversity is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Wakeroot Elemental’s conversion of lands into creatures is a potent ability but comes at a significant six mana cost. Despite its upside, there are other options that might activate similar land-centric strategies more efficiently and at a lower mana threshold.

Reasons to Include Wakeroot Elemental in Your Collection

Versatility: Wakeroot Elemental’s ability to turn any land into a creature with power and toughness equal to the land’s mana generation gives it a role in a range of green decks, from ramp-centric to those that leverage land synergies.

Combo Potential: In decks with access to infinite mana, Wakeroot Elemental can repeatedly animate lands, which works exceptionally well with effects that trigger upon creatures entering the battlefield or lands being tapped for mana.

Meta-Relevance: As metas fluctuate, the Elemental’s robust base stats make it a substantial threat on its own. Additionally, its land animation ability can bypass certain common removals, maintaining relevance in diverse meta environments.

How to beat

Wakeroot Elemental is a powerful force on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to turn lands into menacing creatures. Towering as a 5/5 green Elemental creature, it comes with the unique skill to untap a land at the cost of six mana, which can be a game changer in the late stages when you have an abundance of lands. This attribute makes it a tough adversary once a player achieves ‘mana ramp’ superiority.

Combating Wakeroot Elemental requires a strategic approach, focusing on removal spells or creature control. Cards with the ability to exile creatures, such as Swords to Plowshares, can effectively handle this colossal threat. Counterspells are another line of defense, preventing the Elemental from ever taking root on the battlefield. Controlling the board through sweepers like Wrath of God can also reset the game, eliminating all creatures, regardless of their size or abilities. If unchecked, the Elemental’s ability to animate lands can quickly escalate into overwhelming board states.

Ultimately, the Wakeroot Elemental presents a formidable challenge, but with a well-planned deck and timely responses, it can be managed and overcome.

Cards like Wakeroot Elemental

Wakeroot Elemental is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, standing solid alongside other green game-changers like Sylvan Advocate. While Wakeroot Elemental has the unique ability to turn lands into creatures, Sylvan Advocate boosts land creatures’ strength while also scaling its own power and toughness as the game progresses. This comparison highlights Wakeroot Elemental’s potential for creating an army of lands, a strategy not directly shared by the Advocate.

Another comparable card is Rude Awakening, a sorcery that not only animates lands but can also untap them to create a sudden surge of mana, albeit without the permanence Wakeroot Elemental’s effect offers. Then we have Nissa, Who Shakes the World, a powerful planeswalker that also turns lands into formidable creatures. Unlike Wakeroot Elemental, Nissa offers additional value with her other abilities, including her game-altering ultimate.

Assessing the features and versatility among these similar cards, Wakeroot Elemental presents players with a unique tool for land-focused decks, being a ready-to-go engine in green that can repeatedly animate lands, paving the path for a distinct and robust tactical approach in the Magic: The Gathering realm.

Nissa, Who Shakes the World - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wakeroot Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Wakeroot Elemental and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wakeroot Elemental has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Wakeroot Elemental’s ability can target a land that’s already a creature or a land that’s already untapped. The ability will untap it if possible and set its base power and toughness to 5/5. Any counters or effects modifying that creature’s power and toughness will continue to apply, and any effects that set the creature’s power and toughness will be overwritten.