Somberwald Dryad MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Dryad
Abilities	Forestwalk
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	126
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jaime Jones

Key Takeaways

Enchant Forest ability offers card advantage, enhancing land utility during play.
Instant speed play allows flexibility and strategic depth to surprise opponents.
Green mana dependency limits deck versatility but strengthens mono-green plays.

Text of card

Forestwalk (This creature is unblockable as long as defending player controls a Forest.)

The Somberwald is her domain, and she has yet to hear an acceptable excuse for trespassing.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Somberwald Dryad offers a strategic advantage through its Enchant Forest ability. When properly utilized, this feature allows players to subtly increment their card value on the battlefield, providing more utility from a single land card.

Resource Acceleration: Deploying the Somberwald Dryad can lead to a swift enhancement in your resource pool. The Dryad’s innate ability to transform an ordinary forest into a more productive asset allows players to ramp up their mana generation and facilitate the casting of high-cost spells earlier in the game, giving them a significant edge.

Instant Speed: The Dryad can be played at instant speed, granting players the flexibility to react in real-time to game developments. This characteristic is crucial as it allows for an unanticipated boost in resources or strategic depth, without compromising the element of surprise and without preemptively dedicating the player’s mana resources.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Somberwald Dryad’s effectiveness is sometimes curtailed by additional costs, such as having to discard cards. This isn’t ideal when your hand is already running thin and each card’s value is elevated.

Specific Mana Cost: The Dryad’s reliance on green mana means it’s primarily beneficial in mono-green or green-centric multicolored decks. This requirement can restrict deck-building options and limit the card’s versatility in various metagames.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you weigh the abilities against the mana cost, the Somberwald Dryad might not hold up compared to other creatures in the same cost bracket. Given that MTG is a game where efficiency can be key, its cost could be deemed a bit steep for its benefits.

Reasons to Include Somberwald Dryad in Your Collection

Versatility: Somberwald Dryad offers an efficient creature for your decks that demand low-cost creatures with utility. This two-mana card can quickly come into play and serve as both an early defensive option and a reliable attacker in decks that prioritize a strong creature presence.

Combo Potential: This sylvan card can effectively enable various green mana synergies and combo chains. Its naturalistic ties make it a suitable enabler for landfall abilities or decks that profit from a high volume of creatures on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: The swift and straightforward nature of Somberwald Dryad allows it to be a mainstay in collection rosters, particularly in a meta where aggressive green decks or creature-based strategies prevail. It can serve as an early play to maintain board presence against an array of deck styles.

How to beat

Somberwald Dryad is a formidable creature card known for its stealthy forestwalk ability, allowing it to slip past defenses unimpeded if your opponent controls a Forest. This makes it a sneaky threat in Magic: The Gathering, especially in formats rich with Forests in play. To effectively neutralize the advantage that Somberwald Dryad brings to the table, one must be strategic in managing their land base and creature control.

One tactic is to limit the number of Forests in your own deck if the Dryad is prevalent in your play environment. This minimizes the chances of the Dryad evading your defenses. In terms of removal, instant-speed spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offer a swift and efficient way to deal with the Dryad before it starts dealing damage. If these are not at your disposal, board wipes like Wrath of God can reset the field, removing Somberwald Dryad along with all other creatures. Lastly, employing enchantments that remove creature abilities or turn lands into other basic land types can disrupt the Dryad’s forestwalk, rendering it vulnerable to blockage.

Considering these approaches, players can prepare effective counter-strategies, ensuring that Somberwald Dryad doesn’t dominate the battlefield unchallenged in a game of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Somberwald Dryad

In the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, the Somberwald Dryad stands out with its nuanced blend of ease-of-play and strategic depth. When examining other cards within this thematic space, one might consider Dryad Greenseeker. While the Greenseeker can help manipulate the top deck and has a similar mana cost, the Somberwald Dryad offers a straightforward landwalk ability, providing a reliable evasion against decks with Forest lands.

Elvish Mystic is another point of comparison. Although it doesn’t share the same evasion abilities, it brings a different advantage to the table—accelerating mana generation. This fundamental difference positions the Mystic as a key enabler in many ramp decks, whereas the Dryad finds its home as a tactical play against certain opponents. Lastly, Silhana Wayfinder presents a balance between understanding the top of the deck and setting up future plays, yet it doesn’t match the Somberwald Dryad’s direct and consistent ability to be unblockable in certain matchups.

In essence, each card serves distinct roles within their respective strategies. Some offer deck manipulation or mana acceleration, but for players looking for reliable evasion, the Somberwald Dryad is an excellent choice, specifically tailored to bypass defenders rooted in the forests of the multiverse.

Cards similar to Somberwald Dryad by color, type and mana cost

Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions

Llanowar Loamspeaker - MTG Card versions

Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions

Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - MTG Card versions

Wren's Run Vanquisher - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Somberwald Dryad MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Somberwald Dryad and other MTG cards: