Alive // Well MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Fuse
Released	2013-05-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dragon's Maze
Set code	DGM
Number	121
Frame	2003
Layout	Split
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nils Hamm

Key Takeaways

Provides both life gain and a creature, pivoting game outcomes and escalating board dynamics.
Lends itself to diverse strategies, bolstering decks with its life-gaining synergies and token generation.
Despite mana restrictions, ensures gameplay adaptability, proving invaluable in creature-rich environments.

Text of card

You gain 2 life for each creature you control. Fuse (You may cast one or both halves of this card from your hand.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Alive // Well provides a unique combination of life gain and creature deployment, often leading to a swing in both board presence and life totals. Casting Well can result in drawing into more vital resources, keeping your hand full and the pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: The deployment of a creature token via the Alive half can serve as an unexpected blocker or an enabler for convoke and other synergies. This can accelerate your resource development by effectively utilizing your life gain as an asset in furthering your board state.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Well at instant speed allows savvy players to optimize the timing of their life gain, either for surprise combat math alterations or in response to an opponent’s actions, making it a versatile card in various matchups.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other spells that offer a direct advantage, Alive // Well obliges you to have another creature card in hand to fully utilize its fuse mechanic, potentially depleting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Alive // Well requires a mix of green and white mana, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolored or theme-specific decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a combined mana cost that sums up to six when fused, there are alternative cards that can provide life gain or creature presence at a lower investment, making it a less than optimal choice in fast-paced games.

Reasons to Include Alive // Well in Your Collection

Versatility: Alive // Well is a unique split card that allows players to tailor their play to the current situation. Whether you’re looking to stabilize your life total with Well or put a substantial creature on the board with Alive, this card has the adaptability to support various strategies.

Combo Potential: With Well’s ability to gain life for each creature you control, this card is fantastic for synergizing with life-gain strategies or decks that swarm the board with tokens. Alive, on the other hand, creates a creature itself, which can be a part of creature-based combo setups.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive decks are prevalent, Alive // Well shines by offsetting the damage dealt by your opponent while at the same time contributing to board presence, making it a valuable card in the right circumstances.

How to beat

Alive // Well is a versatile card in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique dual-card experience. When deployed effectively, players can gain a substantial creature and recover significant life points. To counter this, there are several strategies to consider. One could focus on timing removal spells to disrupt the fusion of both card effects. If your deck allows, playing cards like Tormod’s Crypt can thwart graveyard strategies that may rely on fusing Alive // Well for repeated value.

Being proactive can also pay off. By maintaining board control and keeping your life total high, the impact of Alive // Well’s lifegain becomes less threatening. Additionally, cards that hinder creature-based strategies, such as Wrath of God, can negate the Alive half of the card by clearing the board before the creature can make an impact. Lastly, countering the spell altogether with blue spell counters like Counterspell can prevent the card’s effects from ever taking place, keeping you one step ahead in the game.

Ultimately, staying ahead of your opponent’s strategy and choosing the right moment to execute your responses can nullify the advantages brought by Alive // Well, keeping the match in your favor.

Cards like Alive // Well

Alive // Well is a versatile card that finds its place in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It holds a similarity to cards like Kitchen Finks, offering both life gain and a creature presence on the battlefield. However, what makes Alive // Well unique is its split card nature, allowing you to choose either to create a creature or gain life or even both if the situation demands and your mana permits.

Comparing Alive // Well with cards like Centaur Healer, we see a shared life gain theme. Centaur Healer also gives you a creature and life boost when it enters the battlefield. Yet, it doesn’t offer the tactical flexibility Alive // Well does, with its capacity to cast either half according to your current needs. Another peer in this segment is Trostani’s Judgment, which also grants life gain but comes with an exile effect for enemy threats, trading off the immediate creature benefit for long-term board control.

Each card has its role and excels in different scenarios. Alive // Well stands out for its adaptability and potential for a significant life swing, especially in decks that capitalize on creature numbers and lifegain synergies.

Cards similar to Alive // Well by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Alive // Well MTG card by a specific set like Dragon's Maze, 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 Alive // Well and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Alive // Well has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	Count the number of creatures you control when Well resolves to determine how much life you gain.
2013-04-15	If a player names a card, the player may name either half of a split card, but not both. A split card has the chosen name if one of its two names matches the chosen name.
2013-04-15	If you cast Alive // Well as a fused split spell, the Centaur creature token will count toward the amount of life you gain.
2013-04-15	If you cast a split card with fuse from your hand without paying its mana cost, you can choose to use its fuse ability and cast both halves without paying their mana costs.
2013-04-15	If you’re casting a split card with fuse from any zone other than your hand, you can’t cast both halves. You’ll only be able to cast one half or the other.
2013-04-15	On the stack, a split spell that hasn’t been fused has only that half’s characteristics and mana value. The other half is treated as though it didn’t exist.
2013-04-15	Some split cards with fuse have two halves that are both multicolored. That card is multicolored no matter which half is cast, or if both halves are cast. It’s also multicolored while not on the stack.
2013-04-15	Some split cards with fuse have two monocolor halves of different colors. If such a card is cast as a fused split spell, the resulting spell is multicolored. If only one half is cast, the spell is the color of that half. While not on the stack, such a card is multicolored.
2013-04-15	To cast a fused split spell, pay both of its mana costs. While the spell is on the stack, its mana value is the total amount of mana in both costs.
2013-04-15	When a fused split spell resolves, follow the instructions of the left half first, then the instructions on the right half.
2013-04-15	When resolving a fused split spell with multiple targets, treat it as you would any spell with multiple targets. If all targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. If at least one target is still legal at that time, the spell resolves, but an illegal target can’t perform any actions or have any actions performed on it.
2013-04-15	You can choose the same object as the target of each half of a fused split spell, if appropriate.