Evolving Door MTG Card
2022-04-29 - Number 144
2022-04-29 - Number 144s
2022-04-29 - Number 144p
2022-04-29 - Number 429
2002-06-24 - Number 99721
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
, , Sacrifice a creature: Count the colors of the sacrificed creature, then search your library for a creature card that's exactly that many colors plus one. Exile that card, then shuffle. You may cast the exiled card. Activate only as a sorcery.
In with the old, out with the new.
Cards like Evolving Door
Evolving Door enters the diverse world of tutor effects in Magic: The Gathering, joining the ranks of cards enabling players to search their libraries for specific cards. Its closest counterpart is Diabolic Tutor, a staple that allows players to add any card from their library to their hand. Unlike Evolving Door, Diabetic Tutor doesn’t require creatures to be on the battlefield, but comes with a higher mana cost.
Another similar card to consider is Fierce Empath. This creature allows you to search for a creature card with a mana value of six or greater when it enters the battlefield. While it’s limited to high-cost creatures, it’s a creature itself, synergizing with other creature-based strategies. Evolving Door offers more flexibility, fetching any card type, but requires sacrificing a creature as part of the cost.
Lastly, we have Eladamri’s Call, a powerful instant that searches for a creature card and puts it into your hand. The instant speed and lower cost compared to Evolving Door provide an edge in responsiveness and tempo. However, Evolving Door’s ability to fix your mana base by providing mana of any color when you foretell it introduces a level of versatility that should not be underestimated.
While each tutor has its merits, Evolving Door presents an interesting blend of advantages, including mana fixing, that stands out in the MTG tutor card scene.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Evolving Door offers the strategic benefit of filtering the top of your deck, potentially drawing you into more powerful spells or the resources you need at critical moments.
Resource Acceleration: Efficiently costing only two mana to cast, Evolving Door can be a cost-effective means to sift through your library, ensuring you can more quickly access key cards that speed up your gameplay.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Evolving Door at instant speed provides flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the ever-changing battlefield while keeping opponents guessing about your next move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Evolving Door card asks your hand to pay a price, demanding that you discard another card upon playing it. This can be particularly challenging when your hand is already dwindling, leaving you at a strategic disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise blend of mana, including a notorious three-color blend that can be tricky to muster, especially early in the game. For players running a more monochromatic deck, integrating Evolving Door can be less than seamless.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans on the steeper side, players must weigh their options. There are numerous alternatives in the vast pool of magic cards that may offer a similar impact at a lesser toll on your mana reserve, potentially putting Evolving Door at an unfavorable position in deck-building strategies.
Reasons to Include Evolving Door in Your Collection
Versatility: Evolving Door offers a unique mechanic that allows for ongoing creature upgrades, making it an exceptional choice for decks that thrive on adaptability and creature-focused strategies.
Combo Potential: With its ability to search for creatures with increasingly higher mana costs, this card can seamlessly fit into combo decks, enabling you to fetch key pieces or even combo off directly by finding the perfect creature sequence.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves and decks aiming for constant growth in power level become more prevalent, Evolving Door holds its position as a relevant card that can help you stay ahead of the curve in most matchups.
How to beat
Evolving Door is a unique card that can really shake up the game in Magic: The Gathering. It provides its controller flexible options to dig through their library in search of a creature card, adding layers of strategy to their game plan. To effectively compete against this card, key countering strategies should be adopted. Tactics include disruptive plays that can nullify the card’s activation, such as counter spells that prevent the Evolving Door from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Moreover, removal spells that can target and destroy the artifact are invaluable.
Players might also consider using direct hand disruption to force an opponent to discard Evolving Door before it can be used. Since the card’s ability requires a creature to be on top of the library, deck manipulation or graveyard interaction can hinder an opponent’s setup. Furthermore, strategies that focus on direct pressure can overwhelm an opponent relying on the gradual value Evolving Door provides. By maintaining a brisk pace and presenting threats that demand immediate answers, you can sidestep the incremental advantage that Evolving Door offers an opponent, turning the tide in your favor.
Remember, consistently pressuring your opponent and disrupting their game plan are effective ways to neutralize the advantages gained from Evolving Door, ensuring that you stay ahead in the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Evolving Door MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Streets of New Capenna, 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 Evolving Door and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Evolving Door Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Drew Baker.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 99721 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Drew Baker | ||
| 2 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna | SNC | 144 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Drew Baker | |
| 3 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna Promos | PSNC | 144s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Drew Baker | |
| 4 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna Promos | PSNC | 144p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Drew Baker | |
| 5 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna | SNC | 429 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Drew Baker |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Evolving Door has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Evolving Door card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-04-29 | Evolving Door's ability instructs you to count the number of colors, but it doesn't track what those colors were. For example, if you sacrifice a creature that is green and no other colors, you'll search for any creature card that is exactly two colors, even if the card you search for isn't green. |
| 2022-04-29 | If you choose to cast the spell, you must cast it as Evolving Door's ability resolves. You cannot wait and cast it later. |
| 2022-04-29 | If you sacrifice a colorless creature, you must search your library for a creature card with exactly one color. If you sacrifice a creature that is all five colors, you won't be able to find any creatures because there are no creature cards in Magic with six colors. |
| 2022-04-29 | You count the colors of the sacrificed creature as it last existed on the battlefield. Notably, if it was a double-faced card or a copy of another creature, that may be different from what its colors are in the graveyard. |
| 2022-04-29 | You must pay all costs for a spell you cast this way. |