Farmstead MTG Card

Farmstead provides ongoing life gain, aiding in endurance throughout longer games against formidable opponents. The card’s upkeep effect emulates a recurring life-gain spell, offsetting damage and conserving resources. While not optimal in every strategy, Farmstead’s unique effect may enhance certain life-centric deck builds.

Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
1993-08-05 - Number 19

Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
1993-10-04 - Number 20

Unlimited Edition (2ED)
1993-12-01 - Number 20

Farmstead - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)

Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
1993-12-10 - Number 20

Collectors' Edition (CED)
1993-12-10 - Number 20

Revised Edition (3ED)
1994-04-01 - Number 19

Foreign Black Border (FBB)
1994-04-01 - Number 19

Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
1994-06-21 - Number 19

Farmstead - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
2022-11-28 - Number 19

30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
2022-11-28 - Number 316

Card sets	Released in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Text of card

Target land's controller gains 1 life each upkeep if o Wo W is spent. Target land still generates mana as usual.

Cards like Farmstead

Farmstead remains a unique card in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering’s life gain enchantments. This card allows players to trade in resources for an incremental advantage each turn. When compared to other options in the game, Farmstead stands out for its requirement for continuous investment in terms of both mana and cards.

Looking at Fountain of Youth, for example, the investment for life gain is lower and can be activated at any point, offering flexibility compared to Farmstead’s rigid upkeep cost. Armadillo Cloak presents another approach to gaining life by linking it directly to combat damage dealt, which offers potential for a more aggressive strategy. Lastly, the well-known Ajani’s Pridemate benefits from any life gain event, including that from Farmstead, to grow stronger and press the advantage further.

While not as widely utilized in competitive formats, Farmstead prompts a distinctive game plan where the player must balance the cost against maintaining a steady life point buffer. In essence, this card reinforces a slower, methodical playstyle within Magic: The Gathering that can be a cornerstone in the right life-focused deck build.

Cards similar to Farmstead by color, type and mana cost

The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions

Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Farmstead, while not directly offering card draws, grants you a stream of life gain which can help sustain you throughout the game, effectively reducing the pressure to find answers and giving you an advantage in longer matches.

Resource Acceleration: Although Farmstead doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, it allows you to allocate resources elsewhere by offsetting damage with consistent life gain, potentially leading to more robust board development.

Instant Speed: Farmstead may not operate at instant speed, but its ongoing effect mimics a continuous life-gaining spell each turn, ensuring that your life total is constantly bolstered without expending additional cards or mana during your upkeep.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Farmstead requires players to sacrifice a valuable card slot in their deck for an effect that may not align well with modern game strategies. As the game evolves, such requirements can become more of a burden than a benefit, hindering deck efficiency.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a specific white mana cost, which can limit its inclusion in a deck that operates on a diverse color strategy. Farmstead’s restrictive mana cost could impose a significant deckbuilding constraint, forcing players to consider if the card’s effect is worth the limitation on deck flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluated against today’s mana efficiency standards, Farmstead’s cost of three mana could be deemed expensive for the gain of merely one life per turn. More contemporary cards often provide players with greater impact or flexibility for the same, or even lower, mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Farmstead is a unique addition to decks that thrive on life gain mechanics. Its ability to provide a steady stream of health can be a boon for strategies focused on outlasting the opponent.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that benefit from life gain or convert life into other resources, Farmstead can become a key component in intricate and powerful combos that capitalize on high life totals.

Meta-Relevance: While not the pinnacle of competitive play, Farmstead may find a place in casual circles or specific formats where gaining incremental advantage over the course of a game is pivotal. Its place in the meta often depends on the prevalence of slower-paced, life-centric decks.

How to Beat

Farmstead, a card from Magic: The Gathering’s early sets, brings an interesting dynamic with its ability to gain life during your upkeep. To effectively counter this enchantment, one should look at removing it from the battlefield. This could be achieved through spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which directly target enchantments for removal. Using enchantment removal is key, as it halts the life gain and swings the momentum of the match back in your favor.

Another strategy is to focus on an aggressive gameplay, putting the Farmstead user under pressure by constantly attacking their life total. Red decks, for instance, can implement spells like Lightning Bolt to quickly diminish the life gained. Decks that can create repeatable damage each turn, or those that can inflate the damage dealt beyond what Farmstead can heal, are ideal for overpowering a player relying on this card.

Finally, employing cards that prevent or reduce life gain, such as Erebos, God of the Dead or Tainted Remedy, could provide a more permanent solution, turning the life-gain strategy against the Farmstead player. Understanding these methods can crucially undermine the effectiveness of Farmstead in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Farmstead MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Farmstead and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Farmstead Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Mark Poole.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1993-08-05	Limited Edition Alpha	LEA	19	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
2	1993-10-04	Limited Edition Beta	LEB	20	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
3	1993-12-01	Unlimited Edition	2ED	20	1993	Normal	White	Mark Poole
4	1993-12-10	Intl. Collectors' Edition	CEI	20	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
5	1993-12-10	Collectors' Edition	CED	20	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
6	1994-04-01	Revised Edition	3ED	19	1993	Normal	White	Mark Poole
7	1994-04-01	Foreign Black Border	FBB	19	1993	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
8	1994-06-21	Summer Magic / Edgar	SUM	19	1993	Normal	White	Mark Poole
9	2022-11-28	30th Anniversary Edition	30A	19	2015	Normal	Black	Mark Poole
10	2022-11-28	30th Anniversary Edition	30A	316	1997	Normal	Black	Mark Poole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Farmstead has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal