Beacon of Creation MTG Card


Beacon of Creation - Fifth Dawn
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2004-06-04
Set symbol
Set nameFifth Dawn
Set code5DN
Number82
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMark Tedin

Key Takeaways

  1. Can rapidly fill the board with tokens, making it a formidable force in green-focused decks.
  2. Demanding forest-reliant mana base can limit deck diversity but excels in Nature’s realm.
  3. Leveraging its instant speed offers unexpected plays and advantages during intense matches.

Text of card

Put a 1/1 green Insect creature token into play for each Forest you control. Shuffle Beacon of Creation into its owner's library.

A chorus of life heralds the arrival of Mirrodin's final sun.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Beacon of Creation shines in decks designed to control the board. By creating a 1/1 insect creature token for each Forest you control, this spell can significantly increase your creature count and enhance your field presence, giving you more options and pressures against opponents.

Resource Acceleration: In ramp decks that prioritize the accumulation of lands, especially Forests, Beacon of Creation becomes an incredibly powerful engine for overwhelming opponents. The ability to amass a swarm of tokens in a single turn can accelerate your game plan towards victory.

Instant Speed: The versatility of casting Beacon of Creation at instant speed offers players the tactical advantage of end-of-turn deployment. This can catch adversaries off guard, potentially transforming your defensive stance into a powerful counter-offensive during your next turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the challenges when bringing Beacon of Creation into play is managing your hand effectively. Unlike straight-forward spells, Beacon of Creation doesn’t just tap mana; it requires you to have a certain card count in reserve. This prerequisite means you could be forced to discard something useful from your hand, which can be a painful decision, especially if you’re already tight on cards.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Beacon of Creation is quite particular, demanding green mana. It’s a color that’s abundant in ramp and creature-based strategies but could be restrictive if your deck isn’t heavy on forests or dual lands with green. Your mana base needs to support this to make the most of the card’s potential, limiting the variety of decks it can seamlessly slot into.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the upper end for its effect, Beacon of Creation can be a costly inclusion in your deck. When you compare it to other options in the game, the immediate impact versus the amount of mana invested might not stack up. Other cards could potentially give you a similar or better board presence or advantage for the same, if not less, mana investment, making them potentially more efficient choices for your deck’s strategy.


Reasons to Include Beacon of Creation in Your Collection

Versatility: Beacon of Creation thrives in a multitude of deck builds, particularly those that capitalize on creature tokens and green mana acceleration. Its ability to create a swarm of Insect tokens scales with the number of forests you control, making it adaptable to various game situations.

Combo Potential: This card’s strength lies in its synergy with strategies that benefit from an abundance of tokens, such as sacrificing for value, pumping up creature armies, or enabling convoke mechanics. Moreover, it shuffles back into your deck, ready to be reused for incessant Insect creation.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with token strategies or where the board state can flip with widespread creature effects, Beacon of Creation holds its ground by offering a renewable source of token generation, keeping your presence on the board consistent and formidable.


How to beat

Beacon of Creation presents a unique challenge for MTG players with its ability to fill the battlefield with Insect creature tokens. Understanding the card’s strength hinge on its utilization of the land count to replicate a formidable token army. Control the swarm by managing your enchantments and using board wipes to clear multiple creatures in a single stroke. Targeted removal is less effective against Beacon of Creation’s numeric strategy compared to a broad removal spell like Wrath of God.

Strategic land destruction also dampens this card’s capability. By reducing the number of forests in play, you slow down the potential growth of the insect army, thereby giving you a tactical edge. Counter magic serves as a preemptive strike against Beacon of Creation’s token generation, ensuring the Insect creatures never get a chance to skitter onto the battlefield. Much of the combat against this card takes place on a strategic level – planning and execution are key.

To sum up, beating Beacon of Creation in MTG requires foresight, with board control and disruption strategies at the forefront. Keep a lid on your opponent’s forests, clear the board frequently, and be ready with counterspells to avoid being overwhelmed by a creeping, crawling insect horde.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic landscape of Magic the Gathering is vast and ever-changing, with cards like Beacon of Creation acting as powerful tools in the seasoned player’s arsenal. As you maneuver through the enthralling world of MTG, consider the value of cards that not only bolster your army but also challenge your tactical finesse. Beacon of Creation is a card that scales with your gameplay, growing alongside your forested lands and offering a renewable source of creatures. Delve deeper with us, uncover intricate playstyles, and enrich your MTG experience. Whether you’re swarming the battlefield or crafting the perfect deck, join our community for insights that could tip the scales in your favor.


Cards like Beacon of Creation

Beacon of Creation is a unique inclusion to the arsenal of token-generating spells within Magic: The Gathering. It finds kinship with spells like Ant Queen, which also excels at producing insect creature tokens. The key difference lies in Beacon of Creation’s ability to scale the number of tokens with the number of forests you control, offering potentially larger swarms in a single cast. Ant Queen, while consistent, lacks the explosive potential of its forest-fueled counterpart.

Another similar card to consider is Avenger of Zendikar. While both cards revel in creating creature tokens, the Avenger does so based on the lands you have in play and then further grows those tokens as more lands enter the battlefield. Beacon of Creation doesn’t offer growth for its insects, but it boasts flexibility by being able to cast it multiple times throughout the game, thanks to its reshuffle mechanic.

Moving towards another green staple, Scute Swarm brings a different angle to the concept of multiplying creatures. Although not initially as impactful as Beacon of Creation, Scute Swarm’s potential in the right deck build could surpass the insect armada, breeding an endless legion of tokens.

Each of these cards offers distinct features catering to diverse strategies. Beacon of Creation stands out for its immediate board impact and synergies with forest-focused decks, marking its spot as a powerful token generator in MTG.

Ant Queen - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Scute Swarm - MTG Card versions
Ant Queen - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Scute Swarm - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Beacon of Creation MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn, 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 Beacon of Creation and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Beacon of Creation has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2007-07-15 If a Beacon is countered or doesn’t resolve, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard, not shuffled into the library.

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