Flood MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 27
1995-04-01 - Number 73
1995-04-01 - Number 73
1995-08-01 - Number 30
1997-03-24 - Number 87
1999-11-12 - Number 28
2016-11-16 - Number 65829
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
o Uoo U Target non-flying creature becomes tapped.
"A dash of cool water does wonders to clear a cluttered battlefield." —Vibekke Ragnild, *Witches and War*
Cards like Flood
Flood is an intriguing tool in the realm of control tactics within Magic: The Gathering. It shares its fundamental purpose with cards like Twiddle, which also focuses on the ability to tap or untap a target without causing it to leave the field. Flood distinguishes itself with its explicit restriction to only affect lands, thereby allowing you to stymie your opponent’s mana accessibility selectively.
Comparable in function, we have Icy Manipulator, an artifact that gives you the power to tap or untap any target. Though more flexible than Flood, Icy Manipulator comes with a higher cost to play and activate. In contrast, Gigadrowse stands as another alternative, offering the capacity to tap multiple targets at instant speed. Though a single-use spell, it can have an immediate and widespread impact on the game, versus the continual, but limited, influence provided by Flood.
When analyzing similar cards, Flood certainly holds its ground despite its specialized application. It’s a strategic choice for players who value consistent interference with an opponent’s land, which in some scenarios can tip the scales in a tightly contested game.
Cards similar to Flood by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Flood is adept at ensuring you remain ahead in resources. By facilitating multiple land drops, it enables a smoother mana flow and potentially allows for drawing into more significant threats or answers more reliably than your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Specifically, Flood provides an opportunity for resource acceleration by untapping two target lands. This can be particularly impactful when you need to respond to your opponent’s plays or advance your board position without falling behind on available mana.
Instant Speed: The true power of Flood comes from its instant speed, offering flexibility and strategic depth. You can catch an enemy off-guard by freeing up mana for surprise tactics or to simply bluff having a response, keeping your opponent’s plays in check.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Casting Flood demands a card to be tossed aside. In game situations where each card is a valuable asset toward your strategy, having to discard can be a serious setback, making it a risky play when your hand is depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: Flood requires blue mana to play. This specificity constraints its inclusion only in decks that have blue mana sources. The limitation to blue could be quite restrictive, excluding it from various mono-colored or multi-colored builds that don’t align with blue’s strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though Flood might help control the battlefield, its mana cost could be considered steep for its return on investment. With other cards in the MTG universe providing similar or better effects for less mana, this can deem Flood less appealing, especially when efficiency is the key to victory.
Reasons to Include Flood in Your Collection
Versatility: Flood stands out as a card that can easily adapt to different deck strategies. Its ability to tap potential blockers or key creatures at critical moments gives any blue-based control or tempo deck an advantage.
Combo Potential: This card can seamlessly integrate with strategies that capitalize on opponents being unable to block or use activated abilities of creatures. It’s perfect for enabling uninterrupted plays or synergizing with tap/untap mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: Given its utility in slowing down aggressive decks or disrupting intricate combos, Flood holds a place in environments where controlling the battlefield is essential for victory. Its simple yet effective mechanism can be pivotal in matches where timing and control dictate the pace of the game.
How to beat
Flood is a subtle yet influential control card in Magic: The Gathering, enabling players to temporarily stall an opponent’s creature without fully removing it from the board. Unlike more permanent solutions, Flood allows the controlling player to tap a target creature at the cost of two blue mana and an additional one to activate its ability. This can prove to be a nuisance but is far from unbeatable.
Effectively overcoming Flood’s control requires a multifaceted approach. One strategy is to diversify your threats. By presenting multiple creatures, the limited capacity of Flood is strained, and its impact diminishes. Alternatively, employing spells or abilities that grant your creatures pseudo-hexproof status or untap abilities can negate Flood’s influence. Utilizing instant-speed removals to dispose of Flood before your turn begins, such as Disenchant, ensures your creatures remain at your command. It’s also advantageous to have creatures with vigilance or those that do not require tapping to be effective. By adopting these tactics, you can diminish the strategic advantage Flood offers and maintain the momentum needed to secure victory.
In summary, while Flood may set back strategies reliant on singular formidable creatures, a well-rounded deck with countermeasures can navigate around its constraints, keeping the flow of the game in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Flood MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border, 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 Flood 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 Flood Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2016-11-16. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 27 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 2 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 73 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 3 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 73 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 4 | 1995-08-01 | Renaissance | REN | 30 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 5 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 87 | 1997 | Normal | White | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 6 | 1999-11-12 | Battle Royale Box Set | BRB | 28 | 1997 | Normal | White | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 7 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 65829 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Flood has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |