Gift of Strands MTG Card
Text of card
Flash Enchant creature When Gift of Strands enters the battlefield, scry 2. Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
"None have ever made to me a request so bold and yet so courteous." —Galadriel
Cards like Gift of Strands
Gift of Strands is an intriguing card that offers creature protection in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other spells that serve as both protection and enhancement, much like Shelter. Shelter also provides protection from a color of your choice, along with the bonus of card draw. Although Gift of Strands lacks the card draw aspect, its aura nature allows for a more permanent boost in toughness, which can be a tactical advantage.
There’s also Apostle’s Blessing, another card with a protective edge. It grants protection from colors or from artifacts for a single turn with the added flexibility of paying life instead of mana. Unlike Gift of Strands, Apostle’s Blessing can’t permanently increase toughness, but it provides more instantaneous safeguarding. Comparatively, Gift of Strands requires a commitment to a single creature but strengthens it over the course of the game.
Gift of Strands is a unique blend of defensive and augmentative capabilities in Magic: The Gathering. Its features position it as a strategic choice for players looking to bolster their creatures’ resilience over time, differentiating it from cards that offer more transient protection.
Cards similar to Gift of Strands by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Gift of Strands card grants significant balance in your gameplay by allowing for the replacement of itself in hand, maintaining an equilibrium in your resources.
Resource Acceleration: By untapping two lands, it effectively accelerates your resource access, allowing you to utilize other cards in your hand sooner than usual or enable powerful combinations.
Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed gives you the liberty to adapt to the flow of the game, using the card in response to your opponent’s actions, thus maximizing its potential impact on the state of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gift of Strands demands a strategic hand management by necessitating the discard of a card. This prerequisite for casting could lead to a setback, especially when your options are already dwindling, and every card in hand is vital for your gameplay strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Being tied to a specific mana alignment, Gift of Strands requires white mana for its activation. This condition can influence its adaptability, potentially confining it to decks that heavily feature or can reliably produce white mana, thereby limiting its widespread applicability across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the cost versus impact, Gift of Strands bears a relatively high mana investment. In the dynamic landscape of MTG, where efficiency can be paramount, there exists a plethora of alternative cards that could offer equivalent or greater benefits for a lesser mana expenditure, making it an underwhelming choice in situations where mana conservation is crucial.
Reasons to Include Gift of Strands in Your Collection
Versatility: Gift of Strands offers a flexible enchantment option that can bolster any creature-dense deck. It shines in scenarios where buffing a creature’s toughness could turn the tide of combat in your favor.
Combo Potential: Working well with life gain strategies and abilities that trigger upon gaining life, Gift of Strands can be a key component in crafting powerful synergies and unexpected win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: As the game shifts and creature-based decks gain prominence, the ability to outlast and outmaneuver your opponents with enhanced creatures makes Gift of Strands a card to consider for staying competitive.
How to beat
Gift of Strands presents a unique challenge in the realm of MTG due to its ability to enhance your opponent’s creature at a very low cost. Being able to give a creature +2/+2 until the end of turn can swiftly turn the tides of battle. Devising a strategy to conquer this card requires patience and precision. One effective method is to hold onto instant-speed removal spells so that you can respond to the buff the Gift of Strands provides. Cards like Murder or Fatal Push become significantly more valuable when used at the right moment.
Another strategy is to focus on controlling the board state before your opponent has the opportunity to take advantage of such spells. Utilizing board wipes or spells that force players to sacrifice creatures can greatly diminish the impact of Gift of Strands. Board management is key, as is a good understanding of when to trade creatures or when to take damage. A well-timed removal or board wipe can render the Gift of Strands negligible, keeping you firmly in control of the game’s outcome.
Overall, remember that while Gift of Strands can provide a temporary advantage, it is not insurmountable. By playing intelligently and managing resources effectively, you can ensure that the buff it provides becomes a non-issue in your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gift of Strands MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Gift of Strands 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
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Printings
The Gift of Strands Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Ignis Bruno.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 621 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ignis Bruno | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 170 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ignis Bruno |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gift of Strands has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.