Groundskeeper MTG Card

Capitalize on Groundskeeper’s ability to retrieve lands for a consistent mana supply and landfall triggers. Leverage its strategic flexibility, activating its effect at any time akin to instant speed cards. Counter Groundskeeper effectively with graveyard disruption or targeted creature removal strategies.

Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
1999-10-04 - Number 250

Ninth Edition (9ED)
2005-07-29 - Number 247

Ninth Edition (9ED)
2005-07-29 - Number 247★

Groundskeeper - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 208

Ultimate Masters (UMA)
2018-12-07 - Number 168

Groundskeeper - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)

Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
2023-03-21 - Number 199

Card sets	Released in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Druid
Power	1
Toughness	1

Text of card

o1oo G Return target basic land card from your graveyard to your hand.

Whereas the rebels fight to defend the land, they work to renew it.

Cards like Groundskeeper

Groundskeeper shines as a unique utility creature in MTG. Its similarities with other cards like Tilling Treefolk are evident as both return land cards from the graveyard to your hand. However, Groundskeeper stands out with its ability to be activated multiple times in a turn, allowing for a more strategic and dynamic land retrieval as opposed to Tilling Treefolk’s one-time effect upon entering the battlefield.

Life from the Loam is another card that retrieves land from the graveyard, yet it differs in execution. While Groundskeeper requires mana investment for each activation, Life from the Loam brings back up to three lands with a single dredge ability, offering a different kind of advantage in deck cycling and land recursion.

In essence, Groundskeeper is a formidable card for land-focused strategies, empowering MTG decks that benefit from land recursion. Its continuous utility potentially generates substantial long-term value in games, securing its role as a versatile component in various MTG deck archetypes.

Cards similar to Groundskeeper by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Groundskeeper has a niche yet potentially powerful ability to return land cards from the graveyard to your hand, ensuring continuous access to mana. This synergizes well with landfall mechanics or cards that benefit from lands entering the battlefield, thereby offering incremental card advantage over the course of a match.

Resource Acceleration: This card facilitates resource acceleration by potentially turning each cycle of a land card from your graveyard to your hand into a land drop for the turn. This effective recycling of resources can be crucial for setting up powerful turns or recovering from land destruction strategies employed by opponents.

Instant Speed: While Groundskeeper’s ability isn’t at instant speed, it can be activated at any time you could cast an instant. This allows for strategic flexibility, making the most of unused mana at the end of your opponent’s turn to set up for your next move without sacrificing the opportunity to respond to other actions during the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable downside of Groundskeeper is its reliance on cards being discarded to fully utilize its ability. If you’re running low on cards in hand, activating Groundskeeper’s effect can be less than optimal, potentially setting you back in card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Groundskeeper’s activation cost necessitates green mana, which may not align perfectly with every deck’s mana base, particularly in multicolored or colorless strategies. This specific mana demand could exclude it from decks that cannot consistently provide green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Groundskeeper itself is low-cost, continuously using its ability to retrieve lands from the graveyard has an ongoing mana cost. When compared to other cards that can provide land recovery or ramp, Groundskeeper might be considered mana-intensive for the effect it offers, potentially slowing down your overall gameplay strategy.

Reasons to Include Groundskeeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Groundskeeper offers a unique flexibility to your deck by allowing you to return basic land cards from your graveyard to your hand. This can be crucial for decks that manipulate the graveyard or that are land-heavy and need consistent land drops.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Groundskeeper can enable powerful combos with cards that benefit from land recycling. It works exceptionally well with land sacrifice mechanics or when trying to achieve landfall triggers multiple times in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that highly values resource management and long-term strategies, Groundskeeper can be a key component. It ensures lands are constantly available, fostering a robust mana base which is particularly useful in formats like Commander or any deck that aims for the late game.

How to beat

The Groundskeeper card in Magic: The Gathering can be a tricky opponent for many players. This card offers the strategic ability to return land cards from your graveyard to your hand, a tactic that can bolster landfall strategies and provide a reliable mana flow. However, there are several ways to counteract the Groundskeeper’s advantage.

One effective strategy is to employ graveyard disruption. Tools like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can completely remove the option of retrieving lands, as they exile cards once they hit the graveyard. Another angle of attack is to focus on creature control through removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Lightning Bolt, which can efficiently manage the Groundskeeper itself, rendering the ability useless.

Additionally, the use of counter spells when Groundskeeper is played or its ability is activated is a direct way to keep it off the board or negate its effect respectively. It’s essential to limit the repetitions of lands recycling, thus stifling the opponent’s momentum. Remember to adjust your deck with suitable answers to Groundskeeper’s recursion potential to give you the upper hand in your next game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Groundskeeper MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Ninth Edition, 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 Groundskeeper and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Groundskeeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-10-04	Mercadian Masques	MMQ	250	1997	Normal	Black	Alan Rabinowitz
2	2005-07-29	Ninth Edition	9ED	247	2003	Normal	White	Alan Rabinowitz
3	2005-07-29	Ninth Edition	9ED	247★	2003	Normal	Black	Alan Rabinowitz
4	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad	SOI	208	2015	Normal	Black	Anthony Palumbo
5	2018-12-07	Ultimate Masters	UMA	168	2015	Normal	Black	Anthony Palumbo
6	2023-03-21	Shadows over Innistrad Remastered	SIR	199	2015	Normal	Black	Anthony Palumbo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Groundskeeper has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal