Hall of Gemstone MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 3 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | World Enchantment |
Text of card
During each player's upkeep, that player chooses a color. Until end of turn, each mana-producing land produces mana of the chosen color instead of its normal color.
Cards like Hall of Gemstone
Exploring the unique mechanics of Magic: The Gathering’s robust library, Hall of Gemstone distinguishes itself in the realm of mana control. Analogous to its effects, we can look at cards like Blood Moon which transforms all nonbasic lands into Mountains, thereby severely limiting mana flexibility for opponents. Though fundamentally different in application, Blood Moon similarly constrains opponents’ mana options.
Prismatic Omen serves as an interesting counterpoint to Hall of Gemstone. Rather than restricting mana types, it permits lands to produce mana of any color, conversely expanding mana possibilities. While Hall of Gemstone focuses on a lockdown strategy for each phase, Prismatic Omen provides a benefit each turn by increasing the versatility of your mana pool.
To set a comprehensive understanding of mana alteration in the game, examining Hall of Gemstone within the spectrum of these similar cards underscores its distinct strategic advantage in mono-green decks, particularly in securing a color lock during crucial turns of the game, whereas its counterparts either restrict land types or enhance mana production diversity.
Cards similar to Hall of Gemstone by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The power to dictate the flow of mana can indirectly translate into card advantage. With Hall of Gemstone, you limit your opponents’ ability to cast spells outside of their main phase, potentially causing them to miss out on crucial plays or waste resources.
Resource Acceleration: While Hall of Gemstone doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it can act as a deterrent, keeping opponents from fully utilizing theirs. This indirect resource acceleration can keep you ahead in the race for mana dominance, as opponents may have to maneuver around the restrictions Hall of Gemstone imposes.
Instant Speed: Though Hall of Gemstone is not an instant itself, its board presence impacts instants significantly. By enforcing a single color during each player’s turn, it can effectively shut down multi-colored instant-speed interaction, thus providing you with a pseudo “instant speed” advantage by limiting opponents’ responsive capabilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Hall of Gemstone means you’ll often have to plan your own strategy around its restrictive nature, potentially having to discard other key pieces due to the strict mana control it enforces during your upkeep.
Specific Mana Cost: Hall of Gemstone requires a precise mana arrangement of three green to cast, which makes it exclusive to mono-green decks or those capable of generating multiple green mana consistently, limiting its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a single enchantment, the cost is on the higher end. At three green mana, you might bypass other options that could accelerate your board presence or disrupt opponents more efficiently for the same, or less, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Hall of Gemstone in Your Collection
Versatility: Hall of Gemstone is a unique enchantment that can provide a strategic edge in green decks by controlling the pace of the game. Its ability to restrict the color of mana opponents can produce during their turns makes it a versatile disrupter, particularly against multicolored decks.
Combo Potential: For players who delight in intricate combos, Hall of Gemstone shines by curtailing opponents’ counterplays during your turn. This allows you to safely assemble combos or protect key creatures and spells without the threat of opposing instant-speed interruptions.
Meta-Relevance: As metagames often fluctuate, Hall of Gemstone maintains relevance by combating multi-colored control and combo decks. Its presence on the battlefield can significantly hinder an opponent’s ability to adapt their strategy and manage their resources effectively, thus granting you a considerable advantage in the match.
How to beat
Hall of Gemstone is a unique green enchantment in MTG that can throw a wrench into multicolor decks by forcing players to produce only one color of mana during their turns. To navigate this challenge, relying on artifact mana sources that aren’t affected by the enchantment’s restriction can be effective. Cards like Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, and Mana Vault allow you to tap for colorless mana, which is not subjected to Hall of Gemstone’s limitation. Additionally, running instants or having card abilities that can be activated at the end of your opponent’s turn minimize the enchantment’s impact, as it does not affect mana generation during other players’ turns.
An alternative strategy is to focus on enchantment removal cards. Direct answers like Disenchant, Naturalize, or enchantment-specific creatures such as Reclamation Sage ensure that Hall of Gemstone’s tenure on the battlefield is short-lived. It’s also beneficial to anticipate and play around Hall of Gemstone by holding back on casting non-critical multicolored spells or by marshaling resources until you can safely remove the enchantment without being set too far back in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hall of Gemstone MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and World Championship Decks 1998, 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 Hall of Gemstone 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 Hall of Gemstone Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 1998-08-12. Illustrated by David A. Cherry.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 221 | 1997 | Normal | Black | David A. Cherry | |
2 | 1998-08-12 | World Championship Decks 1998 | WC98 | bs221sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | David A. Cherry |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hall of Gemstone has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Premodern | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hall of Gemstone card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2004-10-04 | Although the color may be altered, any restrictions on the use of the mana are not removed. |
2004-10-04 | Will not affect lands that do not produce mana. |
2008-10-01 | This has the supertype world. When a world permanent enters the battlefield, any world permanents that were already on the battlefield are put into their owners’ graveyards. This is a state-based action called the “world rule.” The new world permanent stays on the battlefield. If two world permanents enter the battlefield at the same time, they’re both put into their owners’ graveyards. |
2016-08-23 | Colorless mana added to a player’s mana pool isn’t affected. |