Heart of Yavimaya MTG Card
1996-06-10 - Number 138
1997-08-13 - Number sg138
2008-09-22 - Number 231
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
When Heart of Yavimaya comes into play, sacrifice a forest or bury Heart of Yavimaya. oc T: Add o G to your mana pool. oc T: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Cards like Heart of Yavimaya
Heart of Yavimaya sets itself as a unique land card in the vast landscape of MTG. Much like its counterparts, such as Yavimaya Hollow, it provides a colorless mana boost. Yet, what makes it stand apart is its ability to also offer a prompt green mana, provided you’re willing to sacrifice another land. This is not a common feature among MTG land cards, striking a balance between land sacrifice and mana fixing.
When looking at Gaea’s Cradle, another land with a significant mana ramp potential, the Cradle excels in generating green mana for each creature you control, which can escalate quickly in creature-heavy decks. Heart of Yavimaya, conversely, doesn’t scale with your creature count but can empower an individual creature with a +1/+1 boost. Moreover, unlike the Heart, Gaea’s Cradle doesn’t require a land sacrifice, which is a consideration for maintaining land counts.
To wrap up, Heart of Yavimaya creates its niche within MTG by offering a strategic choice between mana acceleration and creature enhancement. This adaptability, coupled with the potential for minor power increase, gives it a footnote in the anthology of utility lands available to players.
Cards similar to Heart of Yavimaya by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Heart of Yavimaya not only offers an additional mana source but also its ability to sacrifice for creature empowerment often secures an edge on the battlefield. This dual nature offers both an incremental advantage and tactical flexibility, supporting your strategy whether it’s maintaining board presence or preparing for a crucial play.
Resource Acceleration: As a land that doesn’t enter the battlefield tapped, Heart of Yavimaya contributes to resource acceleration right away. It supports a variety of deck archetypes by smoothing out mana issues, allowing for a faster execution of your game plan with a consistent mana base that’s ready to respond or ramp up.
Instant Speed: The ability to increase a creature’s power at instant speed adds a layer of unpredictability and protection to your creatures. It can be used to bolster a creature before damage calculation or even as a deterrent to dissuade opponents from attacking or targeting your creatures with removal, making it a versatile tool in any stage of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Heart of Yavimaya demands a land be sacrificed upon entry, diminishing your land count and potentially slowing down your mana ramp.
Specific Mana Cost: To activate its mana ability, a green mana is required, making it less versatile in decks not heavily featuring green.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While it does fortify a creature, the cost of tapping and the initial land sacrifice may seem steep compared to other options that boost creature power without such sacrifices.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Heart of Yavimaya is not just land; it’s a utility that can shore up mana fixing in multicolored decks or serve as an unexpected source of creature buffs. Its ability to add one color of mana to your pool or tap to give a creature +1/+1 until end of turn can be pivotal in various deck builds.
Combo Potential: With the ability to give your creatures an additional boost, the Heart of Yavimaya complements strategies that revolve around creature-based synergies or combat tricks. This can be especially handy for decks that hinge on creatures surviving combat or benefiting from temporary stat increases.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, the need for reliable mana sources that double as tactical advantages remains. Heart of Yavimaya holds its ground by providing a valuable combination of land utility and in-game versatility, making it a worthwhile consideration for different competitive formats where adaptability is key.
How to beat
The Heart of Yavimaya is a known card among players for its ability to not only provide mana but also to empower creatures. Tackling this card effectively necessitates a strategic approach. One of the keys to defeating it lies in land destruction or manipulation strategies, hobbling an opponent’s mana base and their buff potential simultaneously. Encroaching Wastes and Field of Ruin stand out as prime examples of land disruption cards that can take the Heart of Yavimaya out of the equation.
Additionally, maintaining a swift pace in gameplay can outmaneuver the benefits that this card provides. If your deck operates on a fast curve, you diminish the impact that the land’s buff has on the game’s outcome. Direct removal spells aimed at creatures can also mitigate the advantage gained from the Heart of Yavimaya, by ensuring that any buffed creature is quickly dealt with, negating the land’s secondary asset. Consistent pressure and a lean towards control can often lead to an upper hand against decks that utilize this powerful land.
Ultimately, understanding the mechanics of this card and preparing to counteract them with specific card choices and a sharp game strategy will guide a player to victory against the strategic benefits the Heart of Yavimaya can offer in an MTG match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Heart of Yavimaya MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and World Championship Decks 1997, 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 Heart of Yavimaya 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 Heart of Yavimaya Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Pete Venters.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-06-10 | Alliances | ALL | 138 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters | |
| 2 | 1997-08-13 | World Championship Decks 1997 | WC97 | sg138 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Pete Venters | |
| 3 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 231 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Heart of Yavimaya 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 Heart of Yavimaya 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 | You have to sacrifice a forest before this card is put onto the battlefield, and no matter how it is put onto the battlefield. |