Staff of the Ages MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	340
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daniel Gelon

Key Takeaways

Gain card advantage and increase hand size by utilizing the Staff’s draw unlocking capabilities.
Accelerate resource availability with the Staff’s untap potential, giving rise to more spells or abilities.
React to game changes efficiently with the Staff’s instant speed, maintaining control over threats.

Text of card

Creatures with any landwalk ability may be blocked as though they did not have those abilities.

"We found this staff useful on our visit to this very commission. Would Relicbane prefer we had been slain by Lim-Dûl's horrors?" —Arcum Dagsson, Soldevi Machinist

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Staff of the Ages can unlock additional draws, bolstering your hand size and giving you more options to outmaneuver opponents during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping all permanents it controls, it can effectively accelerate your resources, providing you with an intensified ability to deploy more spells or activate abilities.

Instant Speed: The ability to manipulate the Staff at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to react to the evolving state of the game while keeping threats at bay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Staff of the Ages has an inherent downside due to a potential discard condition required to activate its abilities. This could pose a challenge when your hand is already minimal, making it a risky play in situations where every card in hand is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Staff of the Ages demands a precise mana investment to make use of its effects. This particular mana requirement could make it less versatile as it might not seamlessly integrate with all deck types, potentially limiting its playability across various strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the mana cost to power ratio, Staff of the Ages may come up short in comparison to other artifacts or mana accelerators in the game. Its higher mana cost could slow down your tempo, especially if there are alternatives that provide similar benefits for less mana, leading to more efficient plays earlier in the game.

Reasons to Include Staff of the Ages in Your Collection

Versatility: The Staff of the Ages is a unique artifact that offers flexibility in deck building. It’s not shackled to any one strategy, allowing you to weave it into multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to unlock mana of any color can be a boon for multicolored decks needing consistent mana fixing.

Combo Potential: For those who relish crafting intricate combos, this card can be a linchpin. It interacts favorably with abilities that trigger off artifact casting or untapping, potentially unlocking new synergies and unexpected power plays within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the meta shifts with each tournament, having cards that adapt is key. Staff of the Ages provides essential support against color-specific strategies that dominate play, making it a tactical choice for staying competitive.

How to beat

The Staff of the Ages is a unique artifact in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for players. This piece of equipment, while not overpowering, can be a nuisance due to its ability to untap target creatures, providing a tactical advantage to your opponent. To outmaneuver a player wielding this card, a swift approach is necessary. One effective strategy is to limit their creature count, thereby minimizing the Staff’s impact. Removal spells such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade can efficiently deal with creatures before the Staff of the Ages becomes a significant threat.

Furthermore, enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly target and dismantle the Staff, cutting off its utility. Also, adopting aggressive strategies that overwhelm your opponent before they can establish dominance with the Staff may prove fruitful. Lastly, being mindful of card advantage and maintaining pressure will ensure that the Staff of the Ages is less of a game-changer and more of a minor obstacle on your path to victory.

Cards like Staff of the Ages

Staff of the Ages is a unique artifact within the Magic the Gathering universe, reminiscent of long-standing artifact cards that manipulate mana and resources. When digging into comparable cards, we find Icy Manipulator, an artifact card also focused on control by tapping potential threats or resources. While Icy Manipulator offers more tactical flexibility by targeting any artifact, creature, or land, Staff of the Ages specifically zeroes in on walls. It, however, doesn’t require any mana to activate, unlike Icy Manipulator, which demands one mana.

Another parallel can be drawn with Winter Orb. Both cards have the ability to disrupt land-based strategies, though Winter Orb does this to a more extensive degree by limiting untapping potential across the board. Staff of the Ages is more niche, targeting walls that don’t typically play a dominant role in most decks. This card can strategically disable specific blockers, which may benefit certain decks geared toward unimpeded attacks.

In essence, while Staff of the Ages may not find a home in every deck like the more versatile Icy Manipulator or the broadly impactful Winter Orb, it stands out in games where walls play a critical role, providing a specialized tool for control without additional mana costs once on the field.

Cards similar to Staff of the Ages by color, type and mana cost

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions

Guardians of Meletis - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Staff of the Ages MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Staff of the Ages and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Staff of the Ages 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 Staff of the Ages card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.