Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces MTG Card

Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces - March of the Machine

Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elf Warrior
Released	2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set name	March of the Machine
Set code	MOM
Power	*
Toughness	*
Number	236
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dan Scott

Key Takeaways

The card provides selective card draw, enhancing hand quality and game options.
It allows for instant interaction during an opponent’s turn, altering game balance.
Resource acceleration is possible, granting quicker access to critical game pieces.

Text of card

Winnowing Forces's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control.

The Phyrexian appearance was so offensive that perfects and eyeblights worked together in unprecedented kinship to destroy them.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drawing cards is key in maintaining an edge over your opponent, and Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces allows for selective card draw which can significantly alter the course of the game by providing you with more options and resources.

Resource Acceleration: Not only does this card offer you the chance to sift through your deck and enhance your hand, but it may also facilitate resource acceleration by enabling you to access critical spells or creatures quicker than usual, ultimately leading to a swifter victory.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of instant-speed spells cannot be overstated. The ability to interact with the game during your opponent’s turn can cause unexpected shifts in the balance of power, making Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Invasion of Lorwyn requires a player to discard a card, which can be a setback especially if your hand is already dwindling. This mechanic forces a choice, often between keeping crucial strategic options for later turns or enabling the immediate benefits of the spell.

Specific Mana Cost: Winnowing Forces necessitates a precise mana alignment, demanding both colored and colorless mana types. This can be restrictive as it logically fits into decks that can reliably generate the specific mana composition, reducing its utility in more diverse or color-fluid strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana cost for casting Winnowing Forces is on the higher end. In fast-paced games, allocating such resources may slow down your progress or leave you at a temporary disadvantage compared to cards with similar effects but lower casting requirements.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces offers a dynamic approach to gameplay, adaptable in various decks that thrive on clearing the board or setting up for powerful endgame moves.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to selectively thin out creatures sets the stage for combos that capitalize on creature-type synergies, especially in tribal decks common within the Lorwyn block’s themes.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to disrupt opponent strategies, Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces remains relevant, fitting well into a metagame that requires precise control over the battlefield’s creature composition.

How to beat

Invasion of Lorwyn presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This ability to change the course of a game by bringing creatures from across the tribes of Lorwyn into play demands a strategic response. To effectively combat this, players should focus on controlling the board through removal spells. Cards that can sweep multiple creatures, like Wrath of God or Damnation, can nullify the advantage gained from such invasions.

Winnowing Forces is a card that can potentially disrupt your game plan by selectively pressuring your resources. To outmaneuver this, prioritizing diversity in your card types is key. By maintaining a balanced mix of creature, instant, enchantment, and sorcery cards, you reduce the impact Winnowing Forces can have. Additionally, keeping card draw spells at the ready ensures that even if you do lose some cards, you won’t be left at a disadvantage for long.

Tailoring your strategy to include versatile responses can help you maintain the upper hand against Invasion of Lorwyn and Winnowing Forces. Whether through board control or resource resilience, victory lies in adaptability and preparedness against these shifts in the MTG landscape.

Cards like Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces

Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces enters the array of modal double-faced cards with a unique tactical edge. Invasion of Lorwyn invites players to explore a different gameplay dynamic, similar to other modal counterparts like Split cards. These offer flexibility and choices, but Invasion of Lorwyn stands out by allowing players to command an army or prepare their deck for upcoming threats. In essence, it shares strategic depth with Siege Rhino, a card that also brings immediate impact to the board on cast.

Delving into Winnowing Forces, the juxtaposition of its effects with Wrath of God is noticeable. Both are sweepers, cleansing the board of creatures, yet Winnowing Forces offers a willful sacrifice on your part for a decisive gameplay advantage. The card’s multifaceted nature is reminiscent of the flexibility found in Cryptic Command, although without the instant speed, offering a planned approach to disrupting enemy lines instead of reactive control.

Evaluating modal cards like Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces against their relatives in MTG’s vast card pool shows their inherent value in strategy and adaptability, solidifying their place in decks that thrive on versatility and the element of choice.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Invasion of Lorwyn // Winnowing Forces card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2023-04-14	A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action.
2023-04-14	A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it.
2023-04-14	A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.”
2023-04-14	A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters.
2023-04-14	As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector.
2023-04-14	Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14	Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it.
2023-04-14	If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face.
2023-04-14	If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger.
2023-04-14	If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14	If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below).
2023-04-14	If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face.
2023-04-14	If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed.
2023-04-14	In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal.
2023-04-14	Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it.
2023-04-14	Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.”