Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw MTG Card


This card delivers both card advantage and resource acceleration, tipping the scales in your favor. Invasion of Tarkir allows for flexibility with instant-speed play, surprising and outmaneuvering opponents. Its high impact on gameplay can justify the card’s higher investment cost in many strategies.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityMythic
TypeBattle — Siege
Abilities Transform

Text of card

(As a Siege enters, choose an opponent to protect it. You and others can attack it. When it's defeated, exile it, then cast it transformed.) When Invasion of Tarkir enters the battlefield, reveal any number of Dragon cards from your hand. When you do, Invasion of Tarkir deals X plus 2 damage to any other target, where X is the number of cards revealed this way. (X can be 0.)


Cards like Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw

Invasion of Tarkir brings a unique dynamic to Magic: The Gathering’s realm of multicolored spells. It echoes cards like Farseek or Rampant Growth which are pivotal for mana acceleration, but Invasion of Tarkir goes further by enabling the search for two basic land cards, placing one onto the battlefield tapped, and the other into your hand. While Farseek allows searching for a Plains, Island, Swamp or Mountain, it limits you to putting that land directly onto the battlefield tapped without the flexibility of retaining a card in your hand.

Enter Cultivate, another card that parallels the functionality of Invasion of Tarkir. Cultivate also puts one land onto the battlefield and another into your hand but lacks the adaptability of Invasion of Tarkir, which can fetch any two basic lands without the constraints of types that Farseek or Cultivate impose. It’s this versatility that separates Invasion of Tarkir from its counterparts.

Assessing their strategic advantages, Invasion of Tarkir offers a considerable edge in games that thrive on mana diversity and consistency. The two-for-one land tutor approach not only improves land drops but also hand resourcefulness, making it a potentially superior choice for decks that desire that extra latitude in land selection and usage.

Farseek - MTG Card versions
Rampant Growth - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions
Farseek - MTG Card versions
Rampant Growth - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Invasion of Tarkir card works to significantly tip the scales in your favor by allowing the deployment of additional creatures or spells. This can lead to overwhelming your opponents with resources and establishing a dominant board presence.

Resource Acceleration: With this card, tapping into the rich mana pool of Tarkir becomes a breeze, potentially speeding up your game plan. It excels at ramping up your mana resources, enabling you to cast high-cost spells much earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed cannot be overstated; it gives you the flexibility to respond to threats immediately or unleash powerful effects right before your turn starts, catching opponents off-guard and keeping them guessing your next move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the obstacles when incorporating Invasion of Tarkir into your deck is its mandatory discard condition. This can be a significant setback, especially if your hand is already running thin and each card is vital to your strategy. This requirement often means sacrificing momentum or another valuable resource, which could be critical in the tight clutch of a well-matched game.

Specific Mana Cost: Drafting this card into your game plan necessitates access to a precise blend of mana colors. Its dependence on a multicolored mana pool may deter players from adding it to their decks, particularly if they are running single-color builds or their mana base cannot reliably meet the cost of this potential powerhouse.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the benefits against the cost is pivotal, and Invasion of Tarkir demands a considerable investment. With a mana cost that could be deemed steep by some players, it begs the question of whether the card’s impact on the battlefield justifies its expense, particularly when stacked against other options that might achieve similar results without taxing your resources as heavily.


Reasons to Include Invasion of Tarkir in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasion of Tarkir offers a range of options to players, allowing them to adapt to various in-game situations. It can be a game-changer in decks that thrive on multi-color synergies or require specific mana fixes.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to search for a Dragon creature or reveal a Dragon card can be crucial for setting up powerful combinations. It integrates well with decks built around Dragon tribal themes or those that capitalize on the reveal and tutor mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In matchups where Dragons are a dominant force, Invasion of Tarkir can reinforce your presence on the battlefield. Its capability to procure key components of your strategy makes it a worthy inclusion in a meta that values tutor effects and creature-based tactics.


How to beat

Invasion of Tarkir is a potent force in Magic: The Gathering, often shaping the battlefield with its influential abilities. Overcoming this card requires strategic finesse and timely responses. Counterplay often hinges on swiftly removing it from play, employing instant-speed removal spells that can disrupt your opponent before they reap the benefits of Tarkir’s power.

Another effective strategy against Invasion of Tarkir is to deploy cards that limit your opponent’s ability to cast multicolored spells. As a card recognized for empowering multicolored strategies, cutting off access to key resources can neuter its effectiveness. Lastly, include cards that can exile Invasion of Tarkir or prohibitively increase its casting cost, making it difficult for your opponent to maintain their game plan.

Always be prepared to adjust your tactics as the landscape of the game shifts. Whether through direct removal, resource restrictions, or cost adjustments, the key to beating Invasion of Tarkir lies in recognizing and exploiting its vulnerabilities in the context of your opponent’s broader strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Let’s enhance your MTG journey with an understanding of how to weave the Invasion of Tarkir card into your gameplay. Capitalizing on card advantage and mana acceleration, it is a formidable inclusion in any deck seeking to summon creatures or spells at a moment’s notice. But keep in mind, managing its discard condition and specific mana requirements is crucial for successfully deploying this card. Its synergy with multi-color decks and combo potential can’t be overlooked, making it a smart pick for players aiming to dominate with Dragon strategies. If you’re considering a fresh addition to your deck or collection, learn more about how the strategic depth of Invasion of Tarkir can be yours to master.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine Promos and 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 Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-04-21 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Darren Tan.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-04-21March of the Machine PromosPMOM 149s2015TransformBlackDarren Tan
22023-04-21March of the MachineMOM 1492015TransformBlackDarren Tan
32023-04-21March of the Machine Art SeriesAMOM 342015Art seriesBorderlessDarren Tan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw 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 If you don’t reveal any Dragon cards from your hand, the reflexive triggered ability will cause Invasion of Tarkir to deal 2 damage to the target of the ability.
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 Invasion of Tarkir’s enters-the-battlefield ability triggers and goes on the stack without a target. As it resolves, you’ll reveal any number of Dragon cards from your hand. As the card reminds you, that number can be zero. Then the second “reflexive” triggered ability will trigger. You’ll choose the target for that second ability at that time.
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.”