Ivy Dancer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Dryad Shaman |
| Released | 2005-10-07 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ravnica: City of Guilds |
| Set code | RAV |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 171 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Terese Nielsen |
Text of card
: Target creature gains forestwalk until end of turn.
Her ivy locks are a remnant of the wooded wilds now lost to Ravnica forever.
Similar Cards to Ivy Dancer
Ivy Dancer is a unique enchantment creature that lends itself to strategies aiming to empower a player’s blockers and attackers with enhanced capabilities. Its most direct comparison is Silhana Ledgewalker, another creature with an inherent ability to be difficult for opponents to target, providing a similar protective edge in the gameplay. However, while Silhana Ledgewalker offers hexproof to itself, Ivy Dancer extends this benefit to other creatures by granting them forestwalk, allowing them to be unblockable as long as the opponent controls a Forest.
Kaseto, Orochi Archmage presents another interesting parallel. Like Ivy Dancer, Kaseto has the power to make creatures unblockable, but with a more selective focus, conferring this advantage to snakes and those creatures which the player has paid mana for. The snake wizard also has the added bonus of giving a creature a power boost, whereas Ivy Dancer focuses solely on the unblockable aspect. Lastly, Thrun, the Last Troll, a legendary creature that brings resilience and untargetability to the table, shares a self-focused unblockable similarity with Ivy Dancer, but with a sturdier defense mechanism due to its regeneration ability.
Each of these cards offers its own approach to evasion, showing that Ivy Dancer holds a niche position within MTG when it comes to enabling unblocked attacks and playing a pivotal role in combat scenarios.
Cards similar to Ivy Dancer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ivy Dancer can offer valuable utility by potentially untapping another creature with tap abilities. This interaction can create additional card interactions and benefits within your turn, encouraging a more dynamic playstyle and strategic planning.
Resource Acceleration: Enhancing your board presence by boosting the capabilities of your mana dorks or tap-to-produce mana creatures can significantly speed up your resource growth. This leads to faster execution of high-cost spells or overwhelming your opponents with superior board states more quickly than expected.
Instant Speed: The ability to use Ivy Dancer’s effects at instant speed gives players the tactical edge of responding to opponents’ actions or optimizing their own during any phase of either player’s turn. This instantaneity not only increases the card’s flexibility but also enhances its potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Ivy Dancer in your deck means you’re facing a discard prerequisite—a setback if your hand is already stretched thin by other strategic plays or if maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Ivy Dancer demands a particular commitment to green mana. This can make it tricky to align with multicolored decks or those that heavily rely on other colors for their synergy and mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Ivy Dancer’s effect may not always justify its mana investment, especially considering there are cards with lower costs or more impactful abilities that could better serve the strategy of a deck focused on creatures or enchantments.
Reasons to Include Ivy Dancer in Your Collection
Versatility: Ivy Dancer adds substantial flexibility to green decks by granting all green creatures the ability to tap to untap target creature. This allows for surprise block tactics or the ability to utilize tap effects on creatures multiple times in a turn.
Combo Potential: With the ability to untap creatures, Ivy Dancer can create synergies with creatures that have powerful tap abilities. This enables numerous combinations that could potentially lead to game-winning plays, especially in a Commander format where abilities can be capitalized upon turn after turn.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where the pace keeps accelerating, the control that Ivy Dancer offers can be a game-changer. The ability to untap your creatures not only provides defensive options but also keeps other players guessing, making it a valuable asset against decks that rely on keeping your board locked down.
How to beat
Ivy Dancer has made its mark as an enchantment-lovers’ dream card. With its ability to give shroud to all green creatures, it creates a substantial hurdle for opponents who rely on targeting spells for removal or control. The trick to overcoming Ivy Dancer lies in using sweepers or global effects that don’t rely on targeting individual creatures. Cards like Wrath of God, Damnation, or Pyroclasm can effectively bypass Ivy Dancer’s shroud providing effects, removing the protected creatures without needing to target them directly.
Beyond such spells, playing with creature abilities that aren’t reliant on spellcasting can also be a key strategy. For example, choosing creatures equipped with ‘fight’ abilities or making use of tap abilities that affect all creatures on the board can neutralize Ivy Dancer’s advantage. One also shouldn’t overlook the power of counter spells, which can halt Ivy Dancer from hitting the field in the first place, maintaining an open path for targeted removal.
Overall, while the Ivy Dancer may present a challenge, a well-rounded deck with non-targeting removal and strategic control methods can keep its influence in check, ensuring your strategies to dominate the board don’t falter.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ivy Dancer MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Ivy Dancer 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ivy Dancer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |