Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — God
Abilities Vigilance
Power 1
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Esika propels decks forward with her any-color mana ability and endless combo potential.
  2. Incorporating Esika adds value to collections due to her meta-relevant versatility.
  3. Strategies to beat Esika include mana disruption and efficient creature removal.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Vigilance : Add one mana of any color. Other legendary creatures you control have vigilance and ": Add one mana of any color."

"I know this world, from canopy to roots."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Esika, God of the Tree offers a unique advantage with her ability to tap for one mana of any color, which when coupled with The Prismatic Bridge (her flip side), can lead to a substantial gain in card advantage. Each turn with the Bridge in play is a chance to free cast a creature or planeswalker spell from the top of your library directly onto the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: In terms of mana resources, this legendary creature excels. Esika acts as a versatile mana dork, ramping you into larger threats ahead of the curve. Her intrinsic ability to access any color of mana seamlessly supports multicolored decks, giving players the edge in executing their strategy faster than their opponents.

Instant Speed: While Esika herself may not function at instant speed, her flexibility lies in enabling a deck that can fully utilize instant speed interactions. By accelerating your resource pool, she effectively widens the window for you to interact with opponents on their turn, casting impactful instant spells without compromising your board presence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Esika, God of the Tree does not require you to discard cards, it’s vital to acknowledge that when leveraging cards that synergize with this legendary creature, one may encounter such a downside. This could deplete your hand and leave you vulnerable if not managed wisely.

Specific Mana Cost: Esika’s casting cost of one green mana in addition to two others sets a certain threshold for deck building. To effectively harness Esika’s potential, your mana base must include sufficient green sources, which might restrict deck creativity and demand careful mana management.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana plus the requirement of green mana, Esika may come at a hindrance against quicker, more aggressive decks. Similarly-costed cards may offer immediate impact or more adaptable effects, suggesting that Esika’s benefits are a result of a longer-term strategy rather than an instant board presence or advantage.


Reasons to Include Esika, God of the Tree in Your Collection

Versatility: Esika, God of the Tree, is a multi-faceted card that can seamlessly integrate into numerous deck archetypes. Her ability to provide a mana of any color makes her an excellent fixer in multicolored decks, while her flip side, The Prismatic Bridge, offers a powerful engine for fetching your most impactful creatures and planeswalkers directly onto the battlefield.

Combo Potential: Esika is a linchpin in decks that aim to leverage legendary creatures or benefit from the cascade of permanents The Prismatic Bridge provides. With her in play, you can build combos around her indestructible enchantment side or use her mana abilities to accelerate out other combo pieces.

Meta-Relevance: In a game landscape that often sees fluctuating meta conditions, Esika remains a relevant choice. Whether the environment is fast-paced or control-driven, her ability to grant access to all five colors and cheat high-cost cards into play keeps her as a valuable contender in diverse meta scenarios.


How to Beat Esika, God of the Tree

The challenge of facing Esika, God of the Tree in Magic: The Gathering can be a true test of a player’s strategy and adaptability. This legendary creature is not only versatile due to its ability to tap for one mana of any color, but its status as a modal double-faced card adds to its complexity. When dealing with Esika, one key tactic is to disrupt the opponent’s mana base, thereby limiting their ability to utilize her full potential. Cards like Blood Moon can hinder multicolored mana strategies and reduce Esika’s effectiveness.

Additionally, creature removal spells are crucial. Swift removal options, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, are invaluable for keeping Esika off the board and reducing the threat level. Another avenue is to focus on direct player strategies, bypassing Esika’s influence by targeting the opponent with damage or discard effects such as Thoughtseize. Preventing Esika from flipping into The Prismatic Bridge, which can drastically tilt the game in your opponent’s favor, should be a priority in your game plan.

Ultimately, outpacing the value generated by Esika by using efficient creatures or spells, maintaining pressure, and keeping your opponent’s board clear can lead to victory against this formidable adversary.


Cards like Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge

Esika, God of the Tree, is an influential card that commands attention among legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its comparison to other similar cards reveals the kind of unique versatility Esika presents to players. Chromatic Lantern is a notable card; it also grants the ability to tap for mana of any color, which is a significant aspect of Esika’s front face. However, Chromatic Lantern doesn’t offer the legendary creature status or the additional abilities that come with Esika.

Another card to consider is Golos, Tireless Pilgrim, which also deals with the theme of mana fixing and land advantage. While Golos fetches a land upon entering the battlefield, Esika directly taps for mana, enhancing your ability to cast spells of any color from the get-go. The Prismatic Bridge, Esika’s back face, stands out by itself, allowing you to cheat powerful creatures and planeswalkers directly onto the battlefield, a trait which Golos doesn’t share directly but somewhat mimics with its activated ability involving library casting.

Overall, Esika, God of the Tree positions itself as a blend of mana acceleration and utility that is quite rare, giving deck-builders creative opportunities to leverage the best of both worlds in their gameplay strategies.

Chromatic Lantern - MTG Card versions
Golos, Tireless Pilgrim - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Lantern - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Golos, Tireless Pilgrim - Core Set 2020 (M20)

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Rainbow Dash - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-12-02 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 883302015modal_dfcblackCollin Estrada
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11552015modal_dfcborderlessNana Qi
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 12082015modal_dfcborderlessNana Qi
42021-02-05Kaldheim PromosPKHM 168s2015modal_dfcblackJohannes Voss
52021-02-05KaldheimKHM 3142015modal_dfcblackCollin Estrada
62021-02-05Kaldheim Art SeriesAKHM 432015art_seriesborderlessJohannes Voss
72021-02-05KaldheimKHM 1682015modal_dfcblackJohannes Voss

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-02-05 A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.
2021-02-05 If a creature loses vigilance after it attacks (perhaps because Esika leaves the battlefield), that creature will continue attacking. It won’t become tapped.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land.
2021-02-05 If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name.
2021-02-05 If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield.
2021-02-05 If you reveal a double-faced card whose front face is a creature or planeswalker, you’ll put it onto the battlefield with its front face up.
2021-02-05 In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered.
2021-02-05 The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined.
2021-02-05 There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face.
2021-02-05 To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics.
2021-02-05 While resolving the triggered ability of The Prismatic Bridge, if there are no creature or planeswalker cards in your library, you’ll simply reveal your entire library, randomize it, and continue playing.

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