Base Race // Base Race (cont'd) MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
TypeCard

Key Takeaways

  1. Base Race boosts gameplay with card advantage, fine-tuning hands by selecting optimal library cards.
  2. The card favors resource acceleration, ensuring efficient mana usage for impactful spellcasting.
  3. Despite its versatility, Base Race’s discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit its use.

Text of card

2 players | 3 packs | 10 minutes OBJECTIVE: Competition among treasure hunters on Zendikar is fierce. Find your opponent's base camp before they find yours! GET READY: Open three packs, give one basic land to each player, then remove any remaining land cards and any cards without Magic card backs. Shuffle the remaining cards together and deal 11 cards to each player. Each player then looks at their cards and arranges them face down in a 4x3 grid opposite their opponent. The completed play area should be 4x6 with no extra spaces. The first player to finish their grid goes first. LET'S PLAY: On their turn, each player moves one of their cards one space either vertically or horizontally—not diagonally, and not onto a space occupied by another card they own. You can use your turn to move a card safely onto an


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Base Race offers a unique angle on card advantage as it grants the ability to sift through your deck efficiently. This card provides a way to look at the top cards of your library and draw the one that suits the current game state. This enables you to filter out unnecessary cards and find the answers or threats you need precisely when you need them, ensuring your hand remains full of relevant plays.

Resource Acceleration: Like some of the best spells in MTG, Base Race contributes to resource acceleration, albeit indirectly. By selecting the most useful cards from the top of your library, you streamline your path to the crucial spells that can change the tide of the game. This card ensures your mana is spent on casting impactful spells sooner rather than later, keeping the pressure on your opponent and saving time during your turns.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by instant speed cards in MTG cannot be overstated, and Base Race stands out by allowing strategic players to adapt to changing circumstances in real time. This card can be cast at the end of your opponent’s turn, maximizing mana usage efficiency while keeping up the element of surprise. The ability to react during your opponent’s turn with Base Race conserves your options, giving you the upper hand in the delicate dance of strategy that is a hallmark of skilled MTG play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Base Race commands you to discard a card to activate its crucial ability. In critical moments, this may force you to make tough choices, prioritizing the activation of this card over maintaining a full grip of strategic options. Ultimately, this could lead to a diminished hand size, potentially putting you at a disadvantage against opponents who maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Although versatile in effect, Base Race’s requirement for diverse mana types could complicate its integration into a deck. With a casting cost that demands multiple specific mana symbols, it restricts the card’s playability, particularly within mono-color decks or those with a limited mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing more mana than some of its counterparts for a similar effect, Base Race might find it challenging to compete for a slot in your deck. Against other cards that deliver equal or greater value for a lower cost, this card may end up sitting in the binder more often than on the battlefield.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Base Race fits smoothly into a myriad of deck types, prioritizing decks that thrive on quick, efficient deployment of creatures. Its ability to accelerate your board presence early in the game makes it an all-rounder in aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in synergistic combos, particularly in decks that capitalize on creature count or types. Whether powering up swarm tactics or enabling intricate interactions, Base Race’s capability to consistently provide creatures can be a game-changer.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors rapid tempo and curve-out tactics, Base Race proves its worth by aligning perfectly with fast-paced playstyles. Its relevance comes from its ability to compete with popular decks focusing on swift plays and building competitive advantage right out of the gate.


How to beat

Base Race is a tricky card to navigate in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. To successfully outmaneuver this card, understanding the nuances of its ability to switch power and toughness is critical. It requires a precise evaluation of the battlefield and optimal timing to undermine its effect.

A practical strategy involves maintaining control over your creatures’ power and toughness, possibly through instant spells or abilities that can be activated in response to your opponent’s Base Race strategy. This way, you can diminish the impact of the power-toughness swap. Cards like Moment’s Peace can be invaluable, allowing you to prevent combat damage and thwart your opponent’s plans at a crucial moment. Similarly, manipulating counters on your creatures to alter their power and toughness could dampen the effect of Base Race, maintaining an edge during combat.

Ultimately, outlasting a Base Race card hinges on being able to adapt and respond to the dynamic changes it brings to the game. With the right mix of instant-speed interactions and strategic play, you can steer clear of its pitfalls and maintain the upper hand over your opponent.


Cards like Base Race // Base Race (cont'd)

The dynamics of MTG are intricately defined by the strategic depth of each card, and Base Race is no exception. It bears similarity to a host of other creature cards but stands distinct with its set of unique abilities and interactions. Base Race meshes well with cards like Adaptive Automaton or Metallic Mimic, which similarly bolster creatures of a particular type, but Base Race nudges out a niche by offering variable boosts depending on the power of other creatures you control.

Comparatively, Brass Herald enters the fray as another creature that empowers a single creature type. While Brass Herald impacts the board immediately by aiding in card advantage, Base Race’s continuous, versatile support can potentially offer a sustained upper hand. Then there’s the proliferate mechanism found in cards like Evolution Sage which, while different in approach, shares the theme of enhancing a player’s board state over time. However, the immediate and guaranteed buff provided by Base Race offers an edge in combat scenarios where tempo is key.

Ultimately, when evaluating the utility and synergy of creature-support cards, Base Race asserts its position as a reliable force multiplier, capable of shifting the momentum of a game with its adaptive potency.

Adaptive Automaton - MTG Card versions
Metallic Mimic - MTG Card versions
Brass Herald - MTG Card versions
Evolution Sage - MTG Card versions
Adaptive Automaton - Magic 2012 (M12)
Metallic Mimic - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)
Brass Herald - Apocalypse (APC)
Evolution Sage - War of the Spark (WAR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Base Race // Base Race (cont'd) MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising Minigames and Kaldheim Minigames, 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 Base Race // Base Race (cont'd) and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Base Race // Base Race (cont'd) Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by 0 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-25Zendikar Rising MinigamesMZNR 12015double_faced_tokenblack
22021-02-05Kaldheim MinigamesMKHM 12015double_faced_tokenblack

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