Pine Walker MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental
Abilities	Morph
Released	2014-09-26
Set symbol
Set name	Khans of Tarkir
Set code	KTK
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	143
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Kendall

Key Takeaways

The morph ability of Pine Walker can shift games by offering flexibility and surprise tactics.
Resource management is key; it’s playable early and can be morphed later for strategic advantage.
Though powerful, Pine Walker’s impact can be mitigated with careful gameplay and removal spells.

Text of card

Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) Whenever Pine Walker or another creature you control is turned face up, untap that creature.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pine Walker features a morph ability that allows it to be played face down as a 2/2 creature for three mana. This flexibility can contribute to card advantage by providing an element of surprise, and when it’s turned face up, you not only get a larger 5/5 creature but also get to untap it – potentially offering the benefit of a surprise blocker or an unexpected attacker during your turn.

Resource Acceleration: As a 5 mana creature with morph, Pine Walker can effectively fit into the curve earlier in the game, allowing you to manage your resources more efficiently. When the time is right, you can invest the mana to flip it face up, potentially freeing up resources previously tied to keeping the creature untapped to utilize other spells or abilities.

Instant Speed: Since morph can be activated at instant speed, Pine Walker gives you the flexibility to flip the creature at the most opportune moment – perhaps at the end of your opponent’s turn or after they’ve declared attackers, thus maximizing the chance of catching an opponent off guard and making better use of your mana each turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Pine Walker doesn’t directly have a discard requirement, it could necessitate discarding other cards to enable morph synergy, subtly impacting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes one green mana, which restricts its integration to green-centric or multicolor decks, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Being a five mana creature, Pine Walker may be less appealing compared to other creatures that cost the same but offer immediate board presence or impactful abilities.

Reasons to Include Pine Walker in Your Collection

Versatility: Pine Walker can be a valuable addition to various green-focused decks, possibly those running a morph strategy. Its ability to become untapped when another morph card is revealed allows it to be a flexible threat or blocker when needed.

Combo Potential: This creature can work well with cards that benefit from morphing or creatures being turned face up. Unleashing this card’s morph ability can lead to impactful battlefield presence, synergizing with cards that aim to turn creatures face up for less mana or to trigger enter-the-battlefield effects multiple times.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where tempo plays are critical, Pine Walker can excel by providing a way to maintain board presence while setting up for bigger plays. Especially in formats where the morph mechanic is supported, it can function as a formidable tool against the opponent’s strategy.

How to beat Pine Walker

Pine Walker is a unique creature card that brings both power and subtlety to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. As a 5/5 creature with morph, it can hide its true power, confusing opponents and setting a trap for the unwary. Its presence in a game demands a strategic approach to overcome its advantage of surprise and the might it wields once revealed.

Countering Pine Walker involves a careful selection of removal spells or building your board presence so that it is less significant when it finally flips. Removal spells that don’t target, like board wipes, are particularly effective since they can clear Pine Walker even in its hidden morph state. Additionally, keeping up a steady pace of pressure can make it more difficult for an opponent to set aside the substantial mana required to morph Pine Walker into its true form. Efficiently managing your resources will consistently prove key to overpowering Pine Walker’s deceptive play style in a match.

Maximizing your match-up skill and staying one step ahead of creatures like Pine Walker can cement a pathway to victory. Recognizing the potential threat before it unravels and preparing answers to it often tips the scales to your advantage.

Cards like Pine Walker

Pine Walker lends itself to intriguing comparisons within the Magic: The Gathering creature card pool. Similar to Pine Walker, cards such as Benthic Infiltrator also find their place in the elusive category with the ability to become unblockable. Pine Walker, with its morph ability, shares similarities with the Infiltrator’s ingest mechanic, granting both cards a measure of unpredictability and stealth. The key difference comes in the form of Pine Walker’s power to untap itself, granting it a dual role in both offense and defense.

Moreover, consider Sagu Mauler, another creature with morph that boasts trample and hexproof qualities. While Pine Walker doesn’t have these inherent protections, its ability to untap makes for dynamic combat scenarios. The Master of Pearls is another card that shines a light on the flexibility of morph, offering a burst of power to your creatures when it’s turned face up.

Ultimately, Pine Walker stands out for its versatility in combat and the surprise factor it can bring to the board. Its morphing capability allows for strategic play, making it a valued creature in decks that capitalize on concealment and sudden shifts in the battlefield dynamic.

Cards similar to Pine Walker by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pine Walker MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Pine Walker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pine Walker has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-09-20	A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected.
2014-09-20	Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot.
2014-09-20	At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so.
2014-09-20	Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
2014-09-20	If a face-down creature other than Pine Walker is turned face up and the resulting permanent isn’t a creature, Pine Walker’s last ability won’t trigger.
2014-09-20	If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
2014-09-20	Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost.
2014-09-20	The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost.
2014-09-20	When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics.
2014-09-20	You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.