Living Tsunami MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2009-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar |
| Set code | ZEN |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 52 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Matt Cavotta |
Text of card
Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Living Tsunami unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.
At low tide it slumbers. At high tide it devours.
Cards like Living Tsunami
Living Tsunami offers MTG players a unique approach to creature control on the battlefield. This card is in line with creatures like Roil Elemental, which shares the elemental creature type and also interacts with lands. Living Tsunami, however, has its distinct trait, returning a land you control to your hand during your upkeep as a means to stay afloat, cleverly utilizing its own ability for strategic advantage.
Comparatively, there’s Aethersnipe, which also guides the ebb and flow of the game by returning not just lands but any nonland permanent to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. Aethersnipe’s evoke cost allows for a more immediate effect albeit a single-use compared to the continued influence Living Tsunami can exert each turn. Meanwhile, creatures like Frost Titan lock down permanents, offering a different type of control without the need for returning lands to hand, yet at a significantly higher mana cost.
In assessing Living Tsunami alongside its kin, it stands out for its ability to perpetuate landfall tactics and offers a recurring way to maximize certain land-related benefits each turn, making it a respectable choice in decks that capitalize on returning lands to hand or triggering landfall abilities.
Cards similar to Living Tsunami by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the main benefits of the Living Tsunami card is its ability to return a land you control to your hand when it attacks. This can be a subtle but powerful form of card advantage, letting you reuse lands with enter-the-battlefield effects or simply ensure a land drop for consecutive turns.
Resource Acceleration: While Living Tsunami doesn’t directly generate mana, it does contribute to resource acceleration by providing a recurring mechanism for landfall triggers. In decks built around landfall, this can effectively speed up your game plan by activating additional abilities each turn.
Instant Speed: Although Living Tsunami is a creature that doesn’t act at instant speed, its interaction with land can synergize with spells and abilities that you can play at instant speed. Bouncing a land to your hand can allow you to hold up mana for instant-speed responses and still make a land drop on your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One drawback of Living Tsunami is that it mandates a discard to harness its full potential. This can deplete your hand, making the card a liability if your resources are already stretched thin.
Specific Mana Cost: Another issue with Living Tsunami lies in its specific mana requirements. With a need for both blue and generic mana, this card may not seamlessly fit into all decks, especially those not built around blue mana synergies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Living Tsunami also comes with a relatively high mana investment. For its ability, the four mana cost could be considered steep, especially when compared to other creatures in the same mana range offering similar or more robust abilities without the additional costs.
Reasons to Include Living Tsunami in Your Collection
Versatility: Living Tsunami offers an adaptable presence on the battlefield that can sync with decks focusing on evasive creatures or blue control tactics, providing a steady beat-down option against opponents.
Combo Potential: This card has the interesting ability to return a land to its owner’s hand, which can be tactically advantageous. It pairs well in a strategy with landfall abilities or other triggers that activate when lands enter the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: As a 4/4 flyer for four mana, Living Tsunami can hold its own in many metagames, particularly in those where air superiority is crucial to maintaining control of the game and coming out on top.
How to beat
Living Tsunami presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to return a land you control to your hand at the beginning of your upkeep. This effect can initially seem daunting, as it appears to set back your mana development. However, with careful strategy, you can turn this tide to your advantage.
One effective method to counter Living Tsunami is to use removal spells that can eliminate it before the ability triggers, such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization. These will deal with the creature efficiently and prevent any repeated land bouncing. Another strategy involves utilizing instant-speed spells that you can cast during your opponent’s turn to keep your mana open and minimize the disruption caused by returning lands to your hand.
Additionally, playing cards that punish or restrict your opponent’s creature abilities can also be effective. Cards like Hushbringer or Torpor Orb can negate the Tsunami’s land-return effect, stripping it of its primary strength and making it just another creature. By understanding the mechanics of Living Tsunami and planning around its ability, you can maintain your tempo and mitigate the advantage it provides to your opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Living Tsunami MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar, 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 Living Tsunami 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 Living Tsunami has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |