Seismic Stomp MTG Card

Magic 2014 (M14)
2013-07-19 - Number 152

Eternal Masters (EMA)
2016-06-10 - Number 146

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 1054

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number EMA-146

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

It grants an unblockable advantage for a turn, pressuring opponents and advancing your board position.
Complements combos and accelerates strategies focused on dealing direct damage quickly.
Remains relevant in various metas, especially against heavy ground-bound defensive setups.

Text of card

Creatures without flying can't block this turn.

"It is not in me to tread lightly." —Ryda, geomancer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Seismic Stomp doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it serves to bypass potential blockers for a turn. This can prevent your opponent from obtaining the benefit of their creatures’ abilities that activate during the block phase, indirectly contributing to your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Seismic Stomp can serve as a perfect setup to a winning turn, enabling your creatures’ attacks to go unblocked. Although it does not add mana to your pool, it accelerates your game plan by clearing the way for significant direct damage to your opponent, speeding up your strategy towards victory.

Instant Speed: While Seismic Stomp is cast at sorcery speed, its effect mirrors the flexibility of instant speed actions by upending combat expectations for a turn. It forces your opponent to reconsider their resource deployment before they commit to blocking, as they risk losing their ability to block entirely for that crucial combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other cards that may offer a benefit without an additional cost, Seismic Stomp requires careful hand management to ensure its cast does not diminish your available plays, particularly because it has no discard mechanic that directly benefits from its use.

Specific Mana Cost: Seismic Stomp’s casting cost demands two specific red mana, which can be a limitation for multicolored decks that might struggle with color fixing or wish to reserve red mana for other spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 1RR, Seismic Stomp can be considered high for its one-time effect. This can impact your mana curve and affect the pacing of your deck, especially when there are other spells that inhibit blocking for a lower cost or offer additional benefits alongside the unblockability.

Reasons to Include Seismic Stomp in Your Collection

Versatility: Seismic Stomp offers a strategic edge in games where the battlefield is crowded with blockers. Its ability to grant your creatures the potential to bypass ground blockers can shift the tide of a game, making it a versatile choice in many red decks that aim to deal damage quickly.

Combo Potential: For those who enjoy crafting combos, Seismic Stomp works well with cards that benefit from successful combat damage to a player. It can be the key card that ensures your other damage-inflicting spells or abilities reach the opponent unimpeded.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based defense strategies prevail, Seismic Stomp has increased value. By ensuring your creatures can directly attack life totals, Seismic Stomp can counter these common defensive setups, maintain pressure on the opponent, and remain relevant in varying metas.

How to beat

Seismic Stomp is a vibrant card that can turn the tide by making creatures without flying unable to block for a turn. This sorcery enables a clear path for ground attackers, possibly delivering that crucial punch. To withstand this strategy, key tactics include maintaining a lineup of fliers or creatures with reach, which are unaffected by Seismic Stomp’s ground-locking effect.

Counterspells are another robust defense, negating the spell before it can wreak havoc. Cards like Negate or Mana Leak can be especially valuable when timing is critical. Alternatively, instant-speed creature removal or bounce spells can disrupt the opponent’s board when they’re banking on an unblocked assault. Strategies to beat Seismic Stomp involve anticipation and maintaining control of the board state, ensuring that the card’s temporary advantage doesn’t result in lasting damage.

Considering these methods, players can successfully navigate against the impact of Seismic Stomp, preserving their lifepoints and staying a step ahead in the match. Implementing these countermeasures effectively can mitigate the seismic shift this card attempts to create in the flow of the game.

Cards like Seismic Stomp

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Seismic Stomp serves as a handy tool for players looking to ensure their creatures can attack without being blocked for a turn. Much like other spells aimed at providing a clear path for attackers, Seismic Stomp has parallels to cards like Break Through the Line. While Break Through the Line is cheaper and offers repeated use, it targets only one creature, whereas Seismic Stomp affects all your creatures for a single turn.

Another card that echoes the effect of Seismic Stomp is Cosmotronic Wave. Cosmotronic Wave not only prevents your opponents’ creatures from blocking that turn but also deals one damage to each creature your opponents control, setting up potential removal of smaller threats. However, this comes at a slightly higher mana cost. Falter is another comparable card offering the no-block advantage without any additional effects, at a lower cost but exclusive to non-flying creatures contrast to Seismic Stomp’s straightforward approach.

When you weigh the advantages of simplicity and broad impact against those of selective or additional effects, Seismic Stomp functions as a strong option for decks focusing on an all-out assault strategy in Magic: The Gathering. It prioritizes straightforward combat scenarios, giving a clear edge during a pivotal turn of unblocked attacks.

Break Through the Line - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Seismic Stomp by color, type and mana cost

Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - MTG Card versions

Nahiri's Lithoforming - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seismic Stomp MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014 and Eternal Masters, 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 Seismic Stomp and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Seismic Stomp Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-07-19 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Chase Stone.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2013-07-19	Magic 2014	M14	152	2003	Normal	Black	Chase Stone
2	2016-06-10	Eternal Masters	EMA	146	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone
3	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	1054	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone
4	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	EMA-146	2015	Normal	Black	Chase Stone

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seismic Stomp has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-06-08	No creature without flying will be able to block that turn, including creatures that lose flying after Seismic Stomp resolves and creatures without flying that enter the battlefield after Seismic Stomp resolves.