Orcish Squatters Avatar MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	2003-01-01
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Online Avatars
Set code	PMOA
Number	84
Frame	2015
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	UDON

Key Takeaways

Orcish Squatters Avatar excels in card advantage and can deter opponents’ strategies effectively.
Demanding red mana and a card discard, its summoning cost may impede versatile deck building.
It offers versatility and combo potential within land control-focused decks in the MTG meta.

Text of card

At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add to your mana pool, where X is the number of lands target opponent controls.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Orcish Squatters Avatar provides an interesting edge in deck strategies, focusing on gaining a lead through card draw. The presence of this card can deter blockades, which can result in preserving your hand’s resources while pressuring your opponent’s defenses.

Resource Acceleration: Embedding this card in your game plan can offer a sneaky avenue for ramping up mana resources. Through a strategic play, you might leverage your land control to churn out extra mana, fast-tracking your route to deploying heavy-hitting spells.

Instant Speed: The surprise element of instant speed, although not inherent in Orcish Squatters Avatar itself, can synergize well with your suite of instants and flash spells. It provides a tactical layer that complements your strategy, allowing flexibility to react swiftly to an evolving battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Orcish Squatters Avatar demands a card be discarded as part of its summoning cost, forcing a potential trade-off that could deplete valuable hand resources critical for maintaining gameplay momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting for Orcish Squatters Avatar is locked behind red mana, necessitating a dedicated commitment to red mana in your deck build which may not synergize with multicolor strategies seeking greater flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its activation tapping into the higher end of the mana scale, this particular Avatar could be seen as a steep investment when measured against other creatures or spells in the same cost bracket that may offer a more immediate or impactful presence on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Orcish Squatters Avatar provides a unique approach to control over your opponent’s land, capable of disrupting many types of mana bases. This ability to interfere with land usage makes it a versatile inclusion in decks that aim to dominate the board.

Combo Potential: This card’s capability to steal control of lands during combat opens up numerous combo possibilities. It perfectly synergizes with effects that benefit from the number of lands you control or landfall triggers, paving the way for rich strategy layers.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where land-based strategies are prevalent, Orcish Squatters Avatar can become an unexpectedly powerful asset. Given the right deck, it can shift the meta-game in your favor by turning an opponent’s resources to your advantage.

How to beat

Orcish Squatters brings a unique challenge to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This avatar requires careful navigation to thwart effectively. While the card can take control of an opponent’s lands during combat, there are strategies that can mitigate this disruptive ability. One key tactic is to manage the number of lands you expose, especially those that are untapped. By keeping lands in a tapped state, you reduce the Squatters’ potential targets.

Another effective method is to employ removal spells before the Squatters can declare attackers. Instant-speed spells that can take it out of play or exile it are especially useful, as they can be used before the combat phase. Additionally, having creatures with reach or flyers can also be a protective measure, as they can block the Squatters and possibly eliminate the threat before it deals damage.

Ultimately, Orcish Squatters can be a powerful card, but with a strategy focused on land protection, instant removal, and aerial defense, you can safeguard your lands and maintain control of the game. Consistently monitoring the board state and being ready to respond is the hallmark of a capable MTG player facing off against this formidable avatar.

Cards like Orcish Squatters Avatar

Orcish Squatters delves into the unique intersection of resource denial and combat advantage in Magic: The Gathering. This card echoes the disruptive style found in cards like Stone Rain, which also targets lands. However, Orcish Squatters allows its controller to commandeer an opponent’s mana source under the condition that it’s unblocked in combat, adding a strategic layer not present in the straightforward destruction of Stone Rain.

In terms of creature cards with parallel mechanisms, we have the likes of Avalanche Riders. Although these riders share the land destruction theme, they come with the immediacy of an enter the battlefield effect. Despite lacking the repeatability of Orcish Squatters’ ability, their presence signals immediate impact on the game board. The Riders do not require combat to disrupt land plays, but they come with echo cost, which demands further mana investment in subsequent turns.

As a result, Orcish Squatters stands out for its potential to repeatedly strip resources while posing a constant threat. Compared to its counterparts, the card requires a careful balance of combat tactics and resource management, making it a thought-provoking pick for players who favor a long-term strategy over instant effects.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Orcish Squatters Avatar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Avatars, 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 Orcish Squatters Avatar and other MTG cards: