Oath of Druids MTG Card
1998-06-15 - Number 115
2001-01-01 - Number 2
2014-06-16 - Number 223
2015-05-06 - Number 184
2016-11-11 - Number 159
2002-06-24 - Number 36092
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- Grants card advantage by bypassing the draw phase to place creatures on the battlefield.
- Accelerates resource availability, overwhelming opponents by cheating mana costs.
- Operates akin to instant speed, adding creatures each upkeep, keeping mana available for flexibility.
Text of card
During each player's upkeep, if that player controls fewer creatures than target opponent, the player may reveal cards from his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card. The player puts that creature into play and all other revealed cards into his or her graveyard.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When you play Oath of Druids, it affords you a substantial edge in the form of potential card advantage. By enabling you to put creatures directly onto the battlefield from your library, you effectively bypass the need to draw them into your hand, setting up overwhelming board states that can outpace your opponents’ resources.
Resource Acceleration: Oath of Druids excels at resource acceleration by cheating the casting cost of powerful creatures. Instead of tapping lands for mana to cast these creatures, you get them onto the battlefield without paying their mana cost, thus accelerating your gameplay and putting immense pressure on your adversaries.
Instant Speed: While Oath of Druids itself is not at instant speed, it triggers at the beginning of each of your upkeeps, which means it works in a similar vein, constantly threatening to bring a creature into play every turn without requiring mana investment during your own turn. This allows you to keep mana open for other spells and strategies, maintaining flexibility in your gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Oath of Druids requires an empty creature board on your side to be effective, a condition that might force you to adjust your gameplay, potentially limiting the deck synergy or strategic plays.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both green and generally another color for its optimal usage, which could narrow deck building options and effectiveness only to those who can provide the necessary mana flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a two-mana investment and the need to meet specific conditions each turn, other cards might activate similar effects without the same setup, offering faster or more immediate value.
Reasons to Include Oath of Druids in Your Collection
Versatility: Oath of Druids is a powerful inclusion for any collection as it offers flexibility in a variety of deck-builds. It excels in decks that have fewer creatures than opponents’, turning a potential drawback into a strategic advantage.
Combo Potential: The card’s ability to cheat out powerful creatures early in the game can synergize with numerous combos, significantly advancing your board position and often leading to game-winning scenarios.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks prevail, Oath of Druids stands out as a meta contender, allowing for unexpected swings that can disrupt the board and lead to triumphs against creature-based strategies.
How to beat
Oath of Druids is a captivating and powerful enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tables of a game by allowing players to put creatures from their library onto the battlefield. One key strategy to counter this card involves controlling the creature count on both sides of the battlefield. Since Oath of Druids’s ability is conditional upon one player having more creatures than the other, influencing the creature balance by either removing opposing creatures or increasing your own can hamper its effectiveness.
Another effective tactic is to employ graveyard disruption. Cards with abilities to exile cards from the opponent’s graveyard can limit the effectiveness of Oath of Druids, as it relies on a full graveyard to maximize its potential. Moreover, instant speed removal, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can unexpectedly upset an Oath of Druids-triggered creature’s entrance, turning your opponent’s advantage into a liability.
Lastly, enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant provide a direct way to dismantle Oath of Druids, ensuring that it doesn’t activate its potent ability. Integrating these counters into your deck will elevate your tactical play against Oath of Druids, curtailing its otherwise game-shifting capabilities and preserving game control.
Cards like Oath of Druids
Oath of Druids is a distinctive enchantment card that has made an indelible mark on Magic: The Gathering. It shares a space with cards like Defense of the Heart, which also allows players to cheat creatures onto the battlefield. Oath of Druids excels in its unpredictability and the ability to potentially bring in any creature from your deck if an opponent controls more creatures than you. This can drastically swing the game.
Pattern of Rebirth is another card that plays in the same field, with the ability to fetch a creature straight onto the battlefield. While both cards bypass mana costs, Pattern of Rebirth requires a creature to die for its effect to trigger. On the other hand, Oath of Druids constantly looks at the creatures on each battlefield at the beginning of each upkeep, providing ongoing value.
Comparing these, Oath of Druids can be uniquely powerful for enabling creature-heavy combos in formats where it is legal. Its impact is immediate and can completely alter the game state with the right creature reveal. It is, therefore, a staple in combo decks that are built around its mechanic, illustrating its lasting popularity and effectiveness in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Oath of Druids by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Oath of Druids MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Judge Gift Cards 2001, 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 Oath of Druids and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Magic products
Printings
The Oath of Druids Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 2016-11-11. Illustrated by Daren Bader.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-06-15 | Exodus | EXO | 115 | 1997 | normal | black | Daren Bader | |
| 2 | 2001-01-01 | Judge Gift Cards 2001 | G01 | 2 | 1997 | normal | black | Daren Bader | |
| 3 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 36092 | 1997 | normal | black | Daren Bader | ||
| 4 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 223 | 2015 | normal | black | Daren Bader | |
| 5 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 184 | 2015 | normal | black | Daren Bader | |
| 6 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 159 | 2015 | normal | black | Daren Bader |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Oath of Druids has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Banned |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Banned |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Oath of Druids card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | The ability can only target an opponent of the current player. |
| 2009-10-01 | The targeted player controlling more creatures than the current player is a part of the targeting requirement. A player can’t be targeted by this ability unless it’s true, and the ability doesn’t resolve if it’s no longer true at that time. |
