Deepwood Tantiv MTG Card


Deepwood Tantiv - Mercadian Masques
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Beast
Released1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set nameMercadian Masques
Set codeMMQ
Power 2
Toughness 4
Number241
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJoel Biske

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage crucial for maintaining a strong hand and dominating the game.
  2. Accelerates mana production, enabling powerful plays and overwhelming your opponent.
  3. Instant speed provides flexibility and precision timing, changing the game dynamics.

Text of card

Whenever Deepwood Tantiv becomes blocked, you gain 2 life.

A single tantiv is just as dangerous as a herd.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the key strengths of Deepwood Tantiv is its potential to provide card advantage during gameplay. Drawing cards is an essential aspect of maintaining a solid hand and staying ahead of the competition. This capacity can be pivotal in constructing powerful plays and securing a win.

Resource Acceleration: Deepwood Tantiv applies pressure by ramping up your resources. The card’s ability to accelerate mana generation can give you a substantial lead, making it possible to deploy heavier threats or multiple spells in a single turn. This acceleration is integral in outpacing your adversary and could drastically shift the game’s momentum in your favor.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Deepwood Tantiv is further enhanced by its instant speed. This allows savvy players to remain flexible, responding to an opponent’s actions accordingly or maximizing their mana efficiency by casting spells at the optimum moment. Timing is crucial in MTG, and the ability to act swiftly and on-the-fly is a game-changer.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deepwood Tantiv’s ability to control the battlefield is somewhat dampened by the need to discard a card. That trade can be taxing on your hand, especially when resources are crucial during a tight match.

Specific Mana Cost: Tapping into Green’s mana pool for this creature card narrows its utility. It demands dedication to forests or dual lands within your deck structure, thus potentially restricting deck diversity and complicating mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you summon Deepwood Tantiv to the field, its mana investment is notable. Competing creature cards might enter the battlefield with less mana and bring equally competitive advantages, making it essential to weigh the benefits of its inclusion against other options.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deepwood Tantiv offers a significant boost to green-oriented or multicolor creature decks. Its ability to influence the board by empowering other creatures is invaluable across various formats.

Combo Potential: With Deepwood Tantiv, players can create synergistic plays, especially in decks that aim to capitalize on the untapping of creatures or utilize +1/+1 counters to unlock powerful abilities or enhance growth mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prominent, Deepwood Tantiv stands out as a formidable inclusion that can swing games by bolstering creatures each and every turn, making it a robust choice against the prevalent decks in the meta.


How to beat

Deepwood Tantiv presents an intriguing challenge as a creature card in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to grow in power and toughness the more creatures you control makes it a significant threat on the battlefield. To effectively counter this card, players should focus on limiting the number of creatures their opponent can maintain. This can be achieved through removal spells, board clears, or counterspells that prevent the card from hitting the field in the first place.

Strategies might include utilizing cards like Wrath of God or Doomskar to clear the board, ensuring Deepwood Tantiv’s effect is kept in check. Single-target removals such as Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy are also effective in dealing with an already summoned Deepwood Tantiv. Players should remember to prioritize controlling the board state and keeping their opponents’ creature count low, which is the key to diminishing Deepwood Tantiv’s impact and securing a path to victory.

In summary, when facing a card like Deepwood Tantiv, reassessing your deck to include efficient creature control could be the difference between being overrun and maintaining dominance during your MTG matchups.


Cards like Deepwood Tantiv

Deepwood Tantiv is a unique creature in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering, comparable in some ways to Shaman of the Pack. Both cards pack a powerful ability that revolves around the creature type Elves. Activating the ability of Deepwood Tantiv might require more tactical maneuvers, as it’s related to its power, whereas Shaman of the Pack dishes out loss of life based on the number of Elves you control.

Another card worth mentioning in the same vein is Ezuri, Renegade Leader. While Ezuri’s influence bolsters the strength of Elf-centric decks through overrun abilities, Deepwood Tantiv offers a more subtle form of board presence. It’s a strategic piece that often encourages a different playstyle, appealing to those who savor the build-up of a substantial single threat. Lys Alana Huntmaster also shares the Elf synergy but focuses on generating Elf tokens, which can play well with the ability of Deepwood Tantiv, as it benefits from the crowded board state these tokens can provide.

In the grand scheme of Elf decks and creature features in MTG, Deepwood Tantiv presents a refreshing option for players who want a blend of aggression and tactical depth in their green-dominated collections.

Shaman of the Pack - MTG Card versions
Ezuri, Renegade Leader - MTG Card versions
Lys Alana Huntmaster - MTG Card versions
Shaman of the Pack - Magic Origins (ORI)
Ezuri, Renegade Leader - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Lys Alana Huntmaster - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Deepwood Tantiv by color, type and mana cost

Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
Durkwood Boars - MTG Card versions
Elven Riders - MTG Card versions
Panther Warriors - MTG Card versions
Redwood Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Crashing Boars - MTG Card versions
Kavu Climber - MTG Card versions
Kavu Chameleon - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Okina Nightwatch - MTG Card versions
Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
Thicket Basilisk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cockatrice - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Ironroot Treefolk - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Elvish Bard - Alliances (ALL)
Durkwood Boars - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Elven Riders - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Panther Warriors - Portal (POR)
Redwood Treefolk - Weatherlight (WTH)
Spined Wurm - Stronghold (STH)
Rabid Wolverines - Exodus (EXO)
Deadly Insect - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Vintara Elephant - Prophecy (PCY)
Crashing Boars - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Kavu Climber - Masters 25 (A25)
Kavu Chameleon - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Spring-Leaf Avenger - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Okina Nightwatch - Arena League 2005 (PAL05)
Consuming Blob - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Primeval Force - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deepwood Tantiv MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Deepwood Tantiv and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deepwood Tantiv has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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