Moldervine Cloak MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 173
2013-06-07 - Number 155
2024-01-12 - Number 150
2024-01-12 - Number 352
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Dredge,Enchant,Mill |
Text of card
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3. Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly two cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
Cards like Moldervine Cloak
Moldervine Cloak is a unique aura in Magic: The Gathering, offering a significant boost to creatures with its +3/+3 to power and toughness. It stands in line with other power-enhancing auras like Elephant Guide and Rancor. Elephant Guide grants a creature an additional +3/+3 and leaves behind a 3/3 Elephant token when the enchanted creature dies, providing lasting value. Rancor also offers a power increase, though less than Moldervine Cloak, giving a creature +2/+0 and returning to the owner’s hand when it goes to the graveyard.
What sets Moldervine Cloak apart is its dredge ability, allowing a player to retrieve it from the graveyard by replacing a draw and milling the top three cards of their library. This capability ensures that Moldervine Cloak can be a recurring threat, unlike Elephant Guide but in a way akin to Rancor’s resilience. It’s a notable benefit for decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy or require consistent threats on the board.
Evaluating the characteristics and strategic uses of these cards, Moldervine Cloak offers MTG players a sturdy and repeatable option for boosting their creatures, aligning well with strategies that embrace graveyard interaction and persistent board presence.
Cards similar to Moldervine Cloak by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Moldervine Cloak. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | MonoG Aggro | Pauper | Lega Pauper Canavese - 6a Tappa Paupergeddon Winter Edition 2023 - 22 Players |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Moldervine Cloak offers an inherent card advantage by granting the ability to return to the battlefield when the creature it’s attached to dies. This resilience ensures an ongoing presence on the board that continues to pressure your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the +3/+3 boost to a creature significantly accelerates your in-game resources by making your creature threats bigger and more durable. This can be overwhelming for opponents, particularly in combat scenarios where size matters.
Instant Speed: Moldervine Cloak can be attached to creatures at instant speed thanks to its Dredge feature, which allows you to replace a draw with the retrieval of Moldervine Cloak from the graveyard. This means that you can unexpectedly beef up a blocker or attacker during combat, catching an opponent off guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Moldervine Cloak can give your creatures a significant boost, it comes at a cost. This Aura has a built-in recursion ability that allows you to return it from your graveyard to your hand. However, to activate this feature, you must discard another card. If you’re already struggling for card advantage or you’re low on cards in hand, this requirement can hinder your overall strategy by depleting your resources even further.
Specific Mana Cost: Moldervine Cloak requires a specific mana arrangement to cast – one green and two of any color. This can be a roadblock in multicolored or color-intense decks where mana needs to be allocated carefully to support a diverse range of spells and abilities. Having to reserve three mana, including one that’s color-specific, might not always align with your turn’s plan, especially if you’re trying to maintain a curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Moldervine Cloak is on the higher end of the spectrum for enchant creature cards. In fast-paced games or in environments where efficiency is key, investing three mana for a +3/+3 buff might not be the most economical play. There are alternative enchantments or equipment that grant similar bonuses for a lower cost or with additional benefits, potentially providing greater value for your mana spent.
Reasons to Include Moldervine Cloak in Your Collection
Versatility: Moldervine Cloak is a card that offers a significant boost in power and toughness with durable staying power, courtesy of its dredge ability. This allows it to be a stalwart addition to decks aiming to outmuscle their opponents or those relying on graveyard synergy.
Combo Potential: The dredge mechanic itself presents intriguing combo potential, as it can help recurring Moldervine Cloak from the graveyard while simultaneously fueling other graveyard-based strategies, creating synergies with various creature abilities and deck archetypes.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature combat is pivotal, the resilience provided by Moldervine Cloak can be a game-changer. This makes it a particularly valuable piece in formats where creatures are the linchpin of the majority of decks, adapting well to the shifting tides of the meta.
How to beat Moldervine Cloak
Moldervine Cloak is a card that can be a persistent nuisance in any MTG game, thanks to its ability to beef up a creature significantly and return from a graveyard to the battlefield with its dredge feature. When facing this card, instant-speed removal spells can be your best allies. Cards like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can remove the enhanced creature and counter the value gained from Moldervine Cloak’s recurring effect.
Another strategy involves using enchantment removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize the moment Moldervine Cloak hits the field, breaking the cycle before it starts. Lastly, graveyard disruption tools like Relic of Progenitus or Leyline of the Void can prevent Moldervine Cloak from returning, crippling your opponent’s game plan and giving you the upper hand.
Quick thinking and precise timing are essential when dealing with Moldervine Cloak. By disrupting either the creature it enchants or its ability to return from the graveyard, you can minimize the impact of this persistent aura and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Moldervine Cloak MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Modern 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 Moldervine Cloak 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
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Printings
The Moldervine Cloak Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Wayne England.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 173 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wayne England | |
| 2 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 155 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wayne England | |
| 3 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 150 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wayne England | |
| 4 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 352 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Wayne England |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Moldervine Cloak has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Moldervine Cloak card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-06-07 | Dredge lets you replace any card draw, not just the one during your draw step. |
| 2013-06-07 | Once you decide to replace a draw using a card’s dredge ability, that card can’t be removed from your graveyard “in response.” (Replacement effects don’t use the stack.) |
| 2013-06-07 | You can’t use dredge unless you’re going to draw a card and the card with dredge is already in your graveyard. |