Monsoon MTG Card

Monsoon offers a strategic edge by granting card advantage and impeding opponents tactically. It requires careful deck construction, considering its specific mana needs and discard cost. Monsoon excels in green-focused decks, impacting the meta by challenging nonbasic land strategies.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	298
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	NéNé Thomas

Text of card

Whenever any island is untapped at the end of its controller's turn, tap it; Monsoon deals 1 damage to that player.

"No one in her right mind would venture off the coast of Kjeldor during this season." —Disa the Restless, journal entry

Cards like Monsoon

Monsoon is an intriguing enchantment from the Alliances set in Magic: The Gathering, bringing unique weather effects to the game. It bears similarities with cards that penalize players for land usage, much like Ankh of Mishra. While Ankh of Mishra affects both players equally, dealing damage upon any land’s entry to the battlefield, Monsoon specifically targets green spells. Its focus brings a narrow yet impactful strategy against decks heavy in green mana.

Looking to Mana Breach for comparison, we notice a shared theme of disrupting mana bases. Mana Breach requires players to return a land to their hand whenever casting a spell, but applies pressure across all colors. This wider net can be both a hindrance and an advantage depending on the deck. In contrast, Monsoon’s value lies in its potential to strongly discourage opponents from casting multi-green spells within a single turn due to its incremental damage effect.

Diving deeper, we find Drought, a relative to Monsoon with a more punishing twist on the use of white mana, though its downside affects the controller as well. Monsoon, however, cleverly avoids self-harm, making it particularly potent in matches with heavy green opponents. These subtle yet significant nuances make Monsoon a card to consider when crafting a deck to stymie green strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Monsoon by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Monsoon is an impactful option for any player looking to augment their draws. By disrupting opponent strategies, it indirectly contributes to gaining card advantage, as your opponents may lose resources while you remain unaffected.

Resource Acceleration: Though Monsoon itself doesn’t directly produce additional resources, it can slow down your opponent’s development, effectively giving you a relative acceleration by setting their plans back. This could help you in outracing your opponent to key strategic points in the game.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Monsoon being an instant cannot be understated. This allows the player to adapt to the changing board state and use their mana efficiently. The threat of activating it may alter an opponent’s play, even if you don’t ultimately cast it, maintaining a psychological edge.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Monsoon may seem like a powerful card, one significant drawback is the requirement for a player to discard a card in order to play it. This can be particularly detrimental in the late game when hand resources are scarce and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Monsoon’s mana cost might pose a problem for players running multicolored decks. The need for two green mana can be restrictive, particularly in decks that are not heavily based in green or that struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a demand of two green and two other mana for its full cost, some players find Monsoon’s cost demanding, particularly when there are cards with lower cost that can disrupt opponents’ lands with fewer resources or additional benefits attached.

Reasons to Include Monsoon in Your Collection

Versatility: Monsoon is a card that seamlessly integrates into a variety of green-heavy decks. Its ability to disrupt nonbasic lands ensures you have a tool against many deck archetypes, thus increasing your adaptive capabilities during the game.

Combo Potential: In decks designed around land destruction or strategies that aim to deny resources, Monsoon can be a key piece in executing your plan. It’s an enabler for effects that benefit from opponents’ tapped lands or for triggering landfall abilities more strategically.

Meta-Relevance: For those looking to tackle decks that heavily rely on nonbasic lands, Monsoon carves a niche spot. In environments where land-based strategies are common, it can tilt the balance in your favor, making it a tailored fit against certain meta trends.

How to Beat Monsoon

Monsoon is a unique enchantment from Magic: The Gathering that puts a dampener on players using nonbasic lands. With each untap phase comes the risk of your nonbasic land dropping a point of damage on you. To navigate this card’s inclement weather, it’s crucial to tailor your strategy accordingly.

Facing Monsoon on the battlefield, it’s advisable to limit the number of nonbasic lands in your deck, if possible. Opt instead for basic land types to mitigate the damage dealt by this stormy enchantment. Alternatively, land destruction or enchantment removal cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can help you eliminate the threat directly. Cards that grant you or your creatures hexproof, like Shalai, Voice of Plenty, can also provide a safe harbor from Monsoon’s effects.

Deck adaptability is your ally against Monsoon, making ramp spells that search for basic lands more valuable as well. Cards like Rampant Growth or Cultivate could be key in outpacing the damage and staying ahead of the storm. By keeping these strategies in mind, you can clear the dark clouds that Monsoon brings and secure your victory unscathed.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Monsoon MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Monsoon and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Monsoon has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal