Ancestral Mask MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants significant power boosts in enchantment-rich environments, transforming creatures into dominant threats.
  2. Resource-efficient in dedicated enchantment decks, it maximizes value from played enchantments without extra mana.
  3. Flexibility intensifies as instant-speed enchantments allow for unexpected and strategic board state alterations.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 for each other enchantment in play.

The masks, like the ancient trees they're grown from, lend strength to the dryads.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ancestral Mask can potentially add significant power to a creature, effectively turning any creature into a serious threat. This enhancement scales with the number of enchantments present, granting enduring utility as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: In decks built around enchantments, Ancestral Mask serves as a form of resource acceleration. Its efficiency increases with each enchantment played, maximizing the value derived from previous turns’ plays without additional mana investment.

Instant Speed: Whilst not an instant itself, Ancestral Mask benefits from the instant speed of other enchantments. This means it can be played in tandem with end-of-turn enchantments to surprise opponents and make sudden impactful changes to the board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One consideration to keep in mind with Ancestral Mask is the potential for card disadvantage if you don’t have an established board presence of enchantments. While it doesn’t require a discard itself, to fully utilize its power, it often necessitates playing many enchantments, which can deplete your hand quickly.

Specific Mana Cost: Ancestral Mask has a specific mana requirement for green, which can restrict its inclusion to decks that support green mana or have the means to generate any color of mana. This specificity can be limiting in decks that operate on a multicolored or colorless strategy, potentially affecting its versatility and overall utility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In fast-paced games, the three mana cost to play Ancestral Mask might be considered high considering that it doesn’t impact the board immediately without other enchantments in play. Given that other enchantment-based strategies might offer more immediate effects or grant additional bonuses for a lesser or equal mana investment, it’s essential to consider your deck’s speed and synergy when including Ancestral Mask.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ancestral Mask’s ability to scale up a creature’s power based on enchantments provides universal appeal across various formats where enchantments are prevalent.

Combo Potential: With Ancestral Mask, players can exploit synergies with enchantment-heavy decks, turning even the most unassuming creature into a colossal threat that can end the game abruptly.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where enchantment decks shine, Ancestral Mask stands out as a powerful inclusion, capable of shifting the balance of power on the battlefield, especially in metas that favor long-term board development.


How to beat

Ancestral Mask is a powerful enchantment that boosts a creature’s strength based on the number of other enchantments on the battlefield. To effectively counter this card, a player needs to minimize the enchantment count. Strategies include running enchantment removal spells like Disenchant, that directly target and eliminate enchantments, thus weakening the Mask’s impact. Additionally, employing board wipes such as Wrath of God can clear the field of all creatures and enchantments, nullifying the Mask’s advantage.

Playing cards that restrict enchantment casting or limit the abilities they grant can throttle your opponent’s strategy. Consider cards like Eidolon of Rhetoric to control the pace of enchantment plays. It is also beneficial to apply pressure early in the game, prompting your opponent to use their resources defensively, which may limit their ability to assemble a formidable number of enchantments to empower Ancestral Mask.

In the game of strategy that MTG embodies, understanding and disrupting your opponent’s game plan is crucial. When facing Ancestral Mask, your maneuvers must disrupt the synergy it relies upon, making it less of a threat and easier for you to establish control and secure victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the world of Magic the Gathering, where Ancestral Mask is a gem for enchantment aficionados. With the potential to turn any creature into a considerable threat, it’s essential to understand how to leverage this card for significant impact. Integrating it into a well-crafted enchantment deck can certainly be the game-changer you need. If enchantment removal or the right meta plays are causing you trouble, fear not. There’s a wealth of strategies and hidden synergies just waiting to be unearthed. Join us for an insightful journey into optimizing your deck with Ancestral Mask and ensuring your approach to MTG is as strategic and formidable as it can be.


Cards like Ancestral Mask

Ancestral Mask is a unique enchantment that brings significant power to the world of MTG enchantment-focused decks. Cards like Ethereal Armor also amplify a creature’s strength based on enchantments in play, granting both a power and toughness boost for each enchantment you control. Yet, Ancestral Mask only boosts power for each enchantment on the battlefield, irrespective of the owner, promising potentially greater boosts in multi-player formats.

Yavimaya Enchantress is another noteworthy card that grows more formidable with enchantments in play. Like Ancestral Mask, it becomes stronger with more enchantments but offers an increase to toughness as well. However, Ancestral Mask’s effect can be applied to any creature, offering flexibility to strategize offensively and synergize with creatures that benefit from being heavily enchanted.

Though each card carries its own merits, Ancestral Mask’s potential for massive power increases often secures its place as a cornerstone in enchantment-centric decks. This distinction builds a strong case for the card’s inclusion in such strategies within the MTG universe.

Ethereal Armor - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Ethereal Armor - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Enchantress - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ancestral Mask MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Eternal 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 Ancestral Mask and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ancestral Mask Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-10-04Mercadian MasquesMMQ 2291997NormalBlackMassimilano Frezzato
22016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1572015NormalBlackMagali Villeneuve
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 11192015NormalBlackMagali Villeneuve
42020-03-12Historic Anthology 2HA2 132015NormalBlackMassimilano Frezzato
52020-09-26The ListPLST EMA-1572015NormalBlackMagali Villeneuve
62023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 1192015NormalBlackMassimilano Frezzato

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ancestral Mask has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
TimelessLegal

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