Talons of Wildwood MTG Card
2018-07-13 - Number 202
2019-11-07 - Number 1349
2020-09-26 - Number M19-202
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Key Takeaways
- Recurring effects of Talons of Wildwood bolster its use in prolonged matches, enhancing creature power consistently.
- It offers flexible reactions at instant speed, but the specific mana cost requires careful deck construction.
- Despite higher costs, its persistent board presence across games justifies its inclusion in creature-based decks.
Text of card
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample. (It can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.) : Return Talons of Wildwood from your graveyard to your hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Talons of Wildwood provides a recurring avenue for card advantage in longer games. Once in the graveyard, it can be returned to your hand, ensuring you never run out of enchantments to cast.
Resource Acceleration: Although this card itself doesn’t produce mana or tokens, it boosts your creature’s power, potentially accelerating the pace at which you can deplete your opponent’s life total.
Instant Speed: The ability to return Talons of Wildwood from your graveyard to your hand at instant speed gives you the flexibility to react to the state of the game, ensuring that you can make the most of your mana at the end of your opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One key disadvantage of Talons of Wildwood is the lack of a direct discard effect. Unlike other cards that allow for strategic discarding to fuel graveyard synergy or leverage card abilities, Talons of Wildwood does not provide this tactical option, potentially missing synergy in specific deck builds.
Specific Mana Cost: Talons of Wildwood requires a specific green mana cost to be played and for its return from the graveyard to the hand. This means decks that run on a tight mana base or multi-colored decks may struggle to consistently fulfill this requirement, potentially making the card a less versatile choice.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Compared to other aura cards in MTG, Talons of Wildwood has a relatively high combined mana cost for the initial cast and its recurring ability from the graveyard. This higher investment may deter players from including it in fast-paced or efficiency-focused decks where lower mana costs are crucial for maintaining tempo.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Talons of Wildwood can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of green-based decks thanks to its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard. This persistent enchantment ensures your creatures always have the potential to become a threat on the board.
Combo Potential: In decks that capitalize on creature abilities, Talons of Wildwood offers a repeatable means of enhancing a creature’s power and granting it trample, making it easier to connect with an opponent and enabling synergies with effects that trigger on combat damage.
Meta-Relevance: Its relevance in the current meta may hinge on the presence of creature-based strategies and the importance of trample to bypass densely populated battlefields. The card’s recycling capability also makes it resilient against control decks that aim to deplete your resources.
How to Beat
Talons of Wildwood represents a reusable enhancement tool for players aiming to strengthen their creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its primary allure lies in its ability to return to a player’s hand from the graveyard, ensuring a steady flow of power boosting. To effectively counter this green enchantment, one needs to adopt a strategy that disrupts this cycle of retrieval and application.
Graveyard hate cards such as Scavenging Ooze shine in this scenario, enabling you to promptly remove Talons of Wildwood from the game. Enchantment removals like Disenchant also help to negate the initial cast. For a more holistic approach, incorporating cards that limit a player from casting spells from the graveyard such as Grafdigger’s Cage can present a formidable obstacle. Additionally, maintaining pressure on your opponent’s creatures keeps Talons of Wildwood from ever attaching and becoming a threat.
Ultimately, limiting your opponent’s resources and their ability to recover their engines plays a crucial role. By keeping Talons of Wildwood and similar recurring threats under control, you sustain a dominant position on the battlefield and mitigate the impact of such enhancements.
Cards like Talons of Wildwood
Talons of Wildwood brings its own unique flavor to the world of enchantment auras in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Rancor, renowned for its ability to grant a creature trample and a power boost. However, Talons of Wildwood offers a distinctive benefit – the ability to return it from the graveyard to your hand for a small mana investment. This provides recurrent value and resilience, something Rancor cannot boast, despite its lower casting cost.
Another comparable card is Spider Umbra, which gives a creature reach and a toughness boost. While Spider Umbra’s Totem Armor provides a one-time protection against destruction, Talons of Wildwood’s strength lies in its enduring presence on the battlefield. This makes the card a versatile option for players who prefer enchantments that can have a repeated impact across longer games.
In a side-by-side comparison, there’s a clear advantage in utility and flexibility with Talons of Wildwood versus similar enchantment auras. Its reusable nature compensates for its slightly higher casting cost, making it a potentially invaluable addition to any deck that aims to optimize long-term strategic plays.
Cards similar to Talons of Wildwood by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Talons of Wildwood MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Mystery Booster, 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 Talons of Wildwood 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Talons of Wildwood Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Uriah Voth.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 | M19 | 202 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Uriah Voth | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1349 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Uriah Voth | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | M19-202 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Uriah Voth |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Talons of Wildwood has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
