Orchard Warden MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Treefolk Shaman |
| Released | 2008-02-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Morningtide |
| Set code | MOR |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Number | 131 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Rebecca Guay |
Text of card
Whenever another Treefolk creature comes into play under your control, you may gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
"After the Rising, a treefolk's mind is as limber and green as its limbs, and is at its most receptive to our teachings."
Cards like Orchard Warden
In the verdant realms of Magic: The Gathering, Orchard Warden stands as a towering figure of life gain. This Giant Shaman from the Shadowmoor expansion shares its healing ability with cards like Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice. Both these cards offer a life gain mechanism but differ in their execution. Orchard Warden heals you with each untapped Treefolk you control, giving you a cushion with every turn. Trostani, however, provides life gain as you populate the board with creatures, rewarding a more creature-heavy playstyle.
Meanwhile, Wellwisher presents itself as a more focused alternative. This Elf doesn’t need untapping and offers life gain for each Elf in play, showing a narrower but potentially more rapid health recovery. In comparison, Orchard Warden’s strength lies within a broader Treefolk or untap-centric deck.
Considering the utility these cards offer within their respective archetypes, it becomes clear that Orchard Warden can be a strong component in the right deck, offering consistent life gain as you develop your board presence with towering Treefolks. While not as versatile as some alternatives, its unique synergy with Treefolks makes it a card worth considering for enthusiasts of tribal strategies.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Orchard Warden enables you to consistently guard your life total by granting you life whenever another Treefolk creature you control enters the battlefield. This synergistic benefit ensures you can outlast opponents by maintaining a healthy life buffer, contributing significantly to your overall staying power in longer matches.
Resource Acceleration: By integrating Orchard Warden into Treefolk or creature-heavy decks, you effectively accelerate your resource pool. The life gain ability acts as a form of indirect resource acceleration as it allows you to focus your other resources on advancing your board state rather than preserving your life total.
Instant Speed: While Orchard Warden itself is not an instant, it interacts favorably with cards that function at instant speed. Its continuous life gain effect triggers irrespective of when your Treefolk come into play, enabling you to maximize the timing of other instant speed spells without compromising your life gain strategy. This adaptability ensures Orchard Warden enhances both your offensive and defensive game plans, meshing seamlessly with your deck’s tempo.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Orchard Warden demands that you discard a card to utilize its key abilities, a trade-off that can leave your hand lacking especially if you’re trying to maintain a certain threshold of cards.
Specific Mana Cost: With a designated requirement of both green mana and generic mana, the integration of Orchard Warden into your deck demands careful mana base planning to avoid being unable to cast it when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at six total mana, this card carries a substantial mana investment. Given its abilities, you may find other creatures or spells that offer similar benefits or better stats for the same or lower mana costs, making it an expensive addition to your deck in more ways than one.
Reasons to Include Orchard Warden in Your Collection
Versatility: Orchard Warden is a resilient addition to any deck that focuses on creature longevity. Its ability to gain you life whenever another Treefolk creature enters the battlefield means it can be a key piece in both Treefolk tribal decks and others that prioritize life gain strategies.
Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with other Treefolk or creatures that trigger on life gain can form powerful combos. Imagine pairing it with cards that have “whenever you gain life” triggers for an unstoppable force that strengthens your position with every play.
Meta-Relevance: With creature-heavy decks often dominating the play scene, having Orchard Warden can shift the tide of battle in your favor. It reinforces your defenses by restoring your life total, making it tougher for opponents to whittle down your health through sustained attacks.
How to beat
Orchard Warden is a unique card that has made its presence known in the world of Magic: The Gathering, providing a strong line of defense with its life gain ability whenever another Treefolk creature enters the battlefield under your control. To effectively counter this card, players need to strategize around its strengths. Targeted removal spells are the most direct method. Cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can cleanly deal with the Warden before its life gain ability can impact the game significantly.
Another tactic is to limit the Warden’s effectiveness by controlling the number of Treefolk and creatures entering play. Using board wipes such as Wrath of God can reset the playing field, minimizing the benefit the Orchard Warden can provide to its controller. Furthermore, players can deploy countermeasures like Grafdigger’s Cage to stop creatures from coming into play from libraries or graveyards, which can be a common strategy with Treefolk decks.
Understanding the importance of timing and knowing when to deploy these strategies against Orchard Warden can tip a close match in your favor. By anticipating your opponent’s moves and staying one step ahead, you can navigate against this life-gaining behemoth and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Orchard Warden MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide, 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 Orchard Warden 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Orchard Warden has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Orchard Warden card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-04-01 | The creature’s toughness is checked as this ability resolves. If the creature has left the battlefield, use its last known information. |