Pools of Becoming MTG Card
2009-09-04 - Number 30
2018-12-25 - Number 63
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Plane — Bolas's Meditation Realm |
Key Takeaways
- Offers substantial card advantage by playing cards without their mana costs from exile.
- Instant speed activation of Pools of Becoming allows for strategic flexibility in play.
- The card’s specific mana and discard requirements present strategic considerations.
Text of card
At the beginning of your end step, put the cards in your hand on the bottom of your library in any order, then draw that many cards. Whenever you roll chaos, reveal the top three cards of your planar deck. Each of the revealed cards' chaos abilities triggers. Then put the revealed cards on the bottom of your planar deck in any order.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Pools of Becoming is designed to potentially provide a massive card advantage. By allowing you to play any number of cards from exiled cards without paying their mana costs, it sets you up for a decisive turn.
Resource Acceleration: This card can dramatically accelerate your resources. It gives you access to additional cards without impacting your hand, paving the way for unexpected combinations and plays that can turn the tide of the game.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Pools of Becoming at instant speed offers strategic flexibility. You’re afforded the luxury to respond to your opponent’s actions or end-of-turn plays, maximizing your options and potential for a surprise comeback.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Pools of Becoming asks players to discard a card, which might not align with strategies focused on maintaining hand advantage or if your hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana required to activate Pools of Becoming’s ability is highly specific, needing one of each color, which could be challenging for decks not running all five colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment to activate Pools of Becoming is significant. Given the mana intensity, players may find it cumbersome compared to other options that provide similar benefits for less resource commitment.
Reasons to Include Pools of Becoming in Your Collection
Versatility: Pools of Becoming is like a wildcard in your strategy, able to navigate different deck styles with ease. It shines in environments that value flexibility, adapting to your needs whether you’re casting spells or tweaking your board state.
Combo Potential: This card is a combo enthusiast’s dream. It can uncover synergies and unlock powerful interactions with other cards, paving the way for unexpected yet game-changing plays.
Meta-Relevance: The dynamic nature of Pools of Becoming means it’s always relevant in a shifting meta. Its capacity to alter the tide of a match makes it a must-have in collections aiming to stay competitive no matter the prevalent deck types or strategies.
How to beat
Pools of Becoming is a card that challenges players to strategically navigate Magic: The Gathering matches. It can create a significant turning point, offering three face-up cards from which players can choose to play without paying their mana costs. The trick to outmaneuvering this card lies in playing with patience and foresight.
To disrupt your opponent’s advantage, consider cards or abilities that allow you to manipulate or exile the top cards of their library, potentially stripping valuable options from Pools of Becoming’s reveal. Tools that shuffle an opponent’s library can also be effective, as they can disrupt the deck’s top three cards crucial to Pools of Becoming’s success. Instant speed removal and counterspells are also essential. They enable you to react to the opponent’s plays and possibly eliminate the most threatening option as soon as it hits the board. Preferably, hold back these resources until your opponent commits to their Pools of Becoming maneuver. This maximizes the surprise element and could thwart their best-laid plans.
Ultimately, mastering the art of timing and choosing the correct counters play a pivotal role in overcoming the challenges Pools of Becoming presents in an MTG match, turning potential threats into opportunities for you to gain the upper hand.
Cards like Pools of Becoming
Pools of Becoming is an intriguing non-traditional land within the MTG universe. Striking a comparison with similar cards like Alchemist’s Refuge and Mystic Sanctuary, it offers a distinct blend of abilities. While Alchemist’s Refuge provides the ability to cast nonland cards as though they had flash, Pools of Becoming lacks this aspect, instead allowing for a tricky yet potentially rewarding setup by revealing the top three cards and playing them without paying their mana costs. Mystic Sanctuary retrieves an instant or sorcery card from the graveyard on the other hand but does not have the same immediate board influence that Pools of Becoming can provide.
Another card to consider alongside Pools of Becoming is Bolas’s Citadel. Both cards share the ability to cast multiple spells in a single turn without paying their mana costs. Bolas’s Citadel does this at the cost of life and from the top of the library, creating a virtual hand that keeps refilling as long as your life total can sustain it. However, Pools of Becoming does not come with a life cost, making it a powerful yet safer option to set up significant plays in a game.
In evaluating these complementary cards, Pools of Becoming stands out in its unique gameplay dynamics, offering MTG players an enticing way to possibly turn the tide of a match with unexpected tactics.
Cards similar to Pools of Becoming by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pools of Becoming MTG card by a specific set like Planechase Planes and Planechase Anthology Planes, 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 Pools of Becoming 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 Pools of Becoming Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-09-04 and 2018-12-25. Illustrated by Jason Chan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-09-04 | Planechase Planes | OHOP | 30 | 2003 | Planar | Black | Jason Chan | |
| 2 | 2018-12-25 | Planechase Anthology Planes | OPCA | 63 | 2015 | Planar | Black | Jason Chan |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pools of Becoming card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | A face-up plane card that’s turned face down becomes a new object with no relation to its previous existence. In particular, it loses all counters it may have had. |
| 2009-10-01 | A plane card is treated as if its text box included “When you roll {PW}, put this card on the bottom of its owner’s planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off that planar deck and turn it face up.” This is called the “planeswalking ability.” |
| 2009-10-01 | If an ability of a plane refers to “you,” it’s referring to whoever the plane’s controller is at the time, not to the player that started the game with that plane card in their deck. Many abilities of plane cards affect all players, while many others affect only the planar controller, so read each ability carefully. |
| 2009-10-01 | If one of the revealed plane cards is another Pools of Becoming, its chaos ability triggers. When it resolves, you’ll reveal three more cards from the top of your planar deck, their chaos abilities will trigger, and you’ll put them on the stack in any order on top of any remaining chaos abilities from the first Pools of Becoming’s effect. |
| 2009-10-01 | The controller of a face-up plane card is the player designated as the “planar controller.” Normally, the planar controller is whoever the active player is. However, if the current planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn’t leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until they leave the game or a different player becomes the active player, whichever comes first. |
| 2009-10-01 | The face-up plane card isn’t currently part of its owner’s planar deck. If the chaos ability is rolled by the owner of Pools of Becoming, Pools of Becoming is not one of the three cards that are revealed. |
| 2009-10-01 | You may put the chaos abilities of the three revealed plane cards on the stack in any order. The last one you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve. |
