The Zephyr Maze MTG Card

The Zephyr Maze - Planechase Anthology Planes

Rarity	Common
Type	Plane — Kyneth
Released	2018-12-25
Set symbol
Set name	Planechase Anthology Planes
Set code	OPCA
Number	86
Frame	2015
Layout	Planar
Border	Black
Illustred by	rk post

Key Takeaways

The Zephyr Maze grants significant card advantage by enabling targeted card exploration at instant speed.
Its ability to put lands into play untapped provides a resource acceleration that enhances gameplay tempo.
Flexibility in response to battlefield changes makes The Zephyr Maze a versatile pick for thematic decks.

Text of card

Creatures with flying get +2/+0. Creatures without flying get -2/-0. Whenever you roll {Chaos}, target creature gains flying until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Zephyr Maze excels by allowing you to explore multiple cards from the top of your library. This isn’t just about seeing more cards, it’s about the potential to draw into exactly what you need, when you need it, enhancing your ability to stay ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: This card isn’t just about card selection—it can put lands onto the battlefield untapped. It offers a critical boost in resource acceleration that can be a game-changer, allowing you to deploy threats earlier than your opponents expect.

Instant Speed: One of the major strengths of The Zephyr Maze lies in its instant speed, granting the flexibility to react to an ever-changing battlefield. This characteristic allows players to keep up mana for counterplays, making The Zephyr Maze a versatile addition to any deck that values timing and adaptability.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Zephyr Maze requires a card to be discarded as part of its activation. This can put players at a disadvantage, particularly when their hand is running low and each card’s value becomes magnified.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very particular mana investment to be effectively put into play. This can often pose a challenge for multicolored decks that may struggle to accrue the necessary mana combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When assessing the utility and economy of The Zephyr Maze, its higher mana cost is noticeable. There are alternative cards in the game that may provide a similar or better benefit without such a steep investment, making it less appealing in tightly tuned decks.

Reasons to Include The Zephyr Maze in Your Collection

Versatility: The Zephyr Maze offers a dual utility that many players seek, fitting seamlessly into a variety of deck builds. Its ability to both influence the battlefield and provide mana acceleration makes it a valuable asset in many game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card can play a pivotal role in setting up powerful combos. Its unique interactions with landfall mechanisms or abilities that benefit from land-type alterations significantly expand potential strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given its flexible nature, The Zephyr Maze finds its place within multiple meta environments. It is particularly potent in games where tempo and mana efficiency dictate the pace, allowing players to stay ahead of the competition.

How to beat The Zephyr Maze

The Zephyr Maze introduces a unique tactical challenge for Magic: The Gathering players with its ability to modify combat engagements. To effectively counter this card, understanding the nuances of combat tricks and leveraging removal options is crucial. Cards like Bloodchief’s Thirst or Naturalize offer straightforward solutions to navigate through the maze’s complexity by removing it outright. Incorporating instant-speed interaction can also tip the scales, allowing you to respond adeptly during combat or on your opponent’s turn.

Further strategies involve using cards with flying or reach, as The Zephyr Maze typically affects ground-based combat scenarios. These types of creatures inherently bypass the maze’s obstructions, maintaining pressure on your adversary. It’s also worthwhile to consider the tempo of your plays; swiftness is key. Accelerating your game plan before The Zephyr Maze can influence the battlefield dramatically minimizes its impact. Cards with land destruction or those that can change land types might also disrupt the synergy that The Zephyr Maze aims to capitalize upon, breaking the strategic edge it may grant to an opponent.

Ultimately, flexibility, precise timing, and a well-rounded deck that anticipates enchantment interactions are your best tools when facing the enigmatic paths of The Zephyr Maze.

Cards like The Zephyr Maze

The Zephyr Maze is an intriguing land card within the Magic: The Gathering universe that often draws parallels to other land cards that enable mana fixing and provide additional utility. One notable comparison is the card Maze of Ith, which also serves to remove creatures from combat without tapping for mana. While The Zephyr Maze offers mana generation, Maze of Ith emphasizes more on altering the flow of battle without the mana benefit.

Another card worth comparing is Ghost Quarter, which, although destructible, can be used strategically to disrupt an opponent’s mana base by targeting any land, including nonbasic lands. In contrast, The Zephyr Maze doesn’t offer direct disruption to opponents but focuses on a boost to mana diversity and aircraft enhancement. Lastly, Reflecting Pool is a land that has the potential to tap for any type of mana already producible by your other lands, expanding options in multicolor decks, unlike The Zephyr Maze’s condition of targeting only a flying creature.

When evaluating versatility and functionality among these similar cards, The Zephyr Maze presents a unique tool for decks capitalizing on flying creatures. It provides a versatile mana source alongside specific tactical advantages for arial-themed decks in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Zephyr Maze MTG card by a specific set like 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 The Zephyr Maze and other MTG cards: