Porphyry Nodes MTG Card
2007-02-02 - Number 28
2021-03-19 - Number 32
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy the creature with the least power. It can't be regenerated. If two or more creatures are tied for least power, you choose one of them. When there are no creatures in play, sacrifice Porphyry Nodes.
Understanding Porphyry Nodes and Comparable Removal Options
Porphyry Nodes stands as a unique removal spell within the world of MTG, resonating with the powerful effects of cards like Drop of Honey. What sets Porphyry Nodes apart is its specific targeting mechanism. Rather than indiscriminate destruction, it methodically disposes of the creature with the lowest power at the beginning of your upkeep, which calls for strategic planning from the player.
Cards like Porphyry Nodes
Porphyry Nodes is often compared to other creature control cards, such as Drop of Honey. Both cards share a similar effect, destroying creatures with the lowest power during the upkeep. However, Porphyry Nodes has the advantage of being colorless, allowing it to fit into a variety of decks. On the other hand, Drop of Honey is limited to green mana-based decks.
We also see parallels with cards like The Abyss, targeting nonartifact creatures for removal each upkeep. While The Abyss is dependable in clearing away pesky creatures over time, Porphyry Nodes can be used in any deck, regardless of color archetypes, providing a significant tactical advantage.
In conclusion, when comparing Porphyry Nodes with other similar MTG cards, it holds a unique place in control strategies. Its colorless nature and precision removal can severely alter the board state, making it a card that cleverly balances risk with reward in creature management.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Porphyry Nodes offers a unique form of card advantage by potentially eliminating multiple opposing creatures over successive turns without requiring immediate mana investment after being played.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly serving as a resource acceleration tool, its capability to clear the board can indirectly accelerate your game plan by preserving your resources and impacting the opponent’s board development.
Instant Speed: While Porphyry Nodes itself is not an instant, it interacts favorably against decks that predominantly operate at instant speed, posing a constant threat to creatures entering the battlefield during any phase of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Porphyry Nodes doesn’t directly ask for a card discard, its mechanism requires a creature-less board to remain in play. This could pressure players into potentially unfavorable creature sacrifices to maintain the card on the field.
Specific Mana Cost: Porphyry Nodes’ mana cost strictly requires one white mana. This specificity can sometimes narrow deck compatibility, making it less flexible for multicolor decks that might not always have the necessary white mana available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite costing only one white mana, the ongoing cost of ensuring a creatureless board to maintain its presence can be high. Players may find the long-term cost of playing Porphyry Nodes steeper compared to other removal options.
Reasons to Include Porphyry Nodes in Your Collection
Versatility: Porphyry Nodes is a unique enchantment that offers control over the battlefield, capable of fitting into decks that aim to manage opponents’ creatures. Its ability to destroy the creature with the lowest power each upkeep makes it a flexible addition, adapting to various board states.
Combo Potential: This card shines in strategies that look to maximize the destruction of creatures, whether it’s to trigger morbid abilities, to fuel graveyard strategies, or to clear the field for your win conditions. Its continuous threat keeps opponents guessing and aligns well with sacrifice or token generation combos.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, creatures remain a constant. Porphyry Nodes keeps relevant by dealing with early game threats, especially in metas crowded with aggressive creature-based strategies. It pressures opponents to play around it, often giving you an advantage as they alter their gameplay to avoid its effect.
How to beat
Porphyry Nodes, often a tricky card to navigate for players across various formats, presents a unique dilemma with its ability to systematically destroy creatures. Unlike other removal spells, this enchantment sticks around on the battlefield and threatens the creature with the lowest power at the beginning of your upkeep. To overcome Porphyry Nodes, savvy players employ strategies such as playing creatures with greater power to avoid the initial target or deploying token producers to provide expendable creatures for sacrifice.
Similarly, cards that can grant indestructibility or regenerate creatures provide a buffer against Porphyry Nodes’ removal effect. There’s also the option to force the Nodes’ controller to sacrifice it on their terms — simply by not playing any creatures at all, thus triggering its self-sacrifice clause once there are no creatures present to destroy. Another effective tactic is using creature removals on your own terms, controlling when and how your creatures leave the battlefield.
Ultimately, while Porphyry Nodes can shape the tide of battle, it can be outmaneuvered with careful planning and strategic play, allowing resourceful combatants to neutralize its threat and maintain control of the board.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Porphyry Nodes MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Porphyry Nodes 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
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Printings
The Porphyry Nodes Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-02-02 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Alan Pollack.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-02-02 | Planar Chaos | PLC | 28 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack | |
| 2 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 32 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Porphyry Nodes has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Porphyry Nodes card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-03-19 | If all creatures on the battlefield leave and immediately return (perhaps because Momentary Blink exiled and returned the only creature), the last ability of Porphyry Nodes triggers. You’ll sacrifice it even though a creature’s on the battlefield by the time the ability resolves. |
| 2021-03-19 | If one of the creatures with the least power has indestructible, you must destroy one without indestructible. If all creatures with the least power have indestructible, you don’t destroy any creature. |
| 2021-03-19 | No player can take actions between the time you choose which creature to destroy and the time it’s destroyed. |
| 2021-03-19 | The first ability of Porphyry Nodes doesn’t target. You can destroy a creature with shroud or protection from white. |