Fountain of Youth MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 103
1994-08-01 - Number 103†
1995-07-01 - Number 98
1996-05-02 - Number mj98sb
1996-05-02 - Number ml98
1996-05-02 - Number shr98sb
1997-03-24 - Number 372
1999-04-21 - Number 286
2007-07-13 - Number 323
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Key Takeaways
- Fountain of Youth’s persistent life gain makes it a valuable asset in long games and life-centric strategies.
- Low casting cost and instant-speed activation offer tactical benefits without hampering mana resources.
- Despite its virtues, the card faces competition from others offering greater utility or efficiency.
Text of card
, oc T: Gain 1 life.
The Fountain had stood in the town square for centuries, but only the pigeons knew its secret.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fountain of Youth may not directly allow you to draw cards, but it offers a consistent option for life gain over multiple turns, improving your staying power in lengthy matches. As it can be used multiple times, it keeps providing value as long as it stays on the field.
Resource Acceleration: While Fountain of Youth doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in the form of mana, its low casting cost means it can be played early, leaving your mana open for other strategies. Additionally, the life gained could indirectly save resources by reducing the need for spells or effects that stabilize your life total.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Fountain of Youth at instant speed is a tactical advantage. Whether it’s at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an action that would reduce your life, Fountain of Youth offers immediate life gain without interfering with your other instant-speed plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The need to discard isn’t directly associated with Fountain of Youth, but players may need to discard other valuable cards to accommodate it in a deck, which can be detrimental when trying to maintain a strategic hand.
Specific Mana Cost: While Fountain of Youth doesn’t require colored mana, it necessitates an investment of one generic mana to activate. This cost is critical in formats where every mana point counts, potentially slowing down the player’s tempo significantly.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite being a zero-cost artifact to play, Fountain of Youth requires an ongoing mana investment to utilize its ability. In a game where efficiency is key, its ability’s output might not justify the recurring mana expenditure, particularly when alternative cards could provide more impactful life gain or utility for the same, or lower, mana cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Fountain of Youth offers a universal benefit that can be integrated into a wide range of decks. Its ability to provide incremental life gain can be a boon for life-centric strategies or simply as a means to stabilize against more aggressive opponents.
Combo Potential: With its low cost and potential for unlimited use, Fountain of Youth can be a key piece in combos that are centered around life gain or artifact synergy. It can be especially useful in decks that capitalize on life as a resource for card draw, creature strength, or alternative win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where the pace of gameplay is slower, or where burn and aggro decks are prevalent, the consistent life gain from Fountain of Youth can give you the edge needed to outlast your opponents. Its presence can help shift the game in your favor by providing a buffer against the constant pressure.
How to beat
Understanding the mechanics of the Fountain of Youth can be the key to turning the tides in your favor. This venerable artifact offers players a steady, albeit modest, stream of life points. At its core, it’s a life gain tool; for one mana, you get to pad your life total with a single point. However, such a moderate boost can be a double-edged sword in terms of tempo and resource management.
To effectively counter this enduring Magic: The Gathering card, consider focusing on aggression and strategy disruption. While your opponent invests mana in a gradual life increase, seizing the opportunity to develop a formidable board presence can outpace the minor life gains. Fast, high-impact plays can render the incremental health less relevant, especially if you’re able to apply pressure and demand answers from your opponent.
Additionally, employ cards that diminish the value of life gain, such as those featuring effects that inflict damage based on the number of cards an opponent draws or plays. Direct damage spells, efficient creature removal, and going for a strategy that emphasizes card advantage can ensure that the Fountain of Youth’s effects are negligible in the wider scope of the match.
Cards like Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth stands as an intriguing artifact within the realms of MTG, offering players a modest yet steady means of life gain. When weighed against other life-gaining artifacts like Ivory Cup, the Fountain of Youth is distinctly mana-efficient allowing for immediate life-gain without any mana investment. However, the Ivory Cup requires a mana payment alongside a spell of the designated color to trigger its effect.
Exploring this theme further reveals Pristine Talisman. This artifact, while costing more to play, grants life with every use and simultaneously produces colorless mana, adding a layer of versatility that the Fountain of Youth lacks. Another contender is Elixir of Immortality. It not only provides life gain but also shuffles itself and the graveyard back into the library, offering a reshuffling strategy that Fountain of Youth does not.
To summarize, Fountain of Youth excels in the realm of cost-effective, life-focused play strategies, enabling players to sustain their life total without a heavy resource expenditure. Yet, other options present additional benefits, such as mana generation or deck recycling, which may tip the balance in deck construction strategies for MTG enthusiasts.
Cards similar to Fountain of Youth by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fountain of Youth MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and The Dark, 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 Fountain of Youth 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 Magic products
Printings
The Fountain of Youth Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 103 | 1993 | normal | black | Daniel Gelon | |
| 2 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 103† | 1993 | normal | black | Daniel Gelon | |
| 3 | 1995-07-01 | Chronicles | CHR | 98 | 1993 | normal | white | Daniel Gelon | |
| 4 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | mj98sb | 1993 | normal | gold | Daniel Gelon | |
| 5 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | ml98 | 1993 | normal | gold | Daniel Gelon | |
| 6 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | shr98sb | 1993 | normal | gold | Daniel Gelon | |
| 7 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 372 | 1997 | normal | white | Daniel Gelon | |
| 8 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 286 | 1997 | normal | white | Daniel Gelon | |
| 9 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 323 | 2003 | normal | black | Dan Scott |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fountain of Youth has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
