Quicksand Whirlpool MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Number | 31 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | LA Draws |
Key Takeaways
- Quicksand Whirlpool can prevent deck depletion and recycle key card strategies efficiently.
- Instant speed play enhances strategic depth, disrupting opponents’ expectations.
- Demanding a specific mana combination and card discard can limit flexibility.
Text of card
This spell costs less to cast if it targets a tapped creature. Exile target creature.
"Those who would steal the blood and breath of the living will drink their fill of the sand." —Sovereign Okinec Ahau
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Quicksand Whirlpool enables the reshuffling of your graveyard into your library. For players facing milling strategies or long drawn-out matches, this can be a significant advantage, potentially preventing deck-out scenarios and reviving key strategies.
Resource Acceleration: Although Quicksand Whirlpool doesn’t directly generate mana or treasure, it recycles valuable resources. By returning spells and creatures to your library, it effectively rejuvenates your deck and gives you more chances to draw into vital cards that might accelerate your game plan.
Instant Speed: This card can be played at instant speed, offering players the flexibility to wait until the end of an opponent’s turn to decide the best moment for activation. This strategic timing can disrupt an opponent’s anticipation of your moves and allows for maintaining mana availability for counterspells or other immediate responses.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Quicksand Whirlpool demands that you discard a card upon casting. This condition can put you at a distinct disadvantage, particularly when your hand is already running on empty, effectively narrowing your strategic options in a game where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Quicksand Whirlpool requires a particular set of mana to play, which includes blue. This requirement can be a tad restrictive as it necessitates that your deck be tailored to accommodate blue mana sources, potentially limiting the card’s versatility and its inclusion in multicolored decks not heavily focused on blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the higher side for its effects, Quicksand Whirlpool might not always represent the best value. Savvy players might opt for alternatives that provide similar or better benefits for a lower investment, ensuring that their mana can be allocated to more impactful plays during the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Quicksand Whirlpool is a flexible addition to decks that focus on disrupting the opponent’s strategy. As a card that can hinder or remove creatures, it fits well within control archetypes or any deck that aims to maintain a stable board presence.
Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with strategies that seek to lock down the board or benefit from repeated activation of abilities. It has the potential to become a key component in decks that capitalize on keeping the opponent’s creatures at bay.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Quicksand Whirlpool holds significant value. Its ability to manage the battlefield and control key threats can make it a worthy inclusion for players looking to gain an edge in such a meta.
How to beat
Quicksand Whirlpool presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, with its ability to disrupt creature-based strategies and potentially trap opponents in an endless loop of returning their creatures to their hand. Despite this daunting effect, there are ways to navigate the murky waters of this powerful card.
To effectively counter Quicksand Whirlpool, players should look towards non-creature spells or abilities to apply pressure. Cards that deal direct damage or those that can apply effects without relying on creatures attacking, such as planeswalkers or enchantments that accumulate value over time, can sidestep the hazard completely. Additionally, instant speed removal or counterspells can strategically dismantle the combo pieces necessary to create the whirlpool, allowing you to maintain board presence.
Another practical method is using cards that grant your creatures protection from blue or spells that can’t be countered, ensuring that your forces can swim through the whirlpool unscathed. By focusing on these alternatives, players can effectively drain the power of Quicksand Whirlpool, keeping their decks afloat and steering their strategy towards victory.
Cards like Quicksand Whirlpool
Quicksand Whirlpool is a unique card in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It echoes the disruptiveness of cards like Boomerang or Unsummon, both of which are known for bouncing permanents or creatures back to their owner’s hand. What sets Quicksand Whirlpool apart is its cycling ability, allowing players the flexibility to replace it from their hand if it’s not immediately relevant, something these other bounce spells lack.
Consider another parallel, Capsize, which also returns permanents to hand with the added benefit of a buyback cost that makes it a repeatable spell within a game. Quicksand Whirlpool, in contrast, offers only a single-use before cycling requires it to be discarded. Engulf the Shore is worth mentioning as well, it bounces creatures to the owner’s hand based on the number of Islands you control, engendering a board reset. Quicksand Whirlpool doesn’t offer the same wide impact but compensates with a broader target range and cycling advantage.
Each of these cards offers strategic advantages in different scenarios. Yet, Quicksand Whirlpool’s distinct cycling feature integrated with its returning capability ensures a place for itself among versatile control spells in a player’s arsenal.
Cards similar to Quicksand Whirlpool by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Quicksand Whirlpool MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Quicksand Whirlpool 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Quicksand Whirlpool has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |