Quicksilver Fountain MTG Card


Transforming lands into Islands allows for significant mana base disruption, creating a strategic advantage. Quicksilver Fountain’s land conversion effect is gradual, offering a persistent threat that can shape the battlefield. Effective counterplay includes targeted removal or smart land play to mitigate its land-altering impact.
Quicksilver Fountain - Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact
Released2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin
Set codeMRD
Number233
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byTrevor Hairsine

Text of card

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player puts a flood counter on target non-Island land he or she controls. That land is an Island as long as it has a flood counter on it. At end of turn, if all lands in play are Islands, remove all flood counters from them.


Cards like Quicksilver Fountain

Quicksilver Fountain brings a unique style of play to the Magic: The Gathering table with its intriguing land transformation ability. Notably, it echoes the transformative essence of cards like Blood Moon, which also manipulates lands, turning them into Mountains. Nevertheless, Quicksilver Fountain stands out as it methodically targets individual lands, gradually turning them into Islands with each upkeep—without totally shutting down an opponent’s mana bases as Blood Moon does.

Comparable to this pattern is Contaminated Ground. Both cards alter the state of lands, but Contaminated Ground carries the aspect of transforming any land into a potentially harmful one for its controller, providing two colors of mana but at a price. Another noteworthy equivalent is Spreading Seas, which has a similar Island conversion effect coupled with the benefit of card draw. However, Quicksilver Fountain takes this concept further, impacting multiple lands throughout the game.

In weighing the strategic uses and impacts of these cards, Quicksilver Fountain clearly holds its own. Its ongoing ability to convert lands each turn provides a persistent threat, making it a valuable card for control strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It is this gradual but unavoidable board influence that puts Quicksilver Fountain in a league of its own among land-altering cards.

Blood Moon - MTG Card versions
Contaminated Ground - MTG Card versions
Spreading Seas - MTG Card versions
Blood Moon - MTG Card versions
Contaminated Ground - MTG Card versions
Spreading Seas - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Quicksilver Fountain by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Sunglasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Sunglasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Quicksilver Fountain can systematically transform your opponent’s lands into Islands, disrupting their mana base and potentially causing them to lose access to crucial colors needed for spelling casting.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating your resources, by converting opposing lands, you control the pace and resource flexibility of the game, giving you an indirect advantage.

Instant Speed: Although Quicksilver Fountain doesn’t operate at instant speed, the continuous threat each turn applies constant pressure, effectively forcing opponents to play around the possibility of being mana-locked at any moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Quicksilver Fountain, there is no direct discard requirement involved. However, it necessitates having a well-planned strategy to maximize its benefits, as it can potentially transform your own lands into Islands, which may inadvertently disrupt your own mana base if not utilized carefully.

Specific Mana Cost: Quicksilver Fountain has a specific mana cost of three generic mana, which means it doesn’t restrict its inclusion in multicolored decks. Nonetheless, within decks that run on tight mana curves, dedicating three mana to an artifact that doesn’t impact the board immediately might not always be the best tactical move.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the artifact has a moderate casting cost, there’s an opportunity cost in playing Quicksilver Fountain. Its utility in land transformation is gradual and might be less appealing compared to other three-mana artifacts or enchantments that could offer instant value or more aggressive control of the game state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Quicksilver Fountain offers dynamic interactions with various deck archetypes, especially those looking to manipulate land types or generate advantage through control tactics. Its ability to turn lands into Islands progressively changes the battlefield, offering strategic flexibility.

Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal in land-based combo strategies, synergizing with effects that punish or capitalize on opponents owning Islands, like cards benefiting from domain or land type counts. Moreover, it pairs well with cards that remove flood counters, keeping the Fountain’s effect alive.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where land interaction plays a crucial role, Quicksilver Fountain can serve as a tool for disruption. It interferes with opponent mana bases, hindering their ability to cast spells and maintain tempo, which can be exceptionally disruptive against non-blue deck compositions.


How to beat

Quicksilver Fountain presents a unique strategic challenge in the MTG landscape. Stopping this artifact from transforming all lands into Islands revolves around removing it from play. Direct answers like Disenchant or Naturalize can be invaluable to dismantle the looming threat it poses. Alternatively, maintaining land count with fetch lands or triggering landfall can delay the total Island conversion while you find a long-term solution.

Another effective strategy involves using land untap effects or cards that can change land types temporarily such as Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. This can mitigate Quicksilver Fountain’s impact, especially in multicolor decks vulnerable to having their mana base disrupted. Additionally, running counter spells to prevent the Fountain from hitting the field in the first place can save you from scrambling to adjust mid-game. Overall, keeping Quicksilver Fountain in check requires a blend of artifact removal, smart land play, and perhaps preemptive counterspelling to prevent your MTG match from literally sinking into the depths of a mono-blue landscape.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Quicksilver Fountain MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Quicksilver Fountain and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Quicksilver Fountain has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Quicksilver Fountain card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-12-01 The land stays an Island until the flood counter is removed, even if Quicksilver Fountain leaves the battlefield.
2004-12-01 The timestamp of the land-type-changing ability is set when the triggered ability resolves (so each one has a different timestamp).