Lightmine Field MTG Card


Lightmine Field - Rise of the Eldrazi
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set nameRise of the Eldrazi
Set codeROE
Number32
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byEric Deschamps

Key Takeaways

  1. Lightmine Field deters swarm strategies, providing a unique defensive advantage on the battlefield.
  2. Can be restrictive with its specific mana cost and influence on your own creature deployment.
  3. Its ability to shape game dynamics makes it a worthy consideration for any collection.

Text of card

Whenever one or more creatures attack, Lightmine Field deals damage to each of those creatures equal to the number of attacking creatures.

If you want to kill a lot of goblins, just make sure your defenses look like fun.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Lightmine Field doesn’t directly draw cards, it indirectly generates card advantage by discouraging opponents from overcommitting to the battlefield, potentially saving your cards from being outmatched.

Resource Acceleration: Lightmine Field itself may not accelerate resources in terms of mana, but it can lead to resource acceleration by prolonging the game, thus allowing you to draw and play more lands over time.

Instant Speed: Although Lightmine Field is not an instant, its continuous effect on the battlefield can influence the game as though it had an instant-like impact, altering your opponents’ actions each combat phase as if you had a standing threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Lightmine Field does not have a discard requirement, its strategic limitation comes into play. With its effect active, players often need to decide between committing to a wider board presence or holding back creatures to avoid the damage, which can feel like discarding the advantage of a creature-heavy deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Lightmine Field’s mana cost includes one white and two other mana, making it a card with a specific color identity. This can potentially limit its inclusion to decks that run white or have a mana base capable of generating multiple colors efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its casting cost of three mana might be seen as steep considering its preventive rather than immediate impact on the battlefield. In the mana curve of a deck, three mana is a substantial investment for a card that doesn’t immediately alter the state of the game, and there may be alternatives that offer more proactive control or board development for the same or lower cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lightmine Field is adaptable to various deck strategies, particularly those that rely on deterring opponents from swarming the battlefield with creatures, as it can be a major game-changer in gameplay dynamics.

Combo Potential: Pairing Lightmine Field with cards that encourage or force opponents to attack can turn it into a powerful piece of a control strategy, damaging and potentially clearing a cluttered board.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Lightmine Field serves as an effective counter, making it a strategic choice for sideboards or main decks focused on longevity and defense.


How to beat Lightmine Field

Lightmine Field presents a unique challenge on the battlefield for MTG players. This enchantment triggers whenever more than one creature attacks, dealing damage to each attacking creature. To navigate around this card’s restriction, players need to adopt a strategy that either minimizes the number of attackers or utilizes creatures with high toughness to withstand the damage.

One effective tactic is to focus on quality over quantity, choosing to attack with a single, formidable creature each turn. Utilizing creatures with abilities like hexproof can also shield them from being targeted by spells or abilities, making them ideal for dealing with Lightmine Field. Alternatively, incorporating spells that grant your creatures indestructible for a turn can be a game-changer. These provide a temporary, but powerful, way to bypass Lightmine Field’s damage without altering your attacking strategy too drastically.

Moreover, incorporating enchantment removal cards into your deck is a straightforward answer to Lightmine Field. These can help clear the way for your attacking force, ensuring that your path to victory remains unimpeded by such defensive strategies.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you fancy a strategic edge in your MTG matchups, Lightmine Field is a card to consider. Its unique ability to disincentivize swarming tactics makes it a gem for control enthusiasts and those who like to keep the game at a measured pace. Whether you’re tweaking your deck’s defensive line or aiming to disrupt meta-dominant creature-heavy strategies, it’s wise to recognize the potential of niche enchantments like this. Curious to learn more? Dive into our comprehensive guides and unravel the depth of your deck-building prowess, ensuring that your next bout is a calculated triumph.


Cards like Lightmine Field

Lightmine Field brings a unique defensive angle to Magic: The Gathering’s array of enchantments. It shares similarities with cards such as Ghostly Prison, aiming to deter attacks by imposing a cost on opponents who wish to swing at you. Unlike Ghostly Prison, which requires a monetary toll from attackers, Lightmine Field damages each attacking creature. The distinction lies in how each card disrupts enemy offense – one through resource depletion and the other through direct consequence to the creatures.

War Tax is another enchantment that can be likened to Lightmine Field. Both set up a taxing dynamic, but War Tax is more flexible, allowing you to scale its deterrent effect with mana investment each turn, whereas Lightmine Field’s impact is constant once on the field. Moreover, War Tax directly targets the number of creatures that can attack, while Lightmine Field poses a blanket threat to all creatures that dare to attack in numbers greater than one.

Considering the battlefield control aspect, Lightmine Field stands out among its counterparts. Through its passive but striking ability to damage attackers, it offers a unique form of area control that can shape how battles unfold, underscoring its strategic value in creature-heavy metas.

Ghostly Prison - MTG Card versions
War Tax - MTG Card versions
Ghostly Prison - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
War Tax - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lightmine Field MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Lightmine Field and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lightmine Field has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 For example: If a creature attacks but is removed from combat before Lightmine Field’s ability resolves (because it would be destroyed and regenerates, perhaps), that creature is dealt damage by Lightmine Field but isn’t counted when determining the amount of damage. On the other hand, if a creature is put onto the battlefield attacking (due to Preeminent Captain’s ability, perhaps), it isn’t dealt damage by Lightmine Field, but it is counted when determining the amount of damage.
2010-06-15 How much damage each of those creatures is dealt is based how many creatures are attacking at the time the ability resolves.
2010-06-15 Lightmine Field’s ability triggers when any creatures attack, including your own.
2010-06-15 Which creatures are dealt damage is based on which creatures were declared as attackers during the declare attackers step.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks