Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan MTG Card

Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan - Rivals of Ixalan

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Enchantment
Abilities	Transform,Treasure
Released	2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set name	Rivals of Ixalan
Set code	RIX
Number	173
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Victor Adame Minguez

Key Takeaways

The card offers card advantage by transforming into a powerful land in the later game stages.
Resource generation is expedited, making artifacts mini mana pools enhancing gameplay.
While not instantaneous, it indirectly benefits from spells cast at instant speed.

Text of card

Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, create a colorless Treasure artifact token with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool." At the beginning of your end step, if you control five or more artifacts, transform Storm the Vault.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Storm the Vault shines by transforming into a land that can potentially offer a significant amount of mana in the mid to late game. This provides a critical edge in card advantage, empowering your ability to cast more spells or use activated abilities.

Resource Acceleration: Upon transformation into Vault of Catlacan, it treats your treasure trove of artifacts as mini mana pools, accelerating your resource generation much faster than your opponent can anticipate. This puts you well ahead in the resource game.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Storm the Vault benefits from the instant speed of your other spells. Artifacts and creatures that can be played at instant speed just before your turn begins can help to flip Storm the Vault, making it an indirect beneficiary of this dynamic.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Storm the Vault doesn’t directly require a discard, its reliance on having numerous artifacts or creatures to trigger its transformation could pressure players into discarding other valuable cards to maintain a board presence conducive to its activation.

Specific Mana Cost: Storm the Vault has a particular set of mana costs, requiring both blue and red mana. This specificity can be quite restrictive, often dictating the need for a two-color deck at least, which may not align with the strategic preferences or capabilities of all players.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including colored mana requirements, Storm the Vault may be considered pricey compared to other mana acceleration options. Players might find the initial investment hefty, especially when facing fast-paced decks that can outpace the setup needed for Storm the Vault to shine.

Reasons to Include Storm the Vault in Your Collection

Versatility: Storm the Vault is a dynamic addition to any deck looking to ramp up its mana production. It easily finds its place in blue and red decks that synergize with artifacts and spells that benefit from a rich mana base. With its ability to transform into a land that taps for mana of any color, its utility across multiple strategies cannot be understated.

Combo Potential: This card shines in its ability to combo with strategies revolving around artifact tokens and mass artifact deployment. Its transformation into Vault of Catlacan predicates on having a critical number of artifacts, rewarding players with an explosive mana gain for executing synergistic plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors long-term strategies and big plays, Storm the Vault holds its ground. Given its transformation into a land reminiscent of the famed Tolarian Academy, decks that aim to outpace opponents with overwhelming resource generation can leverage this card to secure their dominance on the battlefield.

How to beat

Confronting the challenge of Storm the Vault in Magic: The Gathering presents unique tactical considerations. This transformative enchantment can swiftly change the tide of the game by converting artifacts into a wealth of mana resources. Understanding the modes of engagement against it can ensure you’re not caught off guard when it hits the table.

The key to overcoming Storm the Vault lies in disrupting the artifact synergy it relies on. Artifact removal spells are crucial in this battle, as they can disrupt the accumulation of treasures necessary for the card to transform into ‘Vault of Catlacan.’ Targeted removal like Abrade or Shatter can dismantle your opponent’s setup, delaying their game plan. It’s also valuable to apply pressure early on, compelling your adversary to defend rather than develop their board with artifacts. Keeping enchantment destruction in hand, such as cards like Naturalize or Disenchant, can provide an emergency response to remove Storm the Vault before it morphs into its more powerful state.

In summary, maintaining control over the artifact count and having answers to both enchantments and artifacts are fundamental strategies in subverting the potential of Storm the Vault. These tactics ensure you can stay ahead, preventing your opponent from leveraging its full power.

BurnMana Recommendations

Perfecting your MTG strategies involves understanding how to maximize the potential of innovative cards like Storm the Vault. By exploring the pros and cons, possible combos, and the conditions to beat it, you get insight into integrating this unique card into a dynamic deck. If you aim to amplify your mana resources and enjoy building around artifacts, Storm the Vault might just unlock new levels of gameplay for you. We invite you to dive deeper into its synergies and how it could change your approach to deck construction. Whether you’re looking to enhance your current deck or seek fresh ways to harness mana, join us to discover the transformative power of Storm the Vault and other strategic cards that could revolutionize your MTG experience.

Cards like Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan

Storm the Vault is a unique inclusion among MTG’s treasure-producing spells, inviting a comparison with cards like Revel in Riches. Both engage in the strategy of amassing Treasure tokens, yet Storm the Vault offers an additional boon – transforming into Vault of Catlacan, a land that can generate substantial mana of any color. Revel in Riches, while not transforming, hinges on the alternative win condition when you control ten or more Treasures.

Glimmervoid Basin from the Mirrodin set also provides a rainbow mana utility but without the Treasure token strategy. Storm the Vault excels at quickly ramping mana in decks focused on artifacts or token generation. Smothering Tithe, another noteworthy comparison, also revolves around Treasure token creation but relies on opponents’ actions to draw cards and doesn’t alter the battlefield like Storm the Vault’s transforming feature.

Across the spectrum, Storm the Vault holds a specialized niche, catering to players who thrive on artifact synergies and massive mana acceleration that could potentially tip the scales in their favor during play.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan MTG card by a specific set like Rivals 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 Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Storm the Vault // Vault of Catlacan has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2018-01-19	For more information on double-faced cards, see the Ixalan mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/ixalan-mechanics).
2018-01-19	In a Two-Headed Giant game, if you control more than one creature that can attack, you attack different opponents so that Storm the Vault’s first ability triggers twice.
2018-01-19	Storm the Vault’s first ability can trigger more than once in a turn if creatures you control deal combat damage at different times in a turn (most likely because one or more has first strike) or if creatures you control deal combat damage to more than one player at once.
2018-01-19	The last ability of Storm the Vault doesn’t trigger if you don’t control five or more artifacts as your end step begins. If it does trigger but you don’t control five or more artifacts as it resolves, it does nothing.