Woodcloaker MTG Card


Woodcloaker - Scourge
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elf
Abilities Morph
Released2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set nameScourge
Set codeSCG
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number134
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJim Nelson

Key Takeaways

  1. Woodcloaker offers card advantage by protecting creatures and allowing for repeated use of abilities.
  2. Activating its ability at instant speed provides surprise defense and disrupts opponents’ plans.
  3. Though demanding specific mana types, its ability to bounce can tightly weave into green decks.

Text of card

Morph (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) When Woodcloaker is turned face up, target creature gains trample until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Woodcloaker gives you the flexibility to bounce it back to your hand and reuse its ability, effectively allowing you to protect vital creatures from removal and dodge unfavorable situations, keeping your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: Utilizing the ability of Woodcloaker can save you from using mana on other spells to protect your creatures, thereby accelerating your overall mana economy and freeing resources for pivotal plays.

Instant Speed: The versatility of activating Woodcloaker’s ability at instant speed makes it a strategic asset, allowing for surprise blocks or evading your opponent’s spells during their turn, keeping them guessing and you in control of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Woodcloaker demands a card to be discarded to trigger its ability. This is a trade-off that can become costly, particularly when your hand is running low on cards, thereby diminishing your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Woodcloaker requires a precise combination of mana to cast, specifically green. This necessity can restrict the card’s integration outside of mono-green or similarly colored decks, reducing its versatility across the broad spectrum of MTG deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that might be considered steep for the effects it provides, Woodcloaker competes directly with other cards at the same cost point that may offer more impactful abilities or stats. This puts it at a disadvantage when deck building requires maximizing value per mana spent.


Reasons to Include Woodcloaker in Your Collection

Versatility: Woodcloaker offers flexibility in deck construction thanks to its ability to act as a creature or provide a protective bounce for your other creatures. This can be seamlessly integrated into green decks that require adaptable plays.

Combo Potential: With the ability to return a creature to your hand, Woodcloaker works well with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects, unlocking the potential for powerful recurring value over the course of a game.

Meta-Relevance: In environments dominated by targeted removal or tempo plays, Woodcloaker can keep key creatures safe or be a surprise blocker when needed, making it a relevant addition to decks contending with the evolving strategies of the meta.


How to beat

Woodcloaker is a niche card that brings a certain level of utility to green decks within Magic: The Gathering. Functioning as both a surprise blocker and a way to retrieve key creatures from your graveyard, Woodcloaker can pose an unexpected challenge for opponents. Despite its versatility, there are strategies to effectively counter this card.

One effective method is to limit the number of creatures in the graveyard, thereby diminishing Woodcloaker’s value. Graveyard hate cards like Relic of Progenitus can continuously clear the graveyard, directly impacting Woodloaker’s effectiveness. Instant-speed removal spells are also a solid countermeasure, as they can deal with Woodcloaker before it has the opportunity to generate its morph advantage or before it can block. Board wipes are another avenue, as they can clear the creature regardless of its face-down status.

Understanding the pacing and potential of green decks can turn the tides against Woodcloaker. Playing around the morph mechanic, recognizing when to expect such a creature, and maintaining removal resources are key elements in gameplay to gain an upper hand against this particular threat.


Cards like Woodcloaker

Woodcloaker is an intriguing creature spell in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique blend of abilities to players. Delving into the realm of creature spells that double as a source of surprise, we find similarities with cards like Briarhorn. Briarhorn can also be played using its evoke cost, thereby triggering its ability to give a creature +3/+3 before it hits the graveyard. While Woodcloaker doesn’t buff others, it can notably return itself to its owner’s hand, offering a repeatable utility that Briarhorn lacks.

Another similar card is Fleetfoot Panther. This creature also allows players to return it to their hand but requires another creature you control to be returned as well. This presents a more restrictive condition compared to Woodcloaker. Then there’s Dust Elemental, which not only bounces back to your hand but can also save up to three creatures from danger by returning them to the owner’s hand upon its own re-entry. However, this comes with a higher mana investment and the need to have other creatures on the battlefield.

In essence, Woodcloaker enjoys a place among versatile creature spells capable of dodging removal and offering strategic plays that can surprise an opponent, striking a fine balance between cost and flexibility in gameplay.

Briarhorn - MTG Card versions
Fleetfoot Panther - MTG Card versions
Dust Elemental - MTG Card versions
Briarhorn - Lorwyn (LRW)
Fleetfoot Panther - Planeshift (PLS)
Dust Elemental - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Cards similar to Woodcloaker by color, type and mana cost

Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
Sulam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Silvos, Rogue Elemental - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Seshiro the Anointed - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Gaea's Liege - Revised Edition (3ED)
Wiitigo - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Autumn Willow - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ancient Silverback - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Sulam Djinn - Invasion (INV)
Verdeloth the Ancient - Modern Masters (MMA)
Nemata, Grove Guardian - The List (PLST)
Gang of Elk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Kavu Howler - Apocalypse (APC)
Crashing Centaur - Odyssey (ODY)
Giant Warthog - Judgment (JUD)
Rhox - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kodama of the East Tree - Commander Legends (CMR)
Terra Stomper - Zendikar (ZEN)
Feral Throwback - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Silvos, Rogue Elemental - Onslaught (ONS)
Brontotherium - Legions (LGN)
Elvish Aberration - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Seshiro the Anointed - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Woodcloaker MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, 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 Woodcloaker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Woodcloaker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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