Seedcradle Witch MTG Card


Seedcradle Witch - Shadowmoor
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Elf Shaman
Released2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameShadowmoor
Set codeSHM
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number241
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySteven Belledin

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides repeatable boosts to creatures, tipping combat in your favor and enhancing board presence.
  2. Facilitates strategic play with instant speed activation, maximizing mana use during crucial turns.
  3. Demands careful management due to the specific mana cost and the need to balance hand resources.

Text of card

: Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature.

She whispered a prayer for strength, and her wishes wafted away like seeds on the wind.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Seedcradle Witch enables a strategic advantage by granting the ability to bolster your creatures repeatedly. This repeated boost can be the key to maintaining board presence and turning the tide in your favor during drawn-out matches.

Resource Acceleration: With Seedcradle Witch in play, you can efficiently utilize your mana, facilitating accelerated gameplay. Tapping a single Forest both activates her ability and benefits from mana-producing lands or effects you have in play, potentially leading to explosive turns.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Seedcradle Witch lies in the instant speed of her ability, which allows for surprise enhancements during combat. This not only complicates your opponent’s combat calculations but also lets you maximize the use of your mana each turn, keeping your options open until just the right moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback of the Seedcradle Witch is the necessity to discard a card. This can be particularly challenging when hand size is diminished, thereby restricting its tactical use especially in the later parts of the game when every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: The Seedcradle Witch comes with a reliance on green and white mana for its abilities. This specific mana cost can sometimes be a hurdle in multicolor decks that might struggle with mana consistency, limiting the card’s versatility across different deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Seedcradle Witch provides utility, its abilities come at a comparatively high cost. Other creatures within the same mana range may offer more immediate impact on the battlefield, rendering the Witch less efficient in fast-paced or mana-tight situations.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Seedcradle Witch offers diverse applications, fitting seamlessly into Green-White token decks or any setup that thrives on creature-based strategies. Its ability to bolster creatures makes it a valuable asset during combat or when executing key plays.

Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal in combinations that amplify the power of creatures. It works well with cards that generate tokens, escalating their threat level with each activation of its ability, thereby turning even the smallest tokens into substantial threats.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the importance of adaptable creatures. Seedcradle Witch stands out in metagames where enhancing your creatures on the fly can mean the difference between victory and defeat, especially in matchups that require tactical creature boosts.


How to beat

Seedcradle Witch is often regarded as a versatile tool in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to bolster their creatures with a boon of +3/+3 until the end of turn. This ability, not unlike the infamous Giant Growth, can be used repetitively, provided you have the mana to invest. The witch is nestled comfortably in decks that can generate a surplus of mana, or those embracing a token strategy where every creature is a potential behemoth.

However, trampling over the Seedcradle Witch’s enhancements requires strategic play. Removal spells that don’t rely on damage thresholds, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, render the witch’s powers irrelevant by exiling or destroying before the boost can be a threat. Timely counterspells, on the other hand, can halt the witch in her tracks, preventing her from ever hitting the board and forcing the opponent to deal with wasted mana and an unfulfilled game plan.

In essence, while Seedcradle Witch can be a formidable adversary, prompt removal or disruption of the opponent’s mana base can undermine her advantages. In the dynamic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, staying one step ahead of such strategies is often the key to victory.


Cards like Seedcradle Witch

Seedcradle Witch is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, offering versatility in green and white deck synergies. Much like Seedcradle Witch, Juniper Order Ranger is another card that bolsters creatures but does so by accruing +1/+1 counters upon the entrance of another creature. The Witch, however, requires mana investment to give just one creature a temporary boost in power and toughness.

Comparing Seedcradle Witch to a card like Sigil Blessing, which provides a temporary but immediate augmentation to all your creatures, highlights the Witch’s targeted approach. Sigil Blessing offers a one-time effect with a potentially larger impact for a swarm strategy at the cost of being a single-use instant. Conversely, Seedcradle Witch requires repeated mana payment for each boost, focusing on enhancing individual creatures which can offer strategic advantages in prolonged games.

Finally, the Witch shares similarities with the tap-to-buff mechanic seen on cards like Veteran Armorer. However, instead of flatly increasing toughness like the Armorer, Seedcradle Witch’s ability is activated, allowing for more control over when and on whom the buffs are placed, potentially outpacing the passive benefit at the cost of additional mana.

Juniper Order Ranger - MTG Card versions
Sigil Blessing - MTG Card versions
Veteran Armorer - MTG Card versions
Juniper Order Ranger - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sigil Blessing - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Veteran Armorer - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Seedcradle Witch by color, type and mana cost

Dryad Militant - MTG Card versions
Avacyn's Pilgrim - MTG Card versions
Votary of the Conclave - MTG Card versions
Rhys the Redeemed - MTG Card versions
Elvish Hexhunter - MTG Card versions
Sunblade Elf - MTG Card versions
Tarkir Duneshaper // Burnished Dunestomper - MTG Card versions
Dryad Militant - The List (PLST)
Avacyn's Pilgrim - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Votary of the Conclave - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Rhys the Redeemed - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Elvish Hexhunter - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Sunblade Elf - Magic 2015 (M15)
Tarkir Duneshaper // Burnished Dunestomper - March of the Machine (MOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seedcradle Witch MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Seedcradle Witch and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seedcradle Witch has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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