Spawning Grounds MTG Card
2013-11-01 - Number 171
2018-08-09 - Number 163
2019-11-07 - Number 1338
2020-09-26 - Number C18-163
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 8 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant land Enchanted land has ": Put a 5/5 green Beast creature token with trample onto the battlefield."
It's the only water source in miles of desert, but the local tribes avoid it at all costs.
Cards like Spawning Grounds
Spawning Grounds is a unique enchantment in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with a few noteworthy cards. Akin to Verdant Embrace, Spawning Grounds also has the ability to turn your lands into creature generators. However, whereas Verdant Embrace grants a smaller creature and a life-gain boost with each upkeep, Spawning Grounds creates a sizable 5/5 token, but with no additional life padding.
In contrast to Awakening Zone, which provides a consistent stream of 0/1 creature tokens, Spawning Grounds is aimed at players who prefer more impactful creatures, albeit at a higher mana investment. Another enchantment, Dragon Roost, offers a similar effect in terms of producing large creature tokens. But unlike Dragon Roost, which requires a substantial recurring cost for each Dragon, Spawning Grounds enables the transformation of existing lands into value-generating assets, potentially without further payment after its initial cast.
Ultimately, when observing enchantments that transform resources into creatures, Spawning Grounds occupies a strong position due to its capacity for generating significant board presence each turn, meshing well with strategies that take advantage of high-powered tokens and land utilization.
Cards similar to Spawning Grounds by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spawning Grounds can turn any creature into a token-producing powerhouse, giving you the ability to generate extra creatures turn after turn. This continuous influx of beast tokens can significantly overwhelm opponents by providing a persistent source of board presence and potential threats.
Resource Acceleration: Attaching Spawning Grounds to a land essentially turns it into a creature factory, offering you a consistent mechanism for fielding creatures without expending additional cards from your hand. This setup allows you to invest your resources more freely on other game-changing spells and abilities.
Instant Speed: While Spawning Grounds itself is an enchant land that operates at sorcery speed, the beast tokens it creates can be utilized as blockers or activated during the end step before your turn. This ability to produce creatures at a moment’s notice can catch opponents off-guard, functionally giving you the advantage of acting at instant speed in many situations.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Similar to other powerful enchantments, Spawning Grounds has an inherent drawback if it’s being removed before getting value. Since you invest significant resources into both casting it and enchanting a land, any removal can result in a tempo loss.
Specific Mana Cost: As an enchantment with a specific mana requirement (green), Spawning Grounds may not seamlessly fit into every deck archetype. It necessitates a commitment to green mana, which can restrict deck-building options.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its fairly high mana cost, Spawning Grounds demands a significant investment prior to activation. This can set you behind compared to other strategies that capitalize on lower-cost cards that provide immediate effects or creatures on the board.
Reasons to Include Spawning Grounds in Your Collection
Versatility: Spawning Grounds offers a diverse toolkit for decks that capitalize on creature generation. This enchantment can turn any land into a creature factory, making it well-suited for strategies that revolve around building a formidable board presence.
Combo Potential: With the ability to create a stream of 5/5 Beast creature tokens, Spawning Grounds pairs excellently with mechanics that thrive on creatures entering the battlefield or creatures with high power. Its synergy with sac outlets and various token-utilizing cards can lead to devastating combinations.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where the game progresses to the point where mana sources are abundant, Spawning Grounds emerges as a potent late-game card, continuously advancing your board state while pressuring opponents to find an answer to a never-ending army of Beasts.
How to beat
Spawning Grounds is an enchant land card that provides a substantial advantage by turning a simple land into a creature-generating powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering. The ability to tap the enchanted land for a 5/5 Beast creature token every turn can quickly overwhelm opponents, making it a formidable card to face on the battlefield. However, it is important not to panic and consider the strategic options available to dismantle this threat effectively.
One effective strategy against Spawning Grounds is the inclusion of land destruction or enchantment removal in your deck. Cards like Acidic Slime offer a versatile solution, dealing with either the land or the enchantment itself. Alternatively, instant-speed removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can disrupt your opponent’s plans by targeting the Spawning Grounds directly. Counterspells are also a strong preemptive measure, preventing Spawning Grounds from ever resolving and hitting the field.
It’s essential to manage the threats efficiently—targeting the enchantment before the opponent can generate an army of beasts. With the right removal spells and some strategic foresight, players can dismantle the leverage Spawning Grounds provides and steer the game back in their favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spawning Grounds MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013 and Commander 2018, 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 Spawning Grounds and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Spawning Grounds Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Vincent Proce.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 171 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Vincent Proce | |
| 2 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 163 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Vincent Proce | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1338 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Vincent Proce | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | C18-163 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Vincent Proce |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spawning Grounds has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |