Stalking Stones MTG Card

Stalking Stones transforms into a creature, providing late-game value and tactical advantage. Its land nature accelerates resources while doubling as an on-demand threat. Instant-speed activation of Stalking Stones disrupts opponents and enables surprise plays.

Tempest (TMP)
1997-10-14 - Number 327

Stalking Stones - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)

World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
1998-08-12 - Number rb327

Mirrodin (MRD)
2003-10-02 - Number 284

Stalking Stones - Tempest Remastered (TPR)

Tempest Remastered (TPR)
2015-05-06 - Number 245

Stalking Stones - Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils (FMB1)

Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils (FMB1)
2020-03-08 - Number 121

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number MRD-284

Card sets	Released in 6 setsSee all
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Land

Text of card

oc T: Add one colorless mana to your mana pool. o6: Stalking Stones becomes a 3/3 artifact creature permanently. (This creature still counts as a land.)

Cards like Stalking Stones

Stalking Stones holds a unique position in the landscape of land cards in Magic: The Gathering. This transformative card, which turns into a creature, bears a resemblance to cards like Mishra’s Factory. Similar to Stalking Stones, Mishra’s Factory can become a creature. However, what makes Stalking Stones stand out is its permanent transformation once animated, unlike Mishra’s Factory, which reverts to a land at end of turn.

Mutavault adds to the troupe of creature-lands, capable of becoming a creature with all creature types until end of turn. It offers flexibility in tribal decks but doesn’t stay a creature like Stalking Stones. Ghitu Encampment is another such card with the reversion element and added red creature type, however, Stalking Stones’ ability to remain as a relentless monolithic creature sets it apart within the game’s vast mechanics.

Assessing side by side, Stalking Stones may not be the fastest or the most aggressive of land creatures, but its enduring presence on the battlefield can act as both a strategic blocker and a potent threat, making it a noteworthy comparison to its peers in MTG.

Cards similar to Stalking Stones by color, type and mana cost

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Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stalking Stones provides sustained value in the late game. Transforming into a creature can bypass stalemates and apply pressure without sacrificing card economy.

Resource Acceleration: As a land, it contributes to your mana base and doesn’t cost a slot in your deck that could have been used by a traditional creature card. This flexibility means it can simultaneously act as a resource and a threat.

Instant Speed: Its ability to become a creature can be activated at instant speed, enabling surprise blocks or end-of-turn transformations. This allows for tactical plays that can disrupt your opponent’s strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stalking Stones requires no discard, so this con is not applicable. However, transforming it into a creature means permanently using that land for offense or defense, which could hinder your mana availability.

Specific Mana Cost: Activation of Stalking Stones’ ability demands colorless mana, but it also specifically requires six mana to turn it into a creature, which could be restrictive in a multicolored or aggressive deck needing more flexible mana allocation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To transform Stalking Stones into a 3/3 creature, a total of six mana is needed, which is quite high considering that there are other land options that transform into creatures for less mana or offer more utility or power.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stalking Stones has the unique ability to turn into a creature, making it a flexible choice for nearly any deck. As a land, it doesn’t take up vital spell slots and can become a threat at any time during the game.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies that valorize lands as creatures. Coupled with cards that boost land creatures or untap lands, Stalking Stones can become a recurring powerhouse on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Depending on the format you’re playing, manlands such as Stalking Stones can be exceptionally resilient in metas filled with creature removal. They dodge board wipes aimed at creatures and can often sneak in for lethal damage in stalled board states.

How to beat

Stalking Stones may appear intimidating as a land card that transforms into a creature, which can often catch players off guard in Magic: The Gathering. Control decks that rely on counter magic might not always have an answer to a land turning into a creature. However, effective strategies exist to tackle this shapeshifting threat. One angle of attack is through land destruction or land alteration spells to address the Stalking Stones before they animate. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can take them out of play, nullifying the threat before it materializes.

Enchantment-based strategies can also render the Stones harmless. Enchantments like Imprisoned in the Moon or Song of the Dryads can transform Stalking Stones into a basic land, effectively removing its ability to become a creature. Moreover, direct removal spells that target creatures can be saved for the moment Stalking Stones becomes a creature. An instant-speed Doom Blade or a Path to Exile can provide a swift resolution to the newfound creature. Board wipes are another effective way to remove an animated Stalking Stones, especially since they typically bypass the indestructible trait that some animated lands possess.

Being aware of the potential threat and keeping an answer handy is key in mitigating the impact of Stalking Stones in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Board awareness and strategic resource management often prove to be the linchpins of victory against such adaptable threats.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stalking Stones MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and World Championship Decks 1998, 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 Stalking Stones and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stalking Stones Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2020-03-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1997-10-14	Tempest	TMP	327	1997	Normal	Black	Stephen Daniele
2	1998-08-12	World Championship Decks 1998	WC98	rb327	1997	Normal	Gold	Stephen Daniele
3	2003-10-02	Mirrodin	MRD	284	2003	Normal	Black	David Day
4	2015-05-06	Tempest Remastered	TPR	245	2015	Normal	Black	Stephen Daniele
5	2020-03-08	Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils	FMB1	121	2003	Normal	Black	David Day
6	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	MRD-284	2003	Normal	Black	David Day

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stalking Stones has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-08-01	A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.
2009-10-01	Activating the ability that turns it into a creature while it’s already a creature will override any effects that set its power and/or toughness to a specific number. However, any effect that raises or lowers power and/or toughness (such as the effect created by Giant Growth, Glorious Anthem, or a +1/+1 counter) will continue to apply.