Swarmyard MTG Card
2006-10-06 - Number 278
2021-03-19 - Number 284
2019-12-02 - Number 199
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Regenerate target Insect, Rat, Spider, or Squirrel.
Where scavengers nest in hollowed-out rib cages and chittering crawlers peer from empty eye sockets, few dare to trespass.
Cards like Swarmyard
Swarmyard is an intriguing land card that offers a unique resilience for certain creature types within Magic: The Gathering. Positioned alongside lands like Yavimaya Hollow, its ability to regenerate target Insect, Rat, Spider, or Squirrel veers into a niche yet impactful area of utility. Yavimaya Hollow protects any creature at the cost of mana, while Swarmyard specializes, providing the same defense without a mana cost, but to a limited group.
This characteristic brings to mind Haven of the Spirit Dragon, which supports Dragon creatures and the Ojutai planeswalker by either providing color mana or bringing them back from the graveyard. Haven, like Swarmyard, provides added value beyond mere mana production and delves into creature support. Unlike Haven, Swarmyard’s regeneration is instantaneous, saving creatures from destruction on the spot, which can be a game-changer especially for decks revolving around its supported tribes.
Drawing parallels in the realm of specialized utility lands, Swarmyard showcases a situational advantage where it shines by turning what might be considered weaker creatures into stubborn threats. This feature sets it uniquely apart in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, carving its niche among cards that bolster creature survivability.
Cards similar to Swarmyard by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Swarmyard offers a unique form of card advantage by allowing you to regenerate key creatures, effectively negating the need to replace them and maintaining your board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly generating mana, Swarmyard’s activation cost is relatively low, swiftly bringing back creatures at the cost of tapping, ensuring your resources are not depleted and your tempo is kept up.
Instant Speed: Its regeneration ability can be activated at instant speed, providing strategic defense against surprise removals or combat tricks, thus safeguarding your valuable insects, rats, spiders, and squirrels when it matters most.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While no discard is directly mandated by Swarmyard, this lands’ ability synergizes with creature types that might push a deck towards strategies that require discard, which could potentially decrease hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Swarmyard’s regenerating ability requires tapping, consequently limiting this land’s utility for mana generation in the same turn, which can be crucial in fast-paced gameplay.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: If a player’s deck does not heavily utilize the creature types supported by Swarmyard (Rat, Squirrel, Insect, or Spider), its inclusion may constitute a higher opportunity cost in deck construction due to the sacrifice of slots that could be filled with more versatile or cost-efficient lands.
Reasons to Include Swarmyard in Your Collection
Versatility: Swarmyard offers a unique utility by protecting key creature types such as Insects, Rats, Spiders, and Squirrels. This can be a game changer in decks that revolve around these types, allowing your pivotal creatures to survive board wipes and targeted removal.
Combo Potential: In decks built around synergy with these creature types, Swarmyard can be the backbone that enables intricate combos to unfold uninterrupted. Its regenerative ability can maintain critical creatures for recurring combo pieces.
Meta-Relevance: Whenever creature-based strategies are prevalent, Swarmyard gains significant value. Its capability to consistently protect important creatures in such a deck makes it a clever inclusion that can give you an edge against opponents relying on creature interaction.
How to beat
Swarmyard is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering that presents a resilient strategy for players. This land provides the unconventional ability to regenerate certain creature types, specifically Rats, Insects, Spiders, and Squirrels. With regeneration being a powerful mechanic that can save creatures from destruction, combating a deck that effectively utilizes Swarmyard can be challenging. However, there are strategies to overcome this card’s defensive capabilities.
One approach to beat Swarmyard is by using cards that bypass the regeneration shield. Board wipes that exile or force a player to sacrifice creatures are excellent tools, as regeneration only works against destruction. Cards like Wrath of God or Final Judgement can efficiently clear the board, while targeted exile spells like Path to Exile or Dark Banishing render Swarmyard’s ability irrelevant. Land destruction or land control spells are also effective against Swarmyard. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Tectonic Edge can remove Swarmyard from play, disrupting your opponent’s game plan.
To conclude, understanding and countering the mechanics behind Swarmyard is essential. Incorporating exile, sacrifice, and land disruption strategies into your deck can help maintain control over your opponent and secure your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Swarmyard MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Swarmyard and other MTG cards:
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- 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 Swarmyard Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral | TSP | 278 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Thomas M. Baxa | |
| 2 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 199 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | ||
| 3 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 284 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Thomas M. Baxa |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Swarmyard has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |