Taunting Arbormage MTG Card

Taunting Arbormage grants combat control, potentially eliminating key opponent creatures with its kicker ability. Instant speed usage offers strategic flexibility during combat, enhancing its tactical value in games. While powerful, it requires a sizable mana investment and strategic resource allocation for maximum effectiveness.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elf Wizard
Abilities	Kicker
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	212
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Cristi Balanescu

Text of card

Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) When Taunting Arbormage enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, all creatures able to block target creature this turn do so.

"Eyes on me!"

Cards like Taunting Arbormage

Taunting Arbormage emerges as an intriguing utility creature within Magic: The Gathering’s broad spectrum of game mechanics. It can be compared to cards like Treetop Ambusher, which offers the Dashing ability to temporarily boost other creatures. However, Taunting Arbormage’s standout feature is the power to force multiple opponents’ creatures to block it, paving the way for a clear attack for your other creatures.

Exploring the theme further, we can look to cards such as Irresistible Prey which, like Taunting Arbormage, mandates that creatures block if able. Irresistible Prey, though, lacks the creature presence that the Arbormage provides. On the other hand, there’s Prized Unicorn, a creature with a similar “all creatures able must block” mechanic. Prized Unicorn, however, doesn’t offer the flexibility of choosing when to engage the ability, as it is active only when it attacks, contrasting with Taunting Arbormage’s triggered ability upon casting.

After careful consideration, Taunting Arbormage claims a competitive position among MTG cards that manipulate blocking. Its unique blend of creature and forced block ability gives it an edge in strategic deck building, particularly in the green mana space where combat tricks reign supreme.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Taunting Arbormage leverages card advantage with its kicker ability. When kicked, it can force multiple blockers to engage it, potentially resulting in a favorable combat phase where you take out key opponent creatures.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly serving as resource acceleration, this card synergizes well with decks that capitalize on landfall or creature-count advantages. By dictating how your opponent blocks, you can set up your board for subsequent plays that accelerate your resources.

Instant Speed: Taunting Arbormage’s ability to influence combat at instant speed gives players tactical flexibility. You can cast it during the declare blockers step, which can drastically alter the outcome of the combat and disrupt your opponent’s strategy. This reactive utility helps turn the tide during pivotal moments in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Taunting Arbormage does not require a discard, it does mandate a strategic allocation of resources which can sometimes be as detrimental as a card discard, especially when hoping to maximize its kicker effect.

Specific Mana Cost: Taunting Arbormage necessitates two green mana for casting, potentially restricting its inclusion to decks heavily reliant on green sources or those with excellent mana fixing capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost of three mana and additional two green mana for its kicker ability, the total five mana investment for it’s optimal use may be regarded as excessive ·compared to other utility creatures of similar effect within the game’s extensive card pool.

Reasons to Include Taunting Arbormage in Your Collection

Versatility: Taunting Arbormage’s flexibility stems from its ability to serve multiple roles. It can act as a game-changer by compelling opponents to block, which can be woven into various green-centric or multicolor decks seeking to manage the battlefield and safeguard valuable creatures.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with effects that benefit from forced combat, like cards with deathtouch or those that deal damage to blocked creatures. It also pairs well with effects that discourage blocking, setting up locked battles that are advantageous for you.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing environment where creature-based strategies are favored, Taunting Arbormage can be a tactical inclusion. By directing blockers, it can dismantle opponents’ defenses and lead to impactful swings in board state, making it a strategic asset in creature-heavy metas.

How to beat

Taunting Arbormage can be a tricky card to navigate in Magic: The Gathering. Its primary function forces an opponent’s creature to block if able, which can potentially dismantle defensive strategies or remove key creatures from your opponent’s board. However, there are strategies to mitigate the impact of this green creature and maintain control over the battlefield.

One effective approach is to maintain a board presence with multiple creatures. This diffuses the effect of Taunting Arbormage, ensuring that the forced block is less consequential. Removal spells are also highly effective; by removing the Arbormage before combat, its ability becomes a non-factor. Another strategy includes playing creatures with deathtouch or high toughness values, disincentivizing the opponent from using the Arbormage’s ability or turning it into a disadvantage for them. Lastly, instant-speed interaction, such as bounce spells or instant removal, can disrupt combos that involve the Arbormage, securing your defensive position and leaving the opponent without their planned blocker.

In essence, while Taunting Arbormage presents a unique challenge, adequate preparation and strategic play can ensure that its effect on the game swings in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Taunting Arbormage MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Taunting Arbormage and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Taunting Arbormage has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2020-09-25	If a creature the defending player controls can’t block the target creature for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn’t block that creature. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature block the attacking creature, the defending player isn’t forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to block in that case either.
2020-09-25	If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was.
2020-09-25	If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it.
2020-09-25	Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.”
2020-09-25	Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
2020-09-25	To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2020-09-25	You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once.