Magnetic Web MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set name	Tempest
Set code	TMP
Number	295
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Rex

Key Takeaways

Magnetic Web grants card advantage by imposing attack/block limitations, requiring opponents to overcommit resources.
Instant deployment of Magnetic Web can disrupt opponents, allowing strategic mana reservation and maximizing turn efficiency.
While it offers unique control, its specific cost and discard requirement limit its inclusion in diverse decks.

Text of card

If any creature with any magnet counters on it attacks, all creatures with magnet counters on them that the attacking player controls attack if able. If any creature with any magnet counters on it attacks, all creatures with magnet counters on them that the defending player controls block that creature if able. o1, oc T: Put a magnet counter on target creature.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Magnetic Web’s unique ability to control the flow of the battlefield by setting restrictive conditions on attacking and blocking can lead to a significant card advantage. As opponents are forced to commit more resources to overcome the limitations imposed by Magnetic Web, players can capitalize on this by retaining card superiority.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or tokens, Magnetic Web has the potential to indirectly accelerate resources. By creating a taxing environment for creature-based strategies, it can buy time for players to develop their mana base and further their game plan without immediate pressure.

Instant Speed: This artifact operates continuously once on the battlefield. However, being able to deploy it at the end of an opponent’s turn before it significantly impacts the game plan can be a strategic advantage. This allows players to reserve mana for responses and then establish Magnetic Web when the moment is opportune, ensuring maximum efficiency for their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Magnetic Web card stipulates the discard of another card from your hand, which can put players at a disadvantage, especially in game situations where hand size is critically low.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes colorless and double blue, Magnetic Web can be somewhat restrictive as it necessitates a solid blue mana base, thereby potentially excluding it from a variety of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a mana cost of three, including two blue mana, its cost-effectiveness is debatable when compared to other options available within the same mana range that might provide immediate impact or more versatile utility on the battlefield.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Magnetic Web is a unique artifact that can adapt to various play styles, fitting seamlessly into decks that capitalize on creature control or those which aim to manipulate combat to their advantage.

Combo Potential: This card holds significant combo potential in decks that focus on tapping and untapping mechanisms or ones that benefit from symmetrical effects, creating opportunities for creative and unexpected plays.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-based strategies commonly seen in play, Magnetic Web can act as a subtle yet powerful tool to disrupt opponent formations, making it a strong sideboard candidate or even a main deck inclusion in the right meta.

How to beat

Overcoming the persistent snare of Magnetic Web in Magic: The Gathering requires a calculated strategy. This artifact forces thoughtfulness about the deployment of your creatures on the battlefield. The key lies in managing the field and pacing your creature spells. Since the web regulates combat by tethering creatures together in an attack or block, strategic planning can turn the tables. It’s important to handle your creature pool wisely, electing when to commit to the battlefield or hold back for a more opportune moment.

Removal spells can serve as an effective countermeasure for Magnetic Web. Direct artifact destruction spells or flexible options that target any nonland permanent are valuable. Cards such as Disenchant or Naturalize can efficiently dismantle the web, liberating your creatures from its constraints. Moreover, choosing creatures with abilities that negate or bypass such effects also showcases an adept adaptation. Hence, it’s not only about bringing your creatures into play but also curating a deck capable of neutralizing or circumventing enchantments and artifacts that could stall your strategy.

To summarize, while Magnetic Web may dictate certain combat stipulations, success against it stems from adept deck construction and the judicious timing of creature and spell plays. Suitable removal and selective creature capabilities can deftly clear the tangled restrictions it imposes on the battlefield.

Cards like Magnetic Web

Magnetic Web is a unique enchantment within the MTG universe. At a glance, it may remind players of other cards that manipulate combat, like the artifact Silent Arbiter which also constrains the number of creatures attacking or blocking. However, Magnetic Web requires a broader strategic approach. It affects all creatures with the potential to ensnare multiple targets, unlike Silent Arbiter which clearly dictates only one-on-one skirmishes.

Netter en-Dal shares similarities to Magnetic Web by selectively affecting combat engagements, yet it offers a more precise control being an activated ability that requires mana payment. Moreover, it upholds the tradition of targeting individuals, thus not providing the expansive control over the battlefield that Magnetic Web does. Arena is another classic card that doesn’t directly alter the quantity of combatants but forces individual creature battles, giving players a tool to remove threats similar to Magnetic Web but in a more controlled and piecemeal fashion.

When examining their utility and tactical advantage, Magnetic Web positions itself distinctively. Its capability to impact the whole board simultaneously provides a different layer of strategy, setting it apart from its peers and highlighting its inclusion to players looking for wide-reaching control in their MTG arsenal.

Cards similar to Magnetic Web by color, type and mana cost

Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magnetic Web MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Magnetic Web and other MTG cards: