Rootwater Matriarch MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Merfolk
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. The Matriarch offers tactical edge by converting opponent’s creatures into personal assets, influencing match outcomes.
  2. High mana demands and lack of speed may impede deck versatility, asking for thorough strategic deck construction.
  3. MTG players value Rootwater Matriarch for its combo potential and deterrent effect in creature-centric metas.

Text of card

oc T: Gain control of target creature as long as that creature has any enchantments on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Rootwater Matriarch lets you leverage your opponent’s creatures as bargaining chips, providing a strategic upper hand. By taking control of tapped creatures, you can potentially turn the tides by utilizing the opponent’s resources against them. This kind of control is pivotal in games that drag into longer battles where every card in play can determine the winner.

Resource Acceleration: Though this card itself does not accelerate resources directly, by gaining control of your opponent’s creatures, you effectively deny them their resources while potentially accessing additional abilities and attacks. This displacement of power can act like a form of indirect acceleration as you strengthen your board presence with your opponent’s assets.

Instant Speed: While Rootwater Matriarch operates at sorcery speed, its continuous effect dictates gameplay much like that of an instant. The mere presence of the Matriarch can be enough to force your opponent to reconsider their strategies, especially when it comes to tapping their creatures. This sort of psychological advantage and board control can be as effective as the most well-timed instant, giving you a significant strategic edge in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rootwater Matriarch’s ability to take control of creatures comes with a notable downside: the necessity to tap both the Matriarch and the targeted creature. This precludes any additional combat or utility uses of the creatures for that turn, potentially leaving you vulnerable.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring three blue mana in its cost, Rootwater Matriarch may not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks. Players must consider their mana base carefully, as a heavy blue commitment can restrict the deckbuilding flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including three that must be blue, the Matriarch carries a high cost for her effect. In decks focused on tempo or efficiency, this may be seen as a drawback, especially when compared to other creature control cards that might have lower and more flexible mana requirements.


Reasons to Include Rootwater Matriarch in Your Collection

Versatility: The Rootwater Matriarch is not just another creature card; it’s a key that unlocks various paths in gameplay. It can slide into control decks or those focusing on permanent manipulation, bringing an element of surprise and adaptability to your tabletop battles.

Combo Potential: With the ability to gain control of your opponent’s creatures simply by tapping, Rootwater Matriarch synergizes with cards that benefit from controlling multiple creatures. Unleash devastating combos by seizing the best your opponent has to offer and turning their assets against them.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies dominate, having the Rootwater Matriarch gives you an edge. It serves as a deterrent against opposing threats and can shift the tide of the game by taking control of key creatures, making it a strategic addition to your collection.


How to beat

Rootwater Matriarch presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to gain control of tapped creatures. Strategically, it becomes essential to manage your board and the state of your creatures. Unlike cards that permanently take control, the Matriarch’s power hinges on the creatures being tapped, so one straightforward approach is to simply avoid attacking with valuable creatures if the threat of the Matriarch looms on the horizon.

Another tactic involves utilizing instant-speed removals or creature abilities that can untap your own creatures either during your turn or in response to the Matriarch’s ability being activated. Cards like Vitalize or Benefactor’s Draught could unexpectedly turn the tables. Finally, employing hexproof or shroud can prevent Rootwater Matriarch from targeting your creatures altogether, securing your side of the field from unwarranted takeovers.

Given these strategies, the Matriarch, while potentially game-changing, can be mitigated effectively with proper planning and reflexive play, ensuring that her presence on the field doesn’t dictate the pace and power balance of the game.


Understanding Rootwater Matriarch

Within the deep lore and complex mechanics of Magic: The Gathering, certain cards stand out for their unique abilities, and Rootwater Matriarch is one such gem. This rare blue creature from the Tempest set can seize control of your opponent’s tapped creatures indefinitely, making it a formidable tool for turning the tables in your favor. With a casting cost of three generic and one blue mana, it’s a card players should be wary of when making strategic decisions during gameplay.

Cards like Rootwater Matriarch

Rootwater Matriarch shares its creature-controlling characteristics with several noteworthy peers. Sower of Temptation is a card that offers an immediate impact by taking control of creatures the moment it enters the battlefield. However, the control is lost if Sower leaves play. Conversely, Rootwater Matriarch provides a more permanent solution but requires the targets to be tapped. Control Magic, an enchantment option, similarly takes control of a creature, but it can target untapped creatures and, like Sower, control is dependent on the enchantment’s presence on the battlefield.

Another card in the conversation is Beguiler of Wills. This card’s power grows with the number of creatures you control, allowing for the potential theft of multiple creatures over time, but it takes a significant setup to utilize effectively. Conversely, Rootwater Matriarch’s ability to snatch creatures is consistent, reliant only on the opposition’s tactical maneuvers. Each of these cards offers distinct strategic advantages, yet Rootwater Matriarch stands out for its continuous control and unique interaction with tapped creatures within the realm of Magic: The Gathering.

Rootwater Matriarch’s specialized ability to turn an opponent’s resources into your own makes it a fascinating choice, particularly in blue control decks that can consistently tap opposing creatures. Its balance of cost and effect makes it a card worth considering for players who enjoy the psychological edge of controlling opponents’ pieces.

Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Beguiler of Wills - MTG Card versions
Sower of Temptation - Lorwyn (LRW)
Control Magic - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Beguiler of Wills - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Cards similar to Rootwater Matriarch by color, type and mana cost

Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Wall of Vapor - Chronicles (CHR)
Tradewind Rider - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Archivist - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Thieving Magpie - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Inga Rune-Eyes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Laboratory Drudge - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Johnny, Combo Player - Unhinged (UNH)
Dream Prowler - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Clone - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Cytoplast Manipulator - Dissension (DIS)
Crookclaw Transmuter - Time Spiral (TSP)
Turtleshell Changeling - Lorwyn (LRW)
Glen Elendra Archmage - Eventide (EVE)
Fatestitcher - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Argent Sphinx - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Lumengrid Drake - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Vedalken Infuser - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Phantasmal Dragon - Magic 2012 (M12)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rootwater Matriarch MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Tenth Edition, 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 Rootwater Matriarch and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rootwater Matriarch Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-10-14TempestTMP 831997normalblackRandy Gallegos
22007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1032003normalblackDaren Bader

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rootwater Matriarch has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Can target an unenchanted creature but has no effect on that creature.
2005-08-01 A creature is “enchanted” if it has any Auras attached to it.
2007-07-15 Unlike many similar creatures, Rootwater Matriarch untaps as normal during your untap step. Whether it’s tapped or untapped has no bearing on the control-change effect.
2009-02-01 The control effect applies so long as at least one Aura is attached to the creature, and will continue to apply even if Rootwater Matriarch has left the battlefield. The effect ends if at any time the creature has no Auras on it.

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