People of the Woods MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human
Released	1994-08-01
Set symbol
Set name	The Dark
Set code	DRK
Power	1
Toughness	*
Number	83
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Drew Tucker

Key Takeaways

For decks rich in forests, this card grows stronger, enhancing your battlefield presence and resilience.
Requires a forest-heavy strategy, which might limit deck building and tactical versatility.
In land-focused metagames, it evolves into a formidable and increasingly tough creature.

Text of card

The * below represents the number of forests controlled by People of the Woods' controller.

"Their rain of arrows left only myself alive, cowering within a tree hollow. They did not even come out to loot the bodies." —Vervamon the Elder

Card Pros

Card Advantage: People of the Woods shines in terms of resilience and endurance. Over time, this creature can contribute to a steady advantage by working in tandem with the forest lands you control, leading to a formidable defense that can deter opponents from attacking.

Resource Acceleration: This card benefits from a deck’s ramp strategies, which typically increase the number of forests in play. With more forests, the People of the Woods can become a substantial presence on the board, indirectly accelerating your resources through enhanced board state.

Instant Speed: While the People of the Woods operates at sorcery speed, its strength in synergy with instant-speed land-fetch spells is noteworthy. This allows you to potentially boost its toughness unpredictably during combat or in response to removal, catching an adversary off-guard and turning the tides in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: People of the Woods demands a specific board state—having a number of Forest cards in play—to be truly effective. This condition often requires players to tailor their strategies and deck compositions, potentially discarding other plans.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost necessitates the use of green mana. This could restrict deck-building options, as running it in a multi-colored deck might lead to consistency issues if green mana sources are not readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: People of the Woods comes with a substantial mana investment for its toughness ability. In a fast-paced game, the return on this investment may not measure up, particularly when other creatures with static toughness may provide immediate defensive utility without conditional requirements.

Reasons to Include People of the Woods in Your Collection

Versatility: People of the Woods offers a unique dynamic to green decks through its toughness determined by the number of Forests you control. This makes it adaptable to various strategies, whether you’re bolstering your defenses or needing a dependable creature that scales with your land count.

Combo Potential: Its synergy with land-centric mechanics and cards that enhance forest count, like Nissa, Who Shakes the World, enables powerful combinations that reinforce both your offensive and defensive game plans.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where land ramp strategies thrive, People of the Woods can become a valuable asset, growing stronger with each forest played and serving as a deterrent to opponents considering ground assaults.

How to beat

People of the Woods is a unique creature card steeped in folklore within the Magic: The Gathering universe. Its power is directly tied to the number of Forest cards you control, making it a variable threat that can grow with each new Forest you play. This dependency on lands gives it a potential advantage, particularly in decks dense with forests.

The key to overcoming People of the Woods lies in disrupting this land-based synergy. Land destruction cards or those that change land types can effectively neutralize the strength granted by forests. Additionally, strategies that limit the number of lands an opponent can have in play or include effects that lessen the benefits of land types are exceptionally effective against this card. Direct removal spells that bypass toughness, such as those with “destroy” effects or “exile” effects, can also swiftly handle this creature regardless of the number of forests backing it up.

To decisively beat People of the Woods, it’s crucial to implement a multifaceted approach that includes land interference and creature removal tactics. By using this strategy, you maintain control of the battlefield and render your opponent’s People of the Woods significantly less intimidating.

Cards like People of the Woods

People of the Woods is an intriguing card from the earlier sets of Magic: The Gathering, standing out with its own unique spin on creature resilience. A creature like Llanowar Augur shares some similarities, offering benefits tied to the forests you control, boosting other creatures rather than itself. While both cards hold a symbiotic relationship with forests, the key difference lies in their risk and reward balance. People of the Woods gains toughness directly proportional to the number of forests in play, potentially outlasting Llanowar Augur’s fixed stats.

Taking another comparison, Treefolk Seedlings also has the forest-dependent toughness feature, making it a close relative to People of the Woods. However, Seedlings’ base toughness starts higher, offering immediate resistance to early damage. This subtle discrepancy points to the Seedlings being more robust from the outset, as opposed to People of the Woods which takes time to grow in strength.

Ultimately, while there are creature cards in MTG that echo the mechanics of People of the Woods, each has its individual strengths and adaptations, making People of the Woods a uniquely evolving threat on the battlefield, especially in land-rich decks that maximize forest counts.

Cards similar to People of the Woods by color, type and mana cost

Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions

Llanowar Loamspeaker - MTG Card versions

Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions

Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - MTG Card versions

Wren's Run Vanquisher - MTG Card versions

Oran-Rief Survivalist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase People of the Woods MTG card by a specific set like The Dark, 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 People of the Woods and other MTG cards: