Tower Above MTG Card

Tower Above offers card advantage and strategic instant speed play, enhancing gameplay with increased utility. Mana acceleration and land drops from Tower Above enable earlier deployment of high-cost threats. Despite its strategic benefits, Tower Above has a specific mana cost and requires discarding a card.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Number	131
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Thomas Denmark

Text of card

({2 G} can be paid with any two mana or with . This card's converted mana cost is 6.) Until end of turn, target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample, wither, and "When this creature attacks, target creature blocks it this turn if able." (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)

Cards like Tower Above

Tower Above stands out as a unique artifact in Magic: The Gathering, drawing parallels with other key cards that alter the dynamics of a match. Much like the famed Howling Mine, which provides an extra card during the draw step, Tower Above offers a different but equally compelling advantage. The key difference lies in Tower Above’s ability to selectively empower creatures while Howling Mine indiscriminately benefits all players.

When examining similar strategic assets, Mind’s Eye warrants attention. It provides a controlled method of drawing cards, albeit at a higher mana cost and activation requirement. Tower Above, by contrast, gives a recurring buff to creatures, potentially swinging the battlefield in your favor with its continuous activation potential. Another comparison can be made with The Immortal Sun, which provides an array of benefits, including cost reduction and additional card drawing. However, its legendary status and broader scope of abilities come at a considerable expense in terms of mana cost. This places Tower Above in an interesting position for players seeking a strategic edge without the commensurate high mana commitment.

In the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, Tower Above occupies a niche that provides creature enhancement at a repetitive pace, making it an intriguing alternative to the broader, yet more mana-intensive options available within the game’s vast arsenal of artifacts.

Cards similar to Tower Above by color, type and mana cost

Collective Unconscious - MTG Card versions

Tuinvale Treefolk // Oaken Boon - MTG Card versions

Strength of the Pack - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tower Above ensures a steady flow of utility, providing an upper hand by revealing the top two cards of your library, from which you can select one, putting it directly into your hand.

Resource Acceleration: This powerful enchantment can potentially ramp up your mana resources by granting additional land drops, making it easier to deploy your big threats ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Tower Above means you can operate on your opponent’s turn, leveraging its effects at the most opportune moments. Its instant speed offers a strategic edge, allowing you to respond swiftly to the evolving board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tower Above necessitates pitching a card, which can catapult you into a tricky spot should your hand be lacking in quantity.

Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Tower Above demands exact mana alignment, potentially complicating its integration into multi-color deck strategies that might not always have the required resources at the ready.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of six mana to field this creature, some players may find the cost steep relative to other creatures or spells that could provide a more immediate impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tower Above is a highly adaptable card that can seamlessly integrate into various deck archetypes. Whether you’re running a control deck that focuses on late-game dominance or a midrange setup that values robust creatures, Tower Above offers tactical advantages that can shift the tide of the game in your favor.

Combo Potential: With its potential to bolster your creatures significantly, Tower Above can act as the lynchpin in combos that deliver overwhelming blows to opponents. This MTG card’s ability to synergize with cards that thrive on creature strength or have effects when creatures are buffed can create game-winning interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to turn even the most modest creatures into formidable threats, Tower Above has its place in a meta where board presence is key. In environments dominated by creature-based strategies, having Tower Above in your arsenal could give you the upper hand, making it a valuable addition to your collection.

How to beat

Tower Above is a card that presents a unique challenge on the MTG battlefield. Conquering this card calls for a strategic approach. Key to this tactic is understanding the mechanic that allows Tower Above to harness the power of your creatures against you. Employing instant-speed removal spells like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy before Tower Above’s ability resolves can effectively neutralize the threat. Another strategy is to limit the number of creatures you control, thus reducing the avenues through which Tower Above can affect you.

It’s also beneficial to manipulate combat by using tricks or spells that can alter blocking assignments or attribute changes. This can minimize or even eliminate the damage Tower Above can inflict. Moreover, keeping a vigilant eye on graveyard recursion is vital to ensure that Tower Above doesn’t repeatedly come back to haunt you. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can be instrumental in keeping Tower Above at bay, not just on the battlefield but also from returning altogether.

Whether it’s through timely removal, strategic play, or graveyard control, understanding and anticipating your opponent’s moves makes all the difference when facing off against Tower Above in your MTG games.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tower Above MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Tower Above and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tower Above has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-05-01	A card with a monocolored hybrid mana symbol in its mana cost is each of the colors that appears in its mana cost, regardless of what mana was spent to cast it. Thus, Tower Above is green even if you spend six white mana to cast it.
2008-05-01	A card with monocolored hybrid mana symbols in its mana cost has a converted mana cost equal to the highest possible cost it could be cast for. Its converted mana cost never changes. Thus, Tower Above has a converted mana cost of 6, even if you spend to cast it.
2008-05-01	If a cost includes more than one monocolored hybrid mana symbol, you can choose a different way to pay for each symbol. For example, you can pay for Tower Above by spending , , , or .
2008-05-01	If an effect reduces the cost to cast a spell by an amount of generic mana, it applies to a monocolored hybrid spell only if you’ve chosen a method of paying for it that includes generic mana.
2008-05-01	When the creature affected by Tower Above attacks, you can target any creature on the battlefield with the triggered ability. However, if the creature you target can’t block the creature affected by Tower Above (for example, because the attacking creature has flying and the other one doesn’t, or because both creatures are controlled by the same player), the triggered ability does nothing. In that case, the creature you targeted is free to block whichever creature its controller chooses, or block no creatures at all.