Trade Caravan MTG Card
1995-10-01 - Number 19a
1995-10-01 - Number 19b
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Nomad |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
During your upkeep, put a currency counter on Trade Caravan. : Remove two currency counters from Trade Caravan to untap target basic land. Use this ability only during any opponent's upkeep.
Cards like Trade Caravan
Trade Caravan steps into the realm of resource management within Magic: The Gathering, sharing a thematic kinship with cards that focus on incremental gains. Looming large in the same category is the classic card Land Tax, revered for ensuring land drops and smoothing out a player’s mana curve. While Trade Caravan offers potential for consistent resource accrual, Land Tax guarantees land in hand, provided you’re trailing behind your opponent in this vital resource.
Then there’s Tithe Taker, a card with a deterrent effect against opponents during your turns, alongside leaving behind a resource when it leaves the field. Trade Caravan doesn’t impose such taxes or leave a lasting effect; its strength lies in its passive potential under the right conditions. Lastly, consider Courser of Kruphix, which allows for playing lands from the deck itself, directly impacting the board state, something the Caravan does not influence.
Recognizing the unique strengths and applications of each card is key for deckbuilders in Magic: The Gathering. Trade Caravan offers a subtle edge in resource management, but it may not be as immediately impactful as some of its more direct peers.
Cards similar to Trade Caravan by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Trade Caravan, while circumstantial, can potentially offer card advantage by amassing trade counters, eventually allowing you to untap more substantial lands or even secure key lands from being tapped down by opponents.
Resource Acceleration: This card has the potential to accelerate resources by untapping a land during each of your upkeeps, potentially boosting your mana availability for casting spells quicker than your opponents.
Instant Speed: Although Trade Caravan doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability triggers during the upkeep which can impact the board at a pseudo-instant speed rhythm, allowing for strategic planning equivalent to instant speed actions in certain scenarios.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To reap Trade Caravan’s benefits, players must abandon other potential plays by discarding cards, potentially causing a setback in the player’s hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Trade Caravan demands a precise mix of mana, which can be restrictive for decks that strategize around a broad spectrum of mana sources and might not always have the right combination at the critical moment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a somewhat hefty investment required to summon Trade Caravan, it’s worth considering alternatives that could provide greater value or more immediate impact on the game state for a similar cost.
Reasons to Include Trade Caravan in Your Collection
Versatility: Trade Caravan is flexible enough for a variety of deck builds, especially those that can capitalize on its ability to untap with storage counters for additional mana generation.
Combo Potential: This card can be part of intricate combos, working with cards that interact with counters or benefit from consistent untapping mechanisms.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where managing resources cleverly is key, Trade Caravan’s subtle mana stockpiling can be a sleeper hit against slower, resource-hungry strategies.
How to beat
Trade Caravan is an older creature card from the Homelands set in Magic: The Gathering that has a unique place in the game’s history. Primarily, its ability to accummulate storage counters to eventually create mana can be viewed as a slow but steady investment for future turns. Despite its capability to stockpile resources, Trade Caravan can be outmaneuvered by accelerating the pace of the game and applying pressure with faster strategies.
Cards that can eliminate creatures or disrupt the opponent’s board will make Trade Caravan less effective. For instance, using low-cost removal spells to target it before it gathers too many storage counters can halt its resource generation. Also, employing aggressive creatures can force the Trade Caravan owner to use mana for defense, interrupting their game plan. It is vital to keep in mind that Trade Caravan requires time to be profitable, so advancing your board state quickly and maintaining momentum will prevent it from becoming a significant threat.
Overall, analyzing the strengths and vulnerabilities of Trade Caravan can aid players in devising formidable strategies to counter this particular card, ensuring its impact on the battlefield is minimized and the course of victory remains clear.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Trade Caravan MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Homelands, 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 Trade Caravan and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Trade Caravan Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 1995-10-01. Illustrated by Kaja Foglio.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Trade Caravan has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |