Earth-Origin Yak MTG Card

Treasure Chest (PZ2)
2016-11-16 - Number 70821

Earth-Origin Yak - Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)

Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)
2018-06-22 - Number 9

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Ox
Power	2
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Earth-Origin Yak excels in deck cycling and advancing players towards victory with added card momentum.
Offering mana ramp effects, it enhances your game by enabling earlier casting of impactful spells.
Acting at instant speed, the Yak allows players to swiftly navigate through strategic gameplay changes.

Text of card

When Earth-Origin Yak enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

Deep in the Northern Mountains, the yaks linger silently, channeling the powers of the earth.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Earth-Origin Yak card offers a significant boost when it comes to cycling your deck, granting the opportunity to delve further into your library and access more of your powerful spells and resources. Each time the Yak approaches the battlefield, its effect can provide increased card momentum essential for gaining the upper hand in critical phases of the match.

Resource Acceleration: The impressive Earth-Origin Yak doesn’t just stop at bolstering your hand but also contributes to on-field dynamics by potentially ramping up your mana resources. Its intrinsic abilities can act as a springboard, propelling you towards casting those game-altering spells sooner than your adversary can anticipate. This kind of advantage can often tilt the scales in your favor during the tug-of-war for board dominance.

Instant Speed: The true charm of this beastly card lies in its agility to act at instant speed, letting you adapt to the pace of the game without jeopardizing your strategic posture. With Earth-Origin Yak, you can deftly respond to your opponent’s moves or enhance your own position on the fly, ensuring you’re always a step ahead in the ceaseless dance of tactics that defines the MTG battleground.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Activating the abilities of Earth-Origin Yak often comes with the caveat of needing to discard another card. For players who are seeking to maintain card advantage, this can represent a significant drawback, as losing hand resources might not always coincide with their game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Earth-Origin Yak demands a particular combination of mana to cast. This requirement can be restrictive, making the card a challenging fit in multicolored decks or those that don’t primarily focus on the needed mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Having a higher mana cost than other creatures in its class, the Earth-Origin Yak can be a less tempting option when constructing a mana curve. The cost of fielding such a creature could outweigh its benefits, especially when there are alternatives that offer similar benefits for a lower investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Earth-Origin Yak brings a unique dynamic to the field as it can smoothly integrate into various deck archetypes that capitalize on creature synergies.

Combo Potential: Its ability to bolster fellow creatures’ toughness upon entry makes for great interactions with mechanics that rely on creature survivability and power boosts.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to adapt to widely employed ground-based strategies, the yak can be a resilient addition in formats where board presence and creature fortitude are key.

How to beat

The Earth-Origin Yak presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This creature card is a formidable presence, thanks to its substantial toughness and the inherent resilience it brings to the table. Key strategies to outmaneuver it include the utilization of removal spells that bypass its durability. Spells like Path to Exile or Murder are particularly effective, as they can remove the Yak regardless of its toughness.

Moreover, combat tricks that lower a creature’s toughness can be surprisingly effective as well. Enfeeblement or Dead Weight can turn the tide by weakening it sufficiently for your creatures to take it down. In addition, counter strategies that employ flying or reach creatures can also gain an advantage over the Earth-Origin Yak, which typically lacks evasion abilities.

Taking this multifaceted approach ensures that your gameplay remains dynamic and responsive. Whether you’re opting for removal, reduction, or evasion tactics, understanding the weaknesses of the Earth-Origin Yak is crucial for securing your victory in the game.

Cards like Earth-Origin Yak

Earth-Origin Yak provides a unique dynamic to creature play in Magic: The Gathering. This creature card finds its kinship with other creature buffs like Trusted Pegasus, both of which serve the purpose of enhancing fellow creatures. Earth-Origin Yak distinguishes itself with its ability to empower not just one but multiple creatures with consistent buffs. In contrast, Trusted Pegasus has a more singular focus – it grants flying to a single creature during attack.

Armored Wolf-Rider is another card that echoes the steadiness of Earth-Origin Yak, boasting significant toughness that can sustain your defense lines. Nonetheless, it lacks the supportive abilities found in Earth-Origin Yak, which bolsters the combat potential of your other creatures. Then there’s the Affectionate Indrik, whose entry to the battlefield has a direct impact by fighting an opponent’s card. However, unlike Earth-Origin Yak, the Indrik doesn’t offer any lasting perks for your creatures.

Evaluating these cards, Earth-Origin Yak carves a niche for itself in MTG, enabling players to construct a fortified front by sharing its strength among multiple allies, thereby increasing its strategic advantage on the battlefield.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Earth-Origin Yak MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling, 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 Earth-Origin Yak and other MTG cards: