Hidden Ancients MTG Card


Hidden Ancients - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number260
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDaren Bader

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by morphing into a creature while retaining hand resources.
  2. Contributes to resource acceleration by tapping for additional mana when transformed.
  3. Ability to morph at instant speed provides tactical flexibility in gameplay.

Text of card

When one of your opponents successfully casts an enchantment spell, if Hidden Ancients is an enchantment, Hidden Ancients becomes a 5/5 creature that counts as a Treefolk.

The only alert the invaders had was the rustling of leaves on a day without wind.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hidden Ancients offers a strategic edge by potentially transforming into a robust creature, granting you an assertive board presence without depleting hand resources. This transformation not only provides you with a valuable creature but also maintains your card advantage, a crucial aspect in outmaneuvering opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Once transformed, Hidden Ancients contributes to resource acceleration by enabling you to tap it for additional mana. This acceleration is a game-changer, allowing for more significant plays or faster deployment of other spells in your arsenal, ultimately propelling you ahead in the race for board dominance.

Instant Speed: The ability to morph at instant speed offers immense tactical flexibility. It allows you to adapt swiftly to the evolving game state, potentially unveiling a formidable creature on your opponent’s end step or after they’ve committed to an action, leaving them with fewer options to respond effectively.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The casting of Hidden Ancients necessitates the discard of another card. This can notably deplete your hand, especially detrimental during close matches when every card in hand can be a pivotal resource.

Specific Mana Cost: To bring Hidden Ancients into play, a commitment to green mana is required. This can present a deck-building challenge, as it restricts flexibility and necessitates a heavier focus on green mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a substantial cost for its deploy, Hidden Ancients may lag in efficiency when compared to other options on the battlefield. Players could find themselves at a disadvantage if they expend too much mana on this card instead of diversifying their in-game strategies with lower-cost cards that offer similar or greater impact.


Reasons to Include Hidden Ancients in Your Collection

Versatility: Hidden Ancients thrives in decks that capitalize on morph mechanics or in those that require defenders. Its ability to transition from a sturdy wall to a powerful creature offers flexibility in game play, adapting to various battlefield states.

Combo Potential: When combined with cards that allow you to turn creatures face up at a lower cost or repeatedly, Hidden Ancients can become a recurring threat. It has synergy with strategies that unveil hidden strengths at pivotal moments for a game-changing effect.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that favors prolonged matches or one teeming with deck archetypes that give you time to set up, Hidden Ancients can be a sleeper hit. Its unsuspected power growth can catch opponents off guard and turn the tides of a match.


How to beat

Hidden Ancients in MTG poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to morph into a formidable creature under the right conditions. When up against this card, timing and strategy are crucial. The key is to stay vigilant for the potential land transformation it triggers and have removal spells ready to dispatch the creature before it becomes a larger threat. Creatures with flying or unblockable abilities are also helpful as they can skirt around the grounded might of Hidden Ancients. Board control spells that manage to reset or affect multiple targets can prevent the Ancients from taking root, ideally sweeping them away before their transformation. Additionally, card availability to counteract abilities that transform Hidden Ancients, or disrupting the opponent’s mana base, can deter the activation of this latent giant. Recognize the looming power of Hidden Ancients and prepare to react swiftly and decisively.


Cards like Hidden Ancients

Hidden Ancients is a unique enchantment in the world of Magic the Gathering, reminiscent of creatures that transform under specific conditions. It stands parallel to cards like Lurking Predators which also reacts to opponents’ actions, specifically casting spells, and brings creatures onto the battlefield. However, Hidden Ancients brings a different twist with its morphing ability transforming into a potentially game-altering creature when an opponent casts an enchantment spell.

Another relative in function and surprise factor is Skinthinner. Much like Hidden Ancients, it lies in wait with its morph ability and transforms when the timing is right, providing removal utility. While Skinthinner offers a direct creature removal once flipped, Hidden Ancients takes a proactive board presence approach, becoming a powerful creature itself. Additionally, we can draw parallels to Icefeather Aven, which shares the morphing mechanic allowing for tactical plays, although it leans more towards tempo play by bouncing creatures to the owner’s hand.

Ultimately, while the MTG universe is rich with morph cards, few interact with enchantments directly as Hidden Ancients does, situating it in a niche that can lead to unpredictable and thrilling gameplay scenarios.

Lurking Predators - MTG Card versions
Skinthinner - MTG Card versions
Icefeather Aven - MTG Card versions
Lurking Predators - MTG Card versions
Skinthinner - MTG Card versions
Icefeather Aven - MTG Card versions

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Mark of Sakiko - MTG Card versions
Aspect of Wolf - MTG Card versions
Regeneration - MTG Card versions
Lifeforce - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Touch - MTG Card versions
Night Soil - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Library - MTG Card versions
Primal Rage - MTG Card versions
Survival of the Fittest - MTG Card versions
Crosswinds - MTG Card versions
Fortitude - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Grove - MTG Card versions
Treetop Bracers - MTG Card versions
Root Cage - MTG Card versions
Elfhame Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Compost - MTG Card versions
Thoughtleech - MTG Card versions
Weaver of Harmony - MTG Card versions
Shigeki, Jukai Visionary - MTG Card versions
Fertile Ground - MTG Card versions
Mark of Sakiko - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hidden Ancients MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Hidden Ancients and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hidden Ancients has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 It changes into a creature even if the spell is countered.
2004-10-04 When it turns into a creature, it is no longer an enchantment.
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.

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