Spreading Algae MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Spreading Algae excels in disrupting an opponent’s mana base by destroying tapped Swamps, tilting resource balance in your favor.
  2. This enchantment card operates at instant speed, ready to surprise opponents and shape the game’s strategic flow.
  3. Despite its strengths, Spreading Algae’s mana cost and color specificity can limit its inclusion in diverse deck builds.

Text of card

Play Spreading Algae only on a swamp. When enchanted land becomes tapped, destroy that land. When Spreading Algae is put into a graveyard from play, return Spreading Algae to owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spreading Algae offers an edge by potentially destroying your opponent’s land each time it becomes tapped, denying them crucial resources and potentially leaving you with the upper hand in the resource game.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating your own resources, Spreading Algae disrupts your opponent’s lands, effectively giving you a relative acceleration in the resources available to you versus your opponent as they lose access to their lands.

Instant Speed: This card works at the speed of the game – it triggers whenever the enchanted swamp is tapped, not just on your turn. This immediate response can catch opponents off guard and force them to play around the Algae, changing the pace and strategy of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Even though Spreading Algae doesn’t ask a player to discard directly, it can potentially force a discard if it’s destroyed while the land it’s attached to is still in play. This could be problematic if the affected land is crucial to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Spreading Algae requires black mana to cast, which may not align well with multicolored decks that don’t focus on black mana sources. It can be a limiting factor for decks that cannot consistently produce the necessary black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be considered steep for its effect, Spreading Algae might not always be the most mana-efficient choice. Players can sometimes find alternative cards that disrupt opponents’ lands for less mana or offer additional benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spreading Algae showcases adaptability by targeting any Swamp, not just those your opponent controls. This makes it a strategic asset in various deck builds, especially in matches where you anticipate facing decks with Swamps or utilizing land animation.

Combo Potential: This card can wreak havoc when combined with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, which turns all lands into Swamps, or with cards that force land type changes. These interactions underscore its power to disrupt opponents and generate a substantial advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments heavy with black mana decks or ones that rely on specific land types, Spreading Algae can be an effective sideboard card. It finds its place in the meta by preying on the prevalence of Swamp-reliant decks, potentially locking down an opponent’s mana base.


How to beat

Spreading Algae is a unique card that brings a tactical edge to the battlefield in MTG. Attaching to Swamp lands, it can dismantle an opponent’s mana base when said Swamp is destroyed. The fact that Spreading Algae returns to its owner’s hand upon the land’s destruction can create a loop that’s tough to break. To overcome this repetitive hurdle, it’s wise to minimize the reliance on Swamps. Nonbasic lands immune to the card’s condition or land destruction negation strategies are practical solutions. Additionally, running enchantment removal or cards that grant your Swamps indestructible status will neutralize Spreading Algae’s debilitating effect. This is where sideboarding strategies and versatile deck construction come into play.

Consider including cards like Naturalize or Disenchant to swiftly remove Spreading Algae from the field. Alternatively, sustaining a varied mana base with the inclusion of cards like Chromatic Lantern can help mitigate the impact of losing a Swamp. Cards like Pithing Needle, which shut down triggered abilities, can also be an indirect yet effective countermeasure. By being flexible and vigilant in your strategy against Spreading Algae, you can turn the tides and keep your lands safe from this creeping threat.


Cards like Spreading Algae

Spreading Algae shines in Magic: The Gathering as a unique enchantment card with a destructive edge. It shares some similarities with Contaminated Ground, which also hampers an opponent’s land. However, Spreading Algae steps further by completely destroying the targeted swamp land when tapped, an attribute Contaminated Ground does not possess.

Another parallel can be drawn with Icequake and Choking Sands, both of which are designed to destroy lands. Unlike these, Spreading Algae has the potential to be a recurring threat. Each time the enchanted swamp is destroyed and hits the graveyard, Spreading Algae returns to the owner’s hand, ready to be played again. This repeatable aspect sets it apart from one-time land destruction spells.

Evaluating Spreading Algae alongside its counterparts in the realm of land disruption, it stands out for its potential for repeated use. This strategic edge can continuously set back the opponent’s mana base, making it an underhanded but efficient weapon in land-targeted control decks in Magic: The Gathering.

Contaminated Ground - MTG Card versions
Icequake - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Contaminated Ground - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Icequake - Ice Age (ICE)
Choking Sands - Mirage (MIR)

Cards similar to Spreading Algae by color, type and mana cost

Web - MTG Card versions
Living Artifact - MTG Card versions
Fastbond - MTG Card versions
Wild Growth - MTG Card versions
Instill Energy - MTG Card versions
Cocoon - MTG Card versions
Concordant Crossroads - MTG Card versions
Elven Fortress - MTG Card versions
Earthlore - MTG Card versions
Revelation - MTG Card versions
Carapace - MTG Card versions
Gift of the Woods - MTG Card versions
Mortal Wound - MTG Card versions
Spider Climb - MTG Card versions
Elephant Grass - MTG Card versions
Storm Front - MTG Card versions
Bequeathal - MTG Card versions
Elven Palisade - MTG Card versions
Predatory Hunger - MTG Card versions
Hidden Spider - MTG Card versions
Web - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Living Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Fastbond - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Wild Growth - Fallout (PIP)
Instill Energy - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Cocoon - Legends (LEG)
Concordant Crossroads - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Elven Fortress - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Earthlore - Ice Age (ICE)
Revelation - Chronicles (CHR)
Carapace - Homelands (HML)
Gift of the Woods - Alliances (ALL)
Mortal Wound - Visions (VIS)
Spider Climb - Visions (VIS)
Elephant Grass - Visions (VIS)
Storm Front - Tempest (TMP)
Bequeathal - Exodus (EXO)
Elven Palisade - Exodus (EXO)
Predatory Hunger - Exodus (EXO)
Hidden Spider - Urza's Saga (USG)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spreading Algae MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Eighth Edition, 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 Spreading Algae and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spreading Algae Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2003-07-28. Illustrated by Stephen Daniele.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 2741997normalblackStephen Daniele
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2812003normalwhiteStephen Daniele
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 281★2003normalblackStephen Daniele

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spreading Algae has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-04-01 This card now has Enchant Swamp, which works exactly like any other Enchant ability. This means it can only be cast targeting a Swamp, and it will be put into its owner’s graveyard if the permanent it’s attached to ever stops being a Swamp.

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