Veinfire Borderpost MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 2009-04-30 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alara Reborn |
| Set code | ARB |
| Number | 48 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ralph Horsley |
Text of card
You may pay and return a basic land you control to its owner's hand rather than pay Veinfire Borderpost's mana cost. Veinfire Borderpost comes into play tapped. : Add or to your mana pool.
Cards like Veinfire Borderpost
Veinfire Borderpost gains attention in the realm of flexible mana resources in Magic: The Gathering. Its parallels are evident when considering cards like Fieldmist Borderpost and Mistvein Borderpost. Each of these shares the same alternative casting cost, allowing players to pay one mana of any color and bounce a basic land back to hand instead of paying the mana cost printed on the card. This provides a unique tempo play, retaining land drops while fixing mana.
Moreover, looking at Firewild Borderpost and Wildfield Borderpost, we find a continuation of this trend, with each variant offering different color mana alignments. While they don’t provide acceleration in the same way traditional mana rocks like Dimir Signet or Izzet Signet would, the Borderposts do offer deck thinning and fixing, which can be pivotal for multicolor decks.
As we delve deeper, it becomes evident that Veinfire Borderpost, with its specific black and red mana provision, caters to aggressive styles, particularly for decks that capitalize on the return to hand mechanic or benefit from having artifacts in play. Thus, it stands out in its role supporting both mana consistency and deck synergy.
Cards similar to Veinfire Borderpost by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Veinfire Borderpost can be played using its alternate cost, effectively letting you cycle a land card from your hand and maintaining card parity. This can keep your hand flush with options while developing your board.
Resource Acceleration: As a mana fixer, Veinfire Borderpost allows for smoother plays by giving you access to multiple colors of mana. This can be especially crucial in multicolored decks that require consistent and flexible mana sources to execute their strategy effectively.
Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, Veinfire Borderpost can be played at instant speed if you have an effect that allows you to play lands or artifacts during your opponent’s turn. This nuance can potentially lead to strategic advantages if you can interact with it using other cards in your deck.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Veinfire Borderpost necessitates returning a basic land you control to your hand as part of its alternative casting cost. This can set you back in the game by reducing the lands available to tap for mana, especially if you’re playing it early on.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both black and red mana to play, which restricts its incorporation to multicolored decks that can consistently provide both types of mana. Monochrome deck builders may find this requirement cumbersome and limiting.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a standard casting cost of three mana, the Veinfire Borderpost is pricier compared to other mana-fixing options. In a game where speed can be crucial, investing three mana in a non-creature artifact might not be the most efficient use of resources, particularly when other mana rocks or lands are available at lower costs.
Reasons to Include Veinfire Borderpost in Your Collection
Versatility: Veinfire Borderpost offers flexible mana fixing for any black and red deck. Its ability to be played using its alternate cost adds fluidity to your mana base, allowing you to maintain a consistent pace in the early to mid-game.
Combo Potential: As an artifact, Veinfire Borderpost works well in synergy with strategies that revolve around artifacts. It can serve as fuel for sacrificial effects or count towards artifact synergies that push your strategy forward.
Meta-Relevance: With a dynamic MTG environment where multi-colored decks are common, Veinfire Borderpost helps you stay competitive. It aligns well with the demands of aggressive decks that need to cast high-impact spells consistently while dodging mana shortages.
How to beat
Veinfire Borderpost is one of those cards in Magic: The Gathering that presents a unique challenge. It’s a mana fixture that can slot into multicolor decks for fixing and can also be utilized to meet domain requirements. Unlike many similar artifacts, it offers a handy alternate casting option, which involves returning a basic land to your hand rather than paying the traditional mana cost.
To effectively counter Veinfire Borderpost, consider running artifact removal spells or abilities in your deck. Cards that can handle artifacts with ease, such as Naturalize or Shatter, can remove it from the battlefield, hindering your opponent’s mana development. Additionally, land destruction or land bouncing effects can also be a strategic move when your opponent opts for the alternate casting cost, setting back their land drops and thus their entire mana base.
Moreover, keeping an eye on cards that thrive off the number of basic lands a player possesses can help, as Veinfire Borderpost often reduces their count. By disrupting their land count and available mana, you can potentially weaken strategies that heavily rely on the deployment of big creatures or costly spells.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Veinfire Borderpost MTG card by a specific set like Alara Reborn, 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 Veinfire Borderpost 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Veinfire Borderpost has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Veinfire Borderpost card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-05-01 | As you cast a spell, you get a chance to activate mana abilities before you pay that spell’s costs. Therefore, you may tap a basic land for mana, then both spend that mana and return that land to your hand to pay this card’s alternative cost. (Of course, you can return a different basic land instead.) |
| 2009-05-01 | Casting this card by paying its alternative cost doesn’t change when you can cast it. You can cast it only at the normal time you could cast an artifact spell. It also doesn’t change the spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. The only difference is the cost you actually pay. |
| 2009-05-01 | Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast this card will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay. |
| 2009-05-01 | To satisfy the alternative cost, you may return any basic land you control to its owner’s hand, regardless of that land’s subtype or whether it’s tapped. |