Whetwheel MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Mill,Morph |
| Released | 2007-05-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Future Sight |
| Set code | FUT |
| Number | 168 |
| Frame | future |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Cyril Van Der Haegen |
Text of card
, : Target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Morph (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
Cards like Whetwheel
Whetwheel is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering that opens up tactical milling opportunities. Reminiscent of mill engines like Sands of Delirium, Whetwheel allows players to target an opponent’s library and degrade it over time. The distinction lies in Whetwheel’s flexibility owing to its morph ability, allowing it to be played face-down and activated at a potentially more strategic moment. Comparatively, Sands of Delirium lacks this element of surprise and instant speed interaction.
Grindclock presents another parallel, having the ability to be charged up and then unleashed to mill an opponent. While Grindclock can potentially mill more cards at once, Whetwheel offers ongoing use without the need to continually invest resources into it after it’s activated. This can make Whetwheel a subtle, yet relentless force during gameplay.
Devising a strategy around cards like Whetwheel can be advantageous, especially when combined with other control elements. Its unique morph ability certainly sets it apart in the realm of mill artifacts in Magic: The Gathering, offering a blend of stealth and consistent pressure on an opponent’s library.
Cards similar to Whetwheel by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Whetwheel offers a unique approach to card advantage. By milling yourself, you selectively place cards in your graveyard, setting the stage for powerful graveyard synergy plays. Furthermore, it can act as a win condition by milling out an opponent’s entire library over a few turns.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of traditional mana acceleration, Whetwheel can be a form of resource acceleration in decks that thrive on graveyard interactions. By placing the right cards in your graveyard, you effectively reduce the resources needed to utilize your most powerful effects.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Whetwheel at instant speed gives you the flexibility to wait until an opponent’s end step to make a decision, maintaining mana availability for counterspells or other reactive cards during your opponent’s turn. This strategic depth can provide a significant tactical advantage in the right situation.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Whetwheel necessitates an initial discard to activate its milling ability, which can be a steep price to pay if your hand is already running thin on valuable cards.
Specific Mana Cost: While it’s an artifact, Whetwheel requires blue mana to be activated, making it less versatile in decks that do not heavily feature blue mana or have sufficient mana fixing to accommodate it.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four mana needed to deploy Whetwheel, plus additional mana to activate its milling effect, can be quite taxing on resources. This leads to a slower setup, potentially giving opponents the opportunity to prepare or counter the strategy built around this card.
Reasons to Include Whetwheel in Your Collection
Versatility: Whetwheel offers flexible use as both a mana sink and a means to potentially mill an entire library in the right circumstances. It’s adaptable for a variety of deck types, from control to combo, that can benefit from its unique mechanic.
Combo Potential: This artifact stands out for its ability to end games with an infinite mana combo, transforming excess mana into a win condition by milling opponents out. It synergizes with cards that untap artifacts, increasing its lethality.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to draw out, Whetwheel can become an essential tool. It acts as a deterrent against strategies heavily reliant on particular cards and can serve as an alternate win condition in long, drawn-out matches.
How to Beat
Confronted with the challenge of Whetwheel in MTG, understanding its mechanism is crucial to turn the tide of the game. This card can catch players off guard, filtering through a deck at a daunting pace. To counteract Whetwheel’s formidable milling ability, consider employing instant-speed graveyard shuffling effects or cards that replace the graveyard into the library, like Gaea’s Blessing or Elixir of Immortality. Cards with graveyard hate, such as Leyline of the Void, can effectively nullify the milling strategy by exiling the cards before they touch the graveyard.
Another efficient strategy is to play proactive control elements that limit the activation of Whetwheel. Counterspells, artifact removal abilities, and preemptive discard strategies disrupt the card’s effectiveness significantly. In games that stretch over several turns, it’s paramount to maintain a watchful stance and leverage responsive answers, which thwart the milling process and preserve your library’s integrity against the tireless grind of Whetwheel.
Success against Whetwheel hinges on your ability to undermine its strength before the milling becomes insurmountable. Integrated properly, these strategies can shift the balance and provide you with the upper hand, rendering your opponent’s Whetwheel a minor obstacle in your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Whetwheel MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight, 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 Whetwheel 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Whetwheel has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |