Wood Elemental MTG Card
1994-06-01 - Number 215
2011-01-10 - Number 175
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Power | * |
| Toughness | * |
Text of card
*s in the lower right-hand corner are set to the number of untapped forests you sacrifice when Wood Elemental is brought into play.
Cards like Wood Elemental
The Wood Elemental is an intriguing card within the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Scorned Villager in terms of how the mana cost can influence gameplay. Wood Elemental’s unique ability allows you to sacrifice untapped forests when it comes onto the battlefield, leading to potential significant power and toughness. However, this ability requires a hefty investment, as the sacrificed forests could have been used for casting additional spells or developing board presence.
Another card, Llanowar Elves, comes to mind when considering mana resources and their relation to creature cards. While the Elves are far less risky, providing a consistent mana advantage without the need for sacrificing lands, they offer a different type of value to a player’s strategy. Conversely, Wood Elemental’s potential size can overshadow Llanowar Elves, but its initial cost and dependence on forest sacrifices are considerable factors to weigh.
Ultimately, in the landscape of MTG, evaluating the trade-offs between immediate mana generation and long-term board impact is crucial. Wood Elemental stands as a testament to the diverse approaches in creature design and resource management, yet it demands a strategic depth that can be both a boon and a bane to players.
Cards similar to Wood Elemental by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Wood Elemental doesn’t directly offer card advantage in the traditional sense, but its unique ability to sacrifice untapped forests has the potential to thin the deck, theoretically increasing the quality of subsequent draws.
Resource Acceleration: While this card isn’t a direct resource accelerator, playing Wood Elemental can be part of a strategy to utilize lands as a resource differently, possibly setting the stage for other land-based synergies within your deck.
Instant Speed: Though Wood Elemental itself is not an instant, its ability to convert forests into power might free up your mana, allowing for more flexibility to cast instant speed spells during critical phases of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the case of the Wood Elemental, players must sacrifice untapped forests to summon it, effectively discarding valuable mana resources. This trade-off often results in a setback rather than an advantage, as you lose crucial land assets that are essential for playing other cards in your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: Wood Elemental requires not just a generic mana cost but also a dedication of green mana. This commitment to one color can be restrictive and makes the card less flexible when considering deck-building options, as it demands a particular type of mana base to be played effectively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its mana cost, the Wood Elemental’s power and toughness are determined by the number of forests sacrificed upon its casting. However, the output is often less than optimal. This makes the Wood Elemental less appealing, especially when there are other creatures in the same mana range that provide more stable and immediate benefits without the need for such a considerable resource sacrifice.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Wood Elemental may not be the first card that comes to mind for many decks, but in a deck built around land sacrifice and recursion, it can be a surprisingly adaptable addition.
Combo Potential: This card offers unique interactions in decks focusing on lands in the graveyard. Pairing Wood Elemental with effects that return lands from the graveyard to the battlefield can generate substantial value.
Meta-Relevance: While it may not be a staple in current competitive formats, Wood Elemental has niche applications. In a meta where Land Matters or Graveyard Synergy decks are viable, it can serve as an unexpected yet impactful tool.
How to beat
Wood Elemental, infamous among MTG card collectors for its challenging utility, requires a strategy to conquer effectively. Understanding the environment is key when playing against this creature. To successfully overcome it, focus on denying the land sacrifice ability that is pivotal for its power and toughness. Utilizing land destruction spells or graveyard disruption can hinder the Wood Elemental’s effectiveness. Maintaining pressure and presenting threats that demand an immediate answer often prevents your opponent from racking up the necessary resources to make Wood Elemental a significant threat.
Moreover, employing cards that can exile Wood Elemental directly from the deck could completely bypass the issue of it hitting the battlefield. Cards like Path to Exile or Unmake can remove it from play without requiring a sacrifice. It’s also worth noting that the utility of Wood Elemental scales with the number of forests sacrificed, so forest walk abilities or effects that neutralize those forests can substantially weaken the card’s impact on the game.
In essence, by hindering your opponent’s land base, utilizing exile spells, and applying consistent pressure, you can effectively disarm the Wood Elemental’s potency, ensuring that this reliance on forests becomes its Achilles heel.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wood Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Masters Edition IV, 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 Wood Elemental 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
Printings
The Wood Elemental Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Brian Snõddy.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-06-01 | Legends | LEG | 215 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 2 | 2011-01-10 | Masters Edition IV | ME4 | 175 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wood Elemental has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wood Elemental 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 | The Forests are sacrificed to define the power/toughness of this card right before it enters the battlefield. You have to do this sacrifice no matter how this card enters the battlefield. |