Wooden Sphere MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 276
1993-10-04 - Number 277
1993-12-01 - Number 277
1993-12-10 - Number 277
1993-12-10 - Number 277
1994-04-01 - Number 281
1994-04-01 - Number 281
1994-06-21 - Number 281
1995-04-01 - Number 359
1995-04-01 - Number 359
1997-03-24 - Number 409
1999-04-21 - Number 318
2001-04-11 - Number 324
2001-04-11 - Number 324★
2003-07-28 - Number 321★
2003-07-28 - Number 321
2022-11-28 - Number 569
2022-11-28 - Number 272
| Card sets | Released in 18 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o1: Any green spell cast by any player gives you 1 life.
Cards like Wooden Sphere
Wooden Sphere stands as a unique artifact in Magic: The Gathering, capable of providing a consistent albeit minimal advantage. It is reminiscent of cards like Ivory Cup, which also yields life gain from casting spells of a certain color. Where Ivory Cup responds to white spells, Wooden Sphere does so with green, offering a touch of life in return for each green spell cast.
Delving into a more contemporary comparison, we find the likes of Lifecrafter’s Bestiary. While this artifact doesn’t offer life gain, it does provide a tangible benefit whenever a green creature spell is cast, in the form of card draw. This can be a substantially more powerful effect over the course of a game. Additionally, the Bestiary’s scry ability further refines your draw, something the Wooden Sphere lacks. Then there’s the venerable Gaea’s Cradle, which doesn’t provide life or card advantage directly but taps for mana for each green creature you control, fueling more substantial plays far quicker than the incremental gain of a Wooden Sphere.
Assessing Wooden Sphere within the array of green-associated Magic: The Gathering artifacts, it finds its niche with players who enjoy small, accumulative advantages while harboring nostalgia for the game’s early mechanics.
Cards similar to Wooden Sphere by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Wooden Sphere offers consistent card advantage in decks that frequently cast spells matching the chosen color. By investing just one mana to activate, you gain the ability to draw additional cards over the course of the game, fueling your hand and increasing your options.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, the card indirectly contributes to resource acceleration by ensuring a steady flow of cards, which in turn can lead to more land drops or opportunities to play mana-generating spells.
Instant Speed: This artifact’s ability can be used at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions. Whether you’re reacting to a spell cast or end of turn, you can convert your spells into potential card draw without missing a beat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One downside of Wooden Sphere is that it does not require a card discard, potentially making it less interactive and strategic than alternatives that leverage your hand as a resource.
Specific Mana Cost: Wooden Sphere’s activation is based on a specific mana expenditure. This means you must spend mana of the precise color that a player has used, making it somewhat restrictive in terms of mana flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Wooden Sphere itself has a low cost to cast, the cost to activate its ability competes with other mana sinks or more impactful plays. Some players might find that there are more cost-effective ways to gain an advantage or manage their resources in a game.
Reasons to Include Wooden Sphere in Your Collection
Versatility: Wooden Sphere stands as a useful addition for decks that seek to gain incremental advantages. Its ability to grant you life for each green spell cast allows it to be a useful tool across various deck archetypes, particularly in ones that have a heavy green component.
Combo Potential: In combination with cards that allow you to cast numerous spells in a single turn or with abilities that untap your artifacts, Wooden Sphere can become a lifeline, quite literally, offering you a steady stream of life points to outlast your opponents.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting dynamics of MTG gameplay, having a card that can provide you with additional life can be critical, especially in metas where aggressive strategies dominate. Wooden Sphere could serve as a counterbalance to maintain stability in your life total while setting up your winning conditions.
How to beat
Wooden Sphere presents a unique obstacle for MTG players, with its ability to provide extra life for every spell of a chosen color. Its application largely depends on mono-color heavy decks where it can potentially tip the scales. However, the key to overcoming this artifact isn’t just in removing it from the board—it’s in diversifying your strategy.
Implementing a deck that embraces a mix of colors can dilute the effectiveness of Wooden Sphere. Alternating your spell casting between colors not only restricts the life gained but also forces your opponent to reassess their defenses. Artifact removal cards are, of course, direct solutions to the Wooden Sphere conundrum. Naturalize and Disenchant are prime examples, able to sweep away the Sphere for a small mana investment, while offering a tactical edge by keeping opponents off balance.
Dominating the battlefield against Wooden Sphere means keeping pressure with a multi-colored assault while maintaining ready answers for artifact interference. Keeping your plays unpredictable and your removal spells handy ensures Wooden Sphere doesn’t become an insurmountable advantage for your opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wooden Sphere MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Wooden Sphere 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 Wooden Sphere Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 276 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 277 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 277 | 1993 | Normal | White | Mark Tedin | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 277 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 277 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 281 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 281 | 1993 | Normal | White | Mark Tedin | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 281 | 1993 | Normal | White | Mark Tedin | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 359 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 359 | 1993 | Normal | White | Mark Tedin | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 409 | 1997 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 12 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 318 | 1997 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 13 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 324 | 1997 | Normal | White | Terese Nielsen | |
| 14 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 324★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen | |
| 15 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 321★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola | |
| 16 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 321 | 2003 | Normal | White | Donato Giancola | |
| 17 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 569 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin | |
| 18 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 272 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Tedin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wooden Sphere has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |