Plow Under MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Drawing Plow Under can delay opponent progress by placing two lands on top of their library.
  2. Although costly and green-specific, its strategic impact on the game can be significant.
  3. Plow Under shines in green-centered decks, offering combo potentials and meta relevance.

Text of card

Put two target lands on top of their owner's library.

To renew the land, plow the land. To destroy the land, do nothing. —Druids' saying


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Plow Under from Magic the Gathering is a powerhouse when it comes to disrupting your opponent’s resources. By putting two lands on top of your opponent’s library, you effectively set them back on draws. Not only do they lose access to those lands, but their next draws become known quantities, providing you with a tactical edge.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t directly act as a resource accelerator for you, it serves to significantly decelerate your opponent’s mana development. By sending lands back to the library, you ensure that your own board state and mana reserves are relatively accelerated in comparison to your opponent’s development.

Instant Speed: Though Plow Under is not an instant, its strategic value can be likened to the impact of an instant speed disruption. Casting this card at the right time, particularly after your opponent has tutored for lands or invested in land enchantments, can negate their well-laid plans, much like a well-timed instant.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Plow Under doesn’t explicitly ask for a card discard, utilizing such a powerful effect could lead to depleting your hand quickly if not used strategically. This might place you at a disadvantage against opponents who can capitalize on your dwindling resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Plow Under demands a dedicated commitment to green mana, requiring two green and three colorless mana to cast. This specificity can restrict deck-building flexibility and may make it difficult for multi-colored decks to utilize effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana to play, Plow Under is comparatively expensive. While the ability to disrupt your opponent’s mana base is strong, the high cost means you’ll need to carefully consider when to play it to get the maximum benefit without slowing down your own game plan too much.


Reasons to Include Plow Under in Your Collection

Versatility: While Plow Under is a green-specific card, it can be a dynamic addition to various green-centered decks. Its ability to disrupt opponents by setting back their land development can be beneficial in both aggressive and controlling strategies.

Combo Potential: This card offers synergy with landfall mechanics and decks that capitalize on opponents having fewer resources. It can be part of a combo that limits the opposition’s ability to play spells, paving the way for your own strategy to dominate the game without interference.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where ramp decks are prevalent, Plow Under can serve as an effective counter, denying opponents their crucial mana acceleration. Additionally, it’s advantageous in matchups where setting an adversary back two turns could mean the difference between victory and defeat.


How to beat

Plow Under is a powerful green spell in Magic: The Gathering that can set an opponent back considerably by putting two lands on top of their library. This move disrupts their mana curve and delays their game plan. Overcoming this can be challenging, but not impossible. Prioritizing mana acceleration with artifacts or creatures that tap for additional mana can mitigate the setback. Furthermore, playing land destruction or denial strategies also cuts green’s ability to amass the mana necessary for casting Plow Under. As a last resort, countering the spell with blue counterspells or utilizing cards that shuffle your library can neutralize the tempo loss Plow Under aims to inflict.

Additionally, instant-speed draw spells can help you dig for answers and maintain a presence on the board. Deck structures that naturally have a low curve benefit as well, sustaining pressure even when their land drops are disrupted. Efficient use of your resources and a keen understanding of when to expect and how to respond to such disruptive strategies make all the difference. By employing these tactics, you can defend against and outpace the setback that Plow Under presents, keeping your strategy on track for victory.


Cards like Plow Under

Plow Under is a powerful disruption tool in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, with a unique ability to disrupt opponents by putting two lands from the battlefield onto their owner’s library. When comparing Plow Under to its counterparts, Temporal Spring comes to mind, which also allows a player to place a target onto the top of its owner’s library, but it’s limited to just one land and a target creature or enchantment as well.

Another similar spell is Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, which not only destroys an opponent’s land but also lets you search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battlefield tapped, facilitating your own mana growth while hindering theirs. This dynamic contrasts with Plow Under’s straightforward stalling strategy. Reap and Sow offers a choice to destroy land or search for a land card to put onto the battlefield, but unlike Plow Under, it doesn’t put lands on top of a player’s library, which can be a more subtle yet disruptive way to alter an opponent’s upcoming draws.

Players who appreciate the strategic depth in controlling the board will see the value Plow Under brings by setting back the opponent’s mana development directly. While other cards may provide similar effects, the direct and immediate set-back Plow Under causes can be overwhelmingly advantageous in game tempo control.

Temporal Spring - MTG Card versions
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss - MTG Card versions
Reap and Sow - MTG Card versions
Temporal Spring - Apocalypse (APC)
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss - Time Spiral (TSP)
Reap and Sow - Darksteel (DST)

Cards similar to Plow Under by color, type and mana cost

Double Play - MTG Card versions
Restock - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Path - MTG Card versions
Parallel Evolution - MTG Card versions
Stunted Growth - MTG Card versions
Shamanic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Primal Command - MTG Card versions
Rebuking Ceremony - MTG Card versions
Feast of Worms - MTG Card versions
Natural Spring - MTG Card versions
Predatory Focus - MTG Card versions
Overrun - MTG Card versions
Incremental Growth - MTG Card versions
Savage Conception - MTG Card versions
Bestial Menace - MTG Card versions
Overwhelming Stampede - MTG Card versions
Predatory Rampage - MTG Card versions
Mischief and Mayhem - MTG Card versions
Selvala's Charge - MTG Card versions
Grizzly Fate - MTG Card versions
Double Play - Unglued (UGL)
Restock - Invasion (INV)
Tranquil Path - Apocalypse (APC)
Parallel Evolution - The List (PLST)
Stunted Growth - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Shamanic Revelation - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Primal Command - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Rebuking Ceremony - Darksteel (DST)
Feast of Worms - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Natural Spring - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Predatory Focus - Guildpact (GPT)
Overrun - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Incremental Growth - Lorwyn (LRW)
Savage Conception - Eventide (EVE)
Bestial Menace - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Overwhelming Stampede - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Predatory Rampage - Magic 2013 (M13)
Mischief and Mayhem - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Selvala's Charge - Conspiracy (CNS)
Grizzly Fate - Vintage Masters (VMA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plow Under MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny and World Championship Decks 2000, 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 Plow Under and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plow Under Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 2004-09-01. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-06-07Urza's DestinyUDS 1171997normalblackEdward P. Beard, Jr.
22000-08-02World Championship Decks 2000WC00 jk1171997normalgoldEdward P. Beard, Jr.
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2722003normalwhiteRob Alexander
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 272★2003normalblackRob Alexander
52004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 jn2722003normalgoldRob Alexander
62004-09-01World Championship Decks 2004WC04 jn272sb2003normalgoldRob Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plow Under has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 The owner decides the order the two lands are stacked there.

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