Living Twister MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elemental
Power 2
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Living Twister transforms extra lands into board-controlling tools, integrating damage and resource management.
  2. Its requirement to discard lands for abilities can limit options as the game progresses.
  3. Despite its mana specificity, Living Twister offers versatility, damage, and strategic land plays.

Text of card

, Discard a land card: Living Twister deals 2 damage to any target. : Return a tapped land you control to its owner's hand.

"The ancient places of Ravnica awaken, stirred by the hoofbeats of Ilharg!" —Nikya of the Old Ways


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Living Twister provides a recurring way to turn excess lands into potential damage, converting a common late-game resource surplus into a tool for controlling the board state.

Resource Acceleration: While the card itself does not directly accelerate resources, it does offer the flexibility to discard lands for impactful plays, thereby enabling better use of the mana you have available.

Instant Speed: This card, featuring the ability to deal damage at instant speed, allows strategic interaction during the opponent’s turn, possibly removing key creatures or closing out a game when the opponent is least expecting it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Living Twister demands you to pitch a land card to activate one of its abilities. This requirement can pose a challenge when your hand is running out of land cards, leaving you with fewer options to maintain board presence or respond to your opponents’ moves.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that specifically requires red and green, Living Twister can be restrictive. This specificity necessitates a dual-color deck, potentially limiting its inclusion only to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of three mana, two of which are color specific, Living Twister’s activation cost for its ability is relatively steep. There are cards with lower mana demands that provide similar or more immediate impact on the game, which might be a more mana-efficient choice for deck builders focusing on tempo or value.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Living Twister offers a dynamic role in decks that capitalize on land mechanics. Its ability to both discard land for direct damage and return land from the graveyard to your hand allows for diverse strategic plays.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that manipulate land cards. For instance, pairing with landfall abilities can prove to be a formidable tactic, enabling both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that prioritizes board control and resource management, Living Twister’s dual abilities provide a solid tool for maintaining land equilibrium and pressuring opponents.


How to Beat Living Twister

Living Twister is a versatile creature that can be a challenge to overcome on the battlefield. With its ability to return lands to your hand and deal damage directly, it gives opponents a powerful tool for board control and finishing games. To effectively counter Living Twister, it is essential to disrupt its synergy with land cards. This can be done by limiting the number of lands your opponent has in play, which in turn curtails their ability to leverage Living Twister’s damaging ability.

Removing Living Twister quickly is key. Instant-speed removal spells that can target creatures at a low mana cost are valuable here. Destroying or exiling it before the opponent can accumulate a substantial amount of lands can tilt the scales in your favor. Additionally, counterspells can prevent Living Twister from hitting the field altogether.

Lastly, focusing on your own game strategy and building a strong board presence can overshadow Living Twister’s impact. Forcing the opponent to use their mana and land resources on reacting to your threats instead of utilizing Living Twister’s abilities can often lead to a favorable outcome.


BurnMana Recommendations

Master the art of MTG with deep insights into deck building, strategic card selection, and game tactics. Living Twister heralds unique mechanisms, transforming excess lands into valuable offensive tools. It’s crucial to pair it with strategies that maximize its potential. Understanding the nuances of each card type and synergy is the key to dominating the game. Dive into the heart of MTG gameplay, learn to harness the power of cards like Living Twister, and adeptly navigate duels. Expand your MTG expertise with us—your next victory could hinge on incorporating such versatile cards into your arsenal.


Cards like Living Twister

Living Twister adds dynamic versatility to the roster of red-green creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its capability to return lands from the battlefield to your hand, similarly reflects the functions of cards like Trade Routes. While Trade Routes offers more flexibility in land type manipulation, Living Twister brings a creature body to the field which can be a significant presence in the game.

Another kindred spirit is the fiery Omnath, Locus of Rage, which rewards land interactions with elemental tokens and damage to any target. Although Omnath requires a higher mana investment and centers around elementals, Living Twister ensures consistent land return and direct damage without needing the board setup Omnath does.

Mina and Denn, Wildborn also emerge in this space, allowing multiple land plays and the utility to bounce lands back to hand. However, they lack the direct damage output Living Twister can exert every turn. Examining these cards, Living Twister stands out in MTG as a card that combines board influence with land-based strategic plays and a reliable, repeatable damage source.

Trade Routes - MTG Card versions
Omnath, Locus of Rage - MTG Card versions
Mina and Denn, Wildborn - MTG Card versions
Trade Routes - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Omnath, Locus of Rage - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Mina and Denn, Wildborn - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)

Cards similar to Living Twister by color, type and mana cost

Centaur Archer - MTG Card versions
Giant Trap Door Spider - MTG Card versions
Jungle Troll - MTG Card versions
Raging Kavu - MTG Card versions
Verduran Emissary - MTG Card versions
Viashino Grappler - MTG Card versions
Hunting Kavu - MTG Card versions
Lithatog - MTG Card versions
Svella, Ice Shaper - MTG Card versions
Boggart Ram-Gang - MTG Card versions
Feral Animist - MTG Card versions
Wilderness Elemental - MTG Card versions
Tattermunge Duo - MTG Card versions
Godtracker of Jund - MTG Card versions
Vithian Renegades - MTG Card versions
Daybreak Ranger // Nightfall Predator - MTG Card versions
Immerwolf - MTG Card versions
Fanatic of Xenagos - MTG Card versions
Ulrich's Kindred - MTG Card versions
Relentless Hunter - MTG Card versions
Centaur Archer - Ice Age (ICE)
Giant Trap Door Spider - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Jungle Troll - Mirage (MIR)
Raging Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Verduran Emissary - Invasion (INV)
Viashino Grappler - Invasion (INV)
Hunting Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Lithatog - Odyssey (ODY)
Svella, Ice Shaper - Kaldheim (KHM)
Boggart Ram-Gang - Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning (PD2)
Feral Animist - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Wilderness Elemental - Coldsnap (CSP)
Tattermunge Duo - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Godtracker of Jund - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Vithian Renegades - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Daybreak Ranger // Nightfall Predator - Innistrad (ISD)
Immerwolf - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Fanatic of Xenagos - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Ulrich's Kindred - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Relentless Hunter - Battlebond (BBD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Living Twister MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and War of the Spark Promos, 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 Living Twister and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Living Twister Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by James Paick.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 2032015normalblackJames Paick
22019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 203s2015normalblackJames Paick
32019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 203p2015normalblackJames Paick
42020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 932015normalblackJames Paick

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Living Twister has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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