Roiling Vortex MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Rewards aggressive playstyles by dealing consistent damage to opponents every upkeep.
  2. Requires strategic hand management due to its discard condition for activation.
  3. Enhances red deck strategies, fitting well within the current competitive meta.

Text of card

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, Roiling Vortex deals 1 damage to them. Whenever a player casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast that spell, Roiling Vortex deals 5 damage to that player. : Your opponents can't gain life this turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Roiling Vortex doesn’t draw you cards directly, its ability to inflict consistent damage each turn creates advantage as it disrupts your opponent’s life total, effectively whittling down their resources and requiring answers.

Resource Acceleration: Roiling Vortex is an efficient card in terms of mana cost for its effect. Although it doesn’t produce mana or accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it serves as a means to pressure opponents, potentially accelerating the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: This card has an ability that triggers during each player’s upkeep, mimicking the disruptive impact of an instant by consistently threatening the opponent’s strategy at a crucial phase in their turn. Additionally, its instant-speed modal ability to prevent life gain can be invaluable against decks that rely on that mechanic for stabilization or victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its powerful effect, Roiling Vortex requires players to discard a card to maintain its presence on the field. This can be detrimental when your hand is already depleted, making it a potential liability in prolonged games or against strategies that force you to exhaust resources.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that strictly requires red, Roiling Vortex is confined to red decks or those that can reliably produce red mana. This can restrict its versatility and limit the types of decks that can effectively incorporate it into their play strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Roiling Vortex carries a mana cost of two red mana, which is substantial for the effects it offers. Some players might find other cards with a lower cost or with more impactful effects to better suit their deck’s tempo or synergy, making Roiling Vortex a less attractive option in certain situations.


Reasons to Include Roiling Vortex in Your Collection

Versatility: Roiling Vortex is a dynamic enchantment that can fit seamlessly into multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to consistently deal damage during each player’s upkeep makes it a constant threat on the board. Whether you’re building a burn-heavy deck or a red control strategy, its persistent effect can be a game-changer.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse in combinations with strategies that punish opponents for wanting to gain life, or for playing spells without any mana cost. It can synergize with cards that ramp up damage or manipulate upkeep triggers to intensify its effect each turn, making it a keystone in many aggressive deck builds.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to disrupt opponents’ plans and its direct damage output, Roiling Vortex plays a significant role in the current meta. It’s particularly effective in a game where players rely on casting free spells or when gaining life is a prevalent tactic, ensuring that your deck stays competitive.


How to beat

In the strategic universe that encompasses Magic: The Gathering, overcoming a Roiling Vortex can become a real puzzle. This enchantment excels at gradually chipping away at your life total, and it punishes players for seeking solace in nonbasic lands or life gain strategies. However, all is not lost when facing such persistent pressure.

To dismantle the threat of a Roiling Vortex, one must pivot toward utilizing enchantment removal spells or abilities. Cards such as Disenchant, Naturalize, or the more recent Mortify allow players to dispatch it efficiently. Alternatively, adopting a strategy that incorporates counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can stymie the Vortex before it begins wreaking havoc on your game plan. Players must navigate their decks wisely, either by deploying preemptive safeguards against enchantments or quickly adapting mid-game to remove the Vortex and mitigate the consistent damage it delivers.

Vital also is the approach of capitalizing on strategies less affected by a Roiling Vortex’s persistent damage. Leveraging spells and abilities that offer an immediate impact on the board state can offset the gradual life loss, allowing players to maintain control—even in the warm embrace of the Vortex’s turbulent winds.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG is a game of strategy and adaptation. Roiling Vortex may appear daunting with its unyielding damage to opponents and anti-life gain stance, but its true power lies within your deck-building prowess. Consider incorporating the Vortex into burn decks or control strategies to exploit its persistent threat. Furthermore, ensure your collection is equipped to counter its fierce nature with enchantment removals or strategies that overshadow the incremental damage it deals. Expand your MTG horizons by engaging with the community and delving deeper into the strategic nuances. Discover the transformative potential of Roiling Vortex for a truly dynamic gameplay experience.


Cards like Roiling Vortex

Roiling Vortex fits neatly into the red card arsenal of Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with effects that punish opponents and stifle life gain. Much like Sulfuric Vortex, it stops players from gaining life, a powerful deterrent against strategies reliant on such methods. Where it diverges is in its ability to inflict damage during each player’s upkeep, a consistent threat Sulfuric Vortex also offers, yet Roiling Vortex packs the extra punch of targeting players who cast spells with alternative costs, adding a layer of tactical depth to games.

Another akin card is Eidolon of the Great Revel, which also excels at penalizing noncreature spells. While it doesn’t prevent life gain, its ability to deal damage whenever a player casts a spell with low mana cost aligns with Roiling Vortex’s punishing nature. Both set a high-paced, aggressive tone on the battlefield.

Considering these comparisons, Roiling Vortex emerges as an influential card for players aiming to disrupt life-gain strategies while laying down a steady rhythm of damage. It’s a unique threat that encapsulates the red mana philosophy of swift and relentless pressure.

Sulfuric Vortex - MTG Card versions
Eidolon of the Great Revel - MTG Card versions
Sulfuric Vortex - Scourge (SCG)
Eidolon of the Great Revel - Journey into Nyx (JOU)

Cards similar to Roiling Vortex by color, type and mana cost

Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Smoke - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Consuming Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Agility - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bomb - MTG Card versions
Heat of Battle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Power Surge - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Raging River - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Smoke - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Giant Strength - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Goblin Kites - Fallen Empires (FEM)
The Brute - Renaissance (REN)
Lightning Reflexes - Mirage (MIR)
Consuming Ferocity - Mirage (MIR)
Agility - Mirage (MIR)
Errantry - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Goblin Bomb - Weatherlight (WTH)
Heat of Battle - Stronghold (STH)
Goblin Festival - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Scald - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cave Sense - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Flowstone Surge - Nemesis (NEM)
Maniacal Rage - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Battle Strain - Odyssey (ODY)
Goblin Bombardment - The List (PLST)
Underworld Breach - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Roiling Vortex MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Roiling Vortex and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Roiling Vortex Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Campbell White.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 838322015normalblackCampbell White
22020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3522015normalblackCampbell White
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 156s2015normalblackCampbell White
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 1562015normalblackCampbell White
52020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 156p2015normalblackCampbell White

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Roiling Vortex has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-09-25 Activating Roiling Vortex’s last ability won’t undo any life gained before it resolved.
2020-09-25 An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2020-09-25 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Roiling Vortex’s first ability triggers twice during each team’s upkeep. Each instance deals 1 damage to one of the players on that team.

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