Tanglesap MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2009-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar
Set code	ZEN
Number	186
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Trevor Claxton

Key Takeaways

Tanglesap provides situational card advantage by preserving creatures during combat without drawing cards.
It allows for resource acceleration by protecting key creatures like mana dorks that aid in ramping.
The instant speed of Tanglesap adds a surprise factor, disrupting opponent combat strategies effectively.

Text of card

Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn by creatures without trample.

"The blood of the forest is beholden to no one." —Nissa Revane

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tanglesap isn’t about drawing cards directly, but it does create a situational card advantage by potentially nullifying a wave of attackers without losing your creatures. This can leave you in a solid board position and force your opponent to use more resources to rebuild.

Resource Acceleration: While Tanglesap itself doesn’t provide mana or tokens, it can be a key part of a strategy that accelerates your resources. By saving your blockers, you maintain your mana dorks and other creatures that contribute to ramping your resources, aiding in casting larger threats sooner.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Tanglesap grants the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s combat plans during their turn. This surprise element can shift the tempo of the game in your favor, allowing you to make more efficient use of your mana and maintain a strong defensive posture.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tanglesap doesn’t directly require you to discard, but it can lead to card disadvantage. To maximize its benefit, you often need creatures to block, which may deplete your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Tanglesap’s cost is wholly in green mana, which could be restrictive for multicolored decks needing flexibility in their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At two green mana, while not exorbitant, its cost is significant for a one-time fog effect, especially when compared to other low-cost defensive options.

Reasons to Include Tanglesap in Your Collection

Versatility: Tanglesap can serve as a crucial defensive tactic in decks that seek to protect life totals while setting up for a big play or simply buying time against aggressive opponents.

Combo Potential: In decks that focus on triggering effects when creatures survive damage or combat, Tanglesap ensures these creatures come out unscathed, ready to exploit such synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely on dealing combat damage to trigger abilities or score a quick victory, Tanglesap disrupts their plans, making it a strategic inclusion when facing a combat-heavy meta.

How to beat Tanglesap

Tanglesap is a unique card that requires a strategic approach to overcome in a game of Magic: The Gathering. This green instant not only prevents damage to your creatures when blocking but also ensures that the blocked creatures do not deal damage in return. Therefore, one efficient strategy is to leverage flying or unblockable creatures that can evade the blockers altogether, thereby rendering Tanglesap moot.

Additionally, cards that can remove creatures before the combat phase, such as spot removal spells or board wipes, can effectively negate the advantage Tanglesap offers. Cards like Doom Blade for creature elimination or Wrath of God to clear the board can be pivotal. Another approach is to use counter spells to prohibit Tanglesap from resolving in the first place; a well-timed Counterspell or Mana Leak can stymie your opponent’s efforts and maintain offensive momentum.

Ultimately, understanding the timing and card interactions is key when facing Tanglesap. By anticipating this instant and adapting your gameplay—whether through evasive creatures, removals, or counters—you can maintain control and diminish the impact of Tanglesap on the battlefield.

Cards like Tanglesap

Tanglesap is a unique card that offers a twist on combat strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared to cards like Spore Cloud, which also gives the ability to prevent creatures from being destroyed in combat. Spore Cloud, much like Tanglesap, keeps creatures on the board by preventing them from dealing or receiving combat damage. However, Tanglesap is limited to your creatures and provides the additional upside of potentially nullifying all damage they would receive, not just combat damage like Spore Cloud.

Analogous in effect is Wrap in Vigor, granting your creatures the capacity to withstand lethal damage for a turn with regeneration. While Wrap in Vigor is reactive, allowing you to save creatures from unexpected threats, Tanglesap excels at proactive combat, setting up a situation where you can attack or block without fear of repercussions.

Considering these close alternatives, Tanglesap holds its ground due to its ability to safeguard numerous creatures at once during combat, a tactic that can lead to turning the tides of battle in your favor. Its strengths make it a valuable addition to decks that thrive on maintaining a presence on the battlefield and overpowering opponents with superior numbers.

Cards similar to Tanglesap by color, type and mana cost

Might of the Nephilim - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tanglesap MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar, 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 Tanglesap and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tanglesap has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	Creatures are checked to see whether they have trample at the time they’d deal combat damage, not at the time Tanglesap resolves.
2009-10-01	Tanglesap prevents combat damage that would be dealt by all creatures without trample, regardless of whether they’re attacking or blocking.