Haze of Pollen MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Cycling

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card momentum maintenance by replacing itself with another card through cycling.
  2. Instant speed play allows strategic disruption of opponent’s combat phases.
  3. The card’s utility shines in delaying aggressive strategies, securing essential turns.

Text of card

Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Few can overcome an assault of such aggressive serenity.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Haze of Pollen may not directly let you draw cards, cycling it ensures that you don’t lose momentum. By paying a small mana cost, you can replace it with a different card, maintaining a satisfactory hand size.

Resource Acceleration: While Haze of Pollen doesn’t speed up your mana resources, it effectively buys time by preventing damage from creatures for a turn. This indirect resource protection is invaluable, especially when you’re setting up for a game-altering play in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: Its capability to be played at instant speed provides immense strategic flexibility. You can wait until your opponent commits to an all-out attack, and then play Haze of Pollen to nullify the onslaught, thus conserving your life points while your opponent has already tapped their creatures.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Haze of Pollen provides a temporary breather, it doesn’t quite work like a traditional fog effect since it demands cycling to use the card again. This leads to an immediate loss of the card from your hand, which could prove costly if you’re aiming for hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Haze of Pollen’s casting cost necessitates both green mana and another generic mana, making it less flexible than colorless alternatives. Players with multicolored decks or those not running green might find it difficult to integrate this card effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability to prevent combat damage only for a turn, Haze of Pollen might feel costly. There are other cards in the vast pool of MTG that can offer a more lasting impact on the game’s board state or more significant card advantages, potentially at a lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Haze of Pollen in Your Collection

Versatility: Haze of Pollen is a flexible card that can be a key component in a variety of decks, particularly those looking for ways to stall aggressive strategies or buy essential time during crucial turns.

Combo Potential: As a fog effect, Haze of Pollen can synergize with decks focused on executing combos uninterrupted. It ensures your setup can survive for an extra turn without taking damage, which can be pivotal for combo execution.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment that’s heavy on combat-focused decks, Haze of Pollen gains significant relevance. Its capability to prevent all combat damage can disrupt the tempo of creature-based aggro decks, providing a strategic edge in the current meta.


How to beat

Haze of Pollen is a versatile card in the Magic: The Gathering arsenal, primarily serving as a fog effect, blocking all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. This can throw a wrench in an opponent’s strategy, especially when they are on the brink of what seems to be a winning attack. The key to overcoming this green instant card is through strategic timing and alternative tactics.

One effective method is to bait out the card. Engage in combat that threatens significant damage but holds back enough resources to ensure a backup plan. By forcing the opponent to use Haze of Pollen early, you effectively clear the way for future turns. Additionally, spells that deny the opponent’s ability to cast spells during combat or cards that negate spell effects can dismantle the card’s protective cloak, leaving their battlefield exposed. Upgrading your deck with counterplay cards like Negate or even utilizing abilities that grant unblockable status to your creatures can effectively sidestep the obfuscating mists of Haze of Pollen. With careful planning and the right mix of cards, the seemingly overwhelming defense provides by this card can be turned into an opportunity to secure victory.


Cards like Haze of Pollen

Haze of Pollen is a defensive staple in many MTG green decks, resembling cards such as Fog and Holy Day. Like these cards, Haze of Pollen prevents all combat damage that would be dealt that turn. Its synergy with cycling makes it uniquely adaptable; you can cycle it away for another card if it’s not immediately useful. Comparatively, Fog doesn’t come with an alternative use, and Holy Day, while similar, is limited to white decks.

Additionally, Root Snare presents itself as an equivalent to Haze of Pollen but again, misses the added flexibility of cycling. Drifting similarly along the lines is Commencement of Festivities, which closely resonates with Haze of Pollen’s purpose but slightly differentiates itself with its ‘no cycling’ feature, making Haze of Pollen more user-friendly especially when searching for pivotal cards in tight situations.

In assessing the effectiveness in games, Haze of Pollen holds its ground through versatility. Its utility in green decks that need to bide time or avoid a devastating attack, while simultaneously offering the potential to draw into more impactful spells or creatures, makes it a solid option within the combat damage prevention suite of MTG.

Fog - MTG Card versions
Holy Day - MTG Card versions
Root Snare - MTG Card versions
Commencement of Festivities - MTG Card versions
Fog - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Holy Day - Legends (LEG)
Root Snare - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Commencement of Festivities - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Haze of Pollen by color, type and mana cost

Tranquil Domain - MTG Card versions
Resuscitate - MTG Card versions
Heavy Fog - MTG Card versions
Aggressive Urge - MTG Card versions
Tangle - MTG Card versions
Krosan Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Seedtime - MTG Card versions
Nourish - MTG Card versions
Wear Away - MTG Card versions
Vital Surge - MTG Card versions
Predator's Strike - MTG Card versions
Might of the Nephilim - MTG Card versions
Resize - MTG Card versions
Squall Line - MTG Card versions
Regenerate - MTG Card versions
Naturalize - MTG Card versions
Tel-Jilad Defiance - MTG Card versions
Tribute to the Wild - MTG Card versions
Plummet - MTG Card versions
Titanic Growth - MTG Card versions
Tranquil Domain - Mirage (MIR)
Resuscitate - Exodus (EXO)
Heavy Fog - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Aggressive Urge - Jumpstart (JMP)
Tangle - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Krosan Reclamation - Judgment (JUD)
Seedtime - Judgment (JUD)
Nourish - Darksteel (DST)
Wear Away - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Vital Surge - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Predator's Strike - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Might of the Nephilim - Dissension (DIS)
Resize - Coldsnap (CSP)
Squall Line - Time Spiral (TSP)
Regenerate - Magic 2010 (M10)
Naturalize - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Tel-Jilad Defiance - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Tribute to the Wild - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Plummet - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Titanic Growth - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Haze of Pollen MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Haze of Pollen and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Haze of Pollen Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Mark Zug.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 1712015normalblackMark Zug
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1932015normalblackMark Zug

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Haze of Pollen has restrictions

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

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks