Conduit of Ruin MTG Card
2015-10-02 - Number 4
2015-10-02 - Number 4s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Eldrazi |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Conduit of Ruin primes strategies with colorless creature search and cost reduction abilities.
- Vulnerability to hand disruption and specific mana requirements limit deck compatibility.
- Its role in ramping up gameplay makes it a valuable addition to certain MTG collections.
Text of card
When you cast Conduit of Ruin, you may search your library for a colorless creature card with converted mana cost 7 or greater, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. The first creature spell you cast each turn costs less to cast.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Conduit of Ruin shines by letting you search your library for a colorless creature card and put it on top, ensuring your hand is prepped with a powerful play for your next turn.
Resource Acceleration: Upon entering the battlefield, it reduces the cost of your first creature spell each turn by two generic mana, effectively speeding up your ability to cast large threats earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: While Conduit of Ruin doesn’t operate at instant speed, its immediate impact on the board and subsequent upkeep effect compound your resource advantage quickly, similar to instant speed benefits, pivoting the game in your favor before your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although not a direct con of Conduit of Ruin itself, playing this card can make you a target for your opponents’ discard effects. Having such a key creature in your deck means you’re also vulnerable to hand disruption that could force you to discard it before you even get the chance to cast it.
Specific Mana Cost: Conduit of Ruin comes with a very specific mana cost, requiring two generic and six colorless mana. This cost can be quite restrictive as it necessitates a deck with a significant colorless mana base, which could potentially limit its inclusion to only certain Eldrazi or artifact-focused decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Conduit of Ruin is on the higher side of the mana curve. This factor could be a deterrent in faster-paced games where lower-cost creatures and spells tend to dominate, reducing the card’s utility in some strategies that seek to win quickly or maintain a lower mana curve.
Reasons to Include Conduit of Ruin in Your Collection
Versatility: Conduit of Ruin shines in decks that are looking to cast big creatures quickly. It’s a must-have for commander and Eldrazi-focused builds, where its ability to search for a creature card with converted mana cost 7 or greater is incredibly useful.
Combo Potential: This card not only tutors for a significant creature, but it also reduces the colorless mana cost of your first creature spell each turn. This opens up opportunities for powerful combos, especially in decks that can repeatedly bounce or replay Conduit of Ruin for multiple tutor effects.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that gravitates towards powerful, proactive strategies, having Conduit of Ruin to consistently deploy threats ahead of schedule can dictate the pace of the game. It’s a card that can help you stay relevant, especially in ramp or creature-heavy metas.
How to beat Conduit of Ruin
If you’re facing down Conduit of Ruin in a game of Magic: The Gathering, it’s vital to understand its strengths to effectively counter it. As a card that can both cheat large creatures onto the battlefield and reduce their cost, it offers significant value to players looking to dominate with powerful creatures. Conduit of Ruin’s first ability to search your library for a colorless creature card adds a strategic edge, but it also telegraphs your opponent’s next move, giving you a chance to prepare.
To counter it, instant speed removal is your best friend. Keeping up mana for spells like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can disrupt your opponent’s plans right after Conduit of Ruin hits the battlefield but before its cost-reduction ability takes effect. For a more preemptive approach, cards that limit library searching like Aven Mindcensor can be crucial. If all else fails, board wipes can reset the playing field. Remember, once Conduit of Ruin is on the table, it’s key to stay one step ahead and have a response ready.
In summary, stay agile, leverage instant speed removal, and consider adding cards specifically designed to mitigate your opponent’s search strategies to maintain control over the match when Conduit of Ruin is in play.
BurnMana Recommendations
Diving into the intricacies of MTG, the Conduit of Ruin stands as a captivating card to enhance your deck’s performance. Its dual capacity to fetch formidable colorless creatures and reduce their casting cost makes it integral for those aspiring to summon vast threats onto the battlefield with ease. While its towering presence is a surefire way to make waves in gameplay, remain vigilant of the challenges it presents, such as making yourself a target for disruption. We encourage you to dive deeper into your strategic reserves, exploring synergies and overcoming its mana demands to leverage its full potential. Join us to explore enriching strategies that will allow your Eldrazi titans to reign supreme.
Cards like Conduit of Ruin
Conduit of Ruin holds a unique position among the monstrosities available in Magic: The Gathering. This card resonates with its kin like Ulamog’s Crusher in ushering major threats onto the battlefield swiftly. Both are part of the eldritch lineup but the conduit sharply veers, facilitating a search for additional behemoths when it hits the board. In contrast, Ulamog’s Crusher dutifully pursues devastation with no such tutoring benefit.
Taking another step into the vast library of comparable cards, we discover Sanctum of Ugin. Similar to Conduit of Ruin, this land also allows you to search your library for a colorless creature card. However, it does so at the expense of the land itself and mandates the casting of a pricey spell. While an effective tool, it lacks the immediate board presence and cost-reduction prowess of Conduit of Ruin.
When placed beside It That Betrays, a card known for its annihilator mechanic, Conduit of Ruin might seem less intimidating. Yet its real power lies in refining your gameplay, nudging toward those high-cost creatures and making them more accessible while also providing the first taste of what’s to come. Therefore, for those looking to forge a way forward with giant creatures, Conduit of Ruin not only sets the stage but does so with strategic grace.
Cards similar to Conduit of Ruin by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Conduit of Ruin MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Battle for Zendikar 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 Conduit of Ruin and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Conduit of Ruin Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2015-10-02. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 4 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak | |
| 2 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar Promos | PBFZ | 4s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Conduit of Ruin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Conduit of Ruin card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-08-25 | Conduit of Ruin’s last ability can’t reduce the amount of colored mana you pay for a spell. It reduces only the generic component of that mana cost. |
| 2015-08-25 | Conduit of Ruin’s last ability doesn’t change the mana cost or converted mana cost of any spell. It changes only the total cost you actually pay. |
| 2015-08-25 | Conduit of Ruin’s last ability will look at the entire turn, even if Conduit of Ruin wasn’t on the battlefield for some of it. Notably, if you cast Conduit of Ruin in a turn, then no other creature spell you cast that turn can be your first. |
| 2015-08-25 | If the first creature spell you cast in a turn has converge, you can’t ignore the cost reduction of Conduit of Ruin’s last ability in order to spend more colors of mana. |
| 2015-08-25 | If the first creature spell you cast in a turn has in its mana cost, you choose the value of X before calculating the spell’s total cost. For example, if the first creature spell you cast in a turn has a mana cost of , you could choose 2 as the value of X and pay to cast the spell. |
| 2015-08-25 | If there are additional costs to cast a spell, or if the cost to cast a spell is increased by an effect, apply those increases before applying cost reductions. |
| 2015-08-25 | If you control more than one Conduit of Ruin, the last ability of each of them applies only to the first creature spell you cast each turn, not to different spells; the first creature spell you cast each turn will cost less. |
| 2015-08-25 | The cost reduction can apply to alternative costs (such as dash costs). |
| 2015-08-25 | The first creature spell you cast each turn doesn’t necessarily have to be the first spell you cast. You could cast a sorcery spell and then cast a creature spell that would get the discount. |
