Earthshaker MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Spirit
Released	2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Champions of Kamigawa
Set code	CHK
Power	4
Toughness	5
Number	165
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ron Spencer

Key Takeaways

Earthshaker provides instant board presence and can press opponents into unfavorable trades or resource uses.
Demands precise mana and a discard cost, potentially limiting its use in a diverse range of decks.
Despite its high mana cost, Earthshaker can be pivotal in decks focused on aggressive gameplay and combos.

Text of card

Whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, Earthshaker deals 2 damage to each creature without flying.

It scaled the Sokenzan Mountains in search of Kumano's secret. The mountain shook for two days, and the kami never returned.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Earthshaker not only creates a significant presence on the battlefield but often demands an answer from the opponent. Whether drawing out a removal spell or requiring multiple blocks, it can lead to indirect card advantage by taxing your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: This formidable card can change the pace of the game. By pressuring life totals early on, it can accelerate the game toward your favor, pushing opponents to respond hastily and possibly misallocate their resources, giving you a strategic edge.

Instant Speed: While Earthshaker itself is not an instant, its effects are felt immediately upon entering the battlefield. This instant impact can disrupt opponent’s plans and is akin to the versatility instants offer in managing the board state and gaining tempo.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Earthshaker mandates a discard action as part of its cost, which can be detrimental when your hand is already running thin on options.

Specific Mana Cost: Earthshaker’s casting requirements demand a precise mana combination that might not blend seamlessly across all deck archetypes, potentially causing a setback in decks that are not heavily red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Charging a substantial amount of mana to trigger its effect, the Earthshaker may not always be the most mana-efficient choice, especially when other cards with lower costs could achieve similar results with less resource investment.

Reasons to Include Earthshaker in Your Collection

Versatility: Earthshaker is known for its dynamic role within various deck strategies, proving useful in aggressive playstyles that aim to push through enemy defenses.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with strategies aiming to capitalize on Landfall triggers or that require the clearing of potential blockers to enact larger combinations.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to shake up opponents’ battle lines, Earthshaker has proven to be a match for the ever-fluctuating meta, offering strategic advantages against decks that rely heavily on creature-based defenses.

How to beat

When facing the Earthshaker, understanding its mechanics is key to overcoming this formidable MTG card. This creature has the potential to significantly disrupt your strategy, particularly with its ability to render a creature unable to block for a turn. It’s crucial to be prepared with countermeasures such as having surplus creatures on the board to maintain a strong defense despite its ability, or to employ spells that can counteract or remove it before it has a chance to exert influence on the battlefield.

Another effective strategy is to use instant-speed removal spells that can eliminate the Earthshaker before it declares an attack, thereby negating its impact. A well-timed “Path to Exile” or “Fatal Push” can mitigate the threat it poses. Additionally, strategies that focus on graveyard recursion can be vulnerable to the Earthshaker’s ability if it returns from the graveyard as a bigger threat. Employing graveyard hate cards such as “Rest in Peace” or “Relic of Progenitus” can stifle these tactics, ensuring that the Earthshaker remains in the graveyard where it cannot disrupt your line of play.

Understanding the timing and sequence of your plays is crucial when playing against the Earthshaker. A strategic approach, coupled with careful resource management, can effectively counterbalance the advantages that the Earthshaker card offers to your opponent in an MTG game.

Cards like Earthshaker

Within the expansive universe of MTG, the Earthshaker card summons echoes with cards like Volcanic Hammer and Lightning Strike. Earthshaker is known for its potential to cause a significant impact on the gameplay with its direct damage ability. It shares this quality with Volcanic Hammer, a similar card that also allows players to deal direct damage to any target, whether it be a creature or opponent.

Moving to Lightning Strike, another relevant comparison, this card enables a player to cast the damage at instant speed, affording players the flexibility to disrupt opponents’ strategies during their turns. The key difference lies in the mana cost and the speed at which these spells can be played. While Earthshaker might deal less damage than some alternatives, its efficient cost-to-damage ratio makes it a resilient choice in many MTG decks seeking to maintain pressure and board control.

Each of these cards has its own role depending on the deck archetype and strategic framework. However, the simplicity and effectiveness of Earthshaker make it a staple in decks aiming to establish early dominance and dictate the flow of the battle from the get-go.

Cards similar to Earthshaker by color, type and mana cost

Ryusei, the Falling Star - MTG Card versions

Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Earthshaker MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Earthshaker and other MTG cards: