Watertrap Weaver MTG Card
2017-09-29 - Number 87
2022-12-02 - Number 370
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Merfolk Wizard |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Watertrap Weaver provides board advantage by tapping opponent creatures without card loss.
- Specific mana cost limits its deck versatility but enhances blue tempo strategies.
- Though not at instant speed, its entrance effect mimics instant disruption.
Text of card
When Watertrap Weaver enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
The river is a powerful friend.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While the Watertrap Weaver doesn’t draw cards, it contributes to card advantage by disrupting your opponent’s board without costing you a card. By tapping an enemy creature, it ensures that you maintain a creature advantage on the board.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct source of resource acceleration, the Watertrap Weaver can give you a temporary advantage by stalling the opponent’s larger threats, effectively giving you more time to draw into your resources or develop your board unimpeded.
Instant Speed: The Watertrap Weaver’s ability may not be at instant speed, but the effect of its arrival can have immediate repercussions. It taps a target creature right as it enters the battlefield, similar to an instant speed interruption, setting back your opponent’s plans during their most critical combat phase.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Watertrap Weaver lacks a discard mechanic, which can be an upside in preserving hand size but misses synergies in decks that capitalize on discard strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: While Watertrap Weaver requires both blue and generic mana, its specific color cost can restrict its inclusion to blue-inclined decks, potentially excluding it from a wider range of deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For three mana, the creature’s ability to tap another creature can seem steep when compared to other control options within the game, potentially leading players to seek lower-cost alternatives for early game board control.
Reasons to Include Watertrap Weaver in Your Collection
Versatility: Watertrap Weaver serves as a flexible inclusion in decks that thrive on tempo plays. Its ability to tap an opponent’s creature can disrupt aggressive decks and buy precious time for setup.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with effects that reward players for tapping or untapping creatures, and it’s an integral piece for Wizard-tribal strategies or decks utilizing tap effects for incremental advantages.
Meta-Relevance: With a meta that leans toward creature-based strategies, Watertrap Weaver can be particularly effective. It’s a game-changer against decks that rely on a single, powerful creature to dominate the board.
How to beat
Watertrap Weaver is a unique creature card that can influence the battlefield by tapping an opponent’s creature and preventing it from untapping during the next untap step. To effectively counteract this blue card, one must anticipate and mitigate this disabling effect. Cards with the ability to grant hexproof or shroud can protect high-value targets from being frozen in place by Watertrap Weaver’s ability. Additionally, instant-speed removal spells can eliminate the Weaver before its ability triggers or in response to its casting, ensuring your creatures remain untapped and ready for action.
Moreover, employing untap mechanics or abilities that allow creatures to untap outside the natural untap step can render Watertrap Weaver’s effect moot. Creatures equipped with vigilance also maintain a strategic advantage as they can attack without tapping, sidestepping the potential setback. Lastly, fast-paced aggressive decks can outpace the temporary stalling tactics of the Watertrap Weaver, maintaining pressure and minimizing the impact of losing a single untap phase for one of your creatures.
Understanding and preparing for these blue control strategies ensures that a single Watertrap Weaver will not significantly disrupt your gameplay, keeping you in control of the match.
Cards like Watertrap Weaver
Watertrap Weaver stands out in the lineup of creature control cards in MTG, particularly within the set it was released in, Ixalan. A card like Frost Lynx shares a similar effect, as it taps down a target creature an opponent controls. Yet, Watertrap Weaver goes a step further by not only tapping a creature but also ensuring it doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step, providing additional tempo advantage.
Another comparable card is Icefall Regent. While this dragon also taps a target creature and makes it more costly to untap, it operates at a higher mana cost and provides a larger body on the board. Watertrap Weaver, conversely, offers its controlling effect at a lower cost, though without the added heft of the Regent.
Examining the tempo plays and control mechanisms in a blue mage’s arsenal, Watertrap Weaver presents a cost-effective option. In blue’s creature-tapping tradition, it continues to be a tactical choice for players who aim to slow down their opponent and gain the upper hand in the pacing of the game.
Cards similar to Watertrap Weaver by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Watertrap Weaver MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Watertrap Weaver 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 Magic products
Printings
The Watertrap Weaver Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Josu Hernaiz.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan | XLN | 87 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 370 | 2015 | normal | black | Josu Hernaiz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Watertrap Weaver has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Watertrap Weaver card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-09-29 | Watertrap Weaver’s ability can target a creature that’s already tapped. That creature won’t untap during its controller’s next untap step. |
