Deadfall MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1994-06-01
Set symbol
Set name	Legends
Set code	LEG
Number	181
Frame	1993
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	NéNé Thomas

Key Takeaways

Increases control by removing multiple threats or altering opponent’s play with its instant-speed capability.
Demands a card discard and specific mana, potentially impacting your future game plans and deck fluidity.
Thrive in landfall and graveyard-focused decks, fortifying strategies and contributing to meta shifts.

Text of card

Creatures with forestwalk may be blocked as if they did not have this ability.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deadfall offers strategic edge by potentially clearing multiple threats from the board, setting up favorable trades, or deterring opponents from an aggressive play style.

Resource Acceleration: By disrupting your opponent’s board state, Deadfall can indirectly accelerate your resource advantage, enabling you to dictate the pace of the match and allocate resources elsewhere.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Deadfall at instant speed gives you the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn, keeping them guessing and offering surprise factor that can swing the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deadfall demands discarding another card when used, potentially depleting your hand when you might need those cards for later strategies or unexpected plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Deadfall requires a particular mana combination to cast, which can pose a challenge in multicolored decks that may not always have the right types of mana available at the time of need.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its trap mechanism to set off, a higher mana investment is essential. There are alternatives in the game that might activate similar effects or provide tactical advantages at a lower cost, possibly giving opponents a window to capitalize on your resource expenditure.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deadfall is a versatile card that can be included in various deck builds. It’s particularly useful in landfall decks which benefit from the land sacrifice triggered abilities. Its capacity to transform lands into direct damage or creature removal makes it a multifunctional addition to any player’s arsenal.

Combo Potential: Deadfall offers combo potential with cards that capitalize on land entering the graveyard. This enables strategies involving graveyard play, and can serve as a catalyst in decks that are designed around such mechanics. It’s a piece that synchronizes well with cards that allow for land recursion, offering repeated value.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggro and resource denial are prevalent, Deadfall shines by disrupting opponent’s mana bases while clearing the way for your creatures to attack. This card can provide a significant edge in games where keeping the board clear of threats is pivotal for your strategy’s success.

How to beat

Deadfall is recognized for its potential to disrupt players by forcing sacrifices of precious creatures in their deck. It operates as a cog in the wheel against decks that rely on a single, powerful creature strategy. To navigate around Deadfall’s capacity to hinder your board presence, it is critical to implement multiple creature strategies that can easily repopulate the board.

One effective tactic is to utilize cards that generate tokens or creatures that have afterlife or persist abilities. These create additional creatures upon dying or ensure that the creature comes back, thus nullifying the impact of a card like Deadfall. Additionally, cards with indestructible traits or protection from certain colors can slip through Deadfall’s grasp.

In essence, flexibility and redundancy in your creature lineup can help to mitigate the effects of Deadfall in your match. Ensuring your deck has the resilience to bounce back from forced sacrifices or leveraging the strength of cards that can’t be targeted by such effects can spell the difference between a crippling setback and a strategic advantage on the battlefield.

Cards like Deadfall

Deadfall captures the essence of land-based strategy in Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with cards like Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin. Much like these cards, Deadfall can disrupt the opponent’s mana base. Ghost Quarter allows for the immediate destruction of any land at no cost but has the downside of granting the opponent a basic land in return. In contrast, Field of Ruin has the similar effect but requires a small mana investment, with both players searching for a basic land, thereby leveling the playing field slightly.

Another card that players might liken to Deadfall is Tectonic Edge, which also offers the ability to target and destroy lands, but with a restriction—it can only be activated if the opponent has four or more lands. Considering this, Tectonic Edge is often a more conditional choice, yet it can be part of a more calculated and timing-specific strategy.

Although each of these cards serves the core purpose of dismantling an opponent’s land resources, Deadfall’s distinct characteristics need to be weighed against these alternatives. Balancing the strategic needs of a deck with the unique functions of these cards will guide players in their choices, as each card varies in its utility and restrictions within the game.

Cards similar to Deadfall by color, type and mana cost

The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions

Rites of Flourishing - MTG Card versions

Dense Foliage - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Hall of Gemstone - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)

Broken Fall - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)

Howling Moon - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)

Squirrel Nest - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)

Blanchwood Armor - The Brothers' War (BRO)

Rites of Flourishing - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

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