Oath of the Ancient Wood MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 2013-07-19 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Magic 2014 |
| Set code | M14 |
| Number | 187 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Dan Scott |
Key Takeaways
- Offers ongoing card advantage by empowering creatures without extra hand depletion.
- Increases board state efficiency and accelerates resource utility via creature enhancement.
- Combines well with instant speed spells, enabling surprise tactics during opponent turns.
Text of card
Whenever Oath of the Ancient Wood or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
"Some gaze upon the forest and see trees. I see true power."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Oath of the Ancient Wood offers a continual source of card advantage, particularly in decks with a high concentration of creatures. Each time a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you have the opportunity to place a +1/+1 counter on a target creature, effectively enhancing your board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: While Oath of the Ancient Wood does not directly generate mana, it does contribute to resource acceleration in the sense that it magnifies the value of your creatures. By bolstering your creatures’ power and toughness, you’re effectively getting more utility out of your current resources, enabling a more efficient and accelerated development of your board state.
Instant Speed: Although Oath of the Ancient Wood itself is an enchantment played at sorcery speed, it synergizes well with creatures and spells that can be played at instant speed. Deploying creatures in your opponent’s turn triggers Oath of the Ancient Wood, catching opponents off-guard and potentially creating advantageous combat scenarios during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Oath of the Ancient Wood may not demand a discard, but it does require you to maintain a deck with numerous creatures to trigger its ability. If your hand is bereft of creature spells, the enchantment can become an idle card on the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires a specific commitment to green mana in your pool. With its exact color requirement of two green mana plus one of any color, it tends to fit better in mono-green or two-color decks, potentially narrowing its adaptability.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of three mana, including a double green, some players might find Oath of the Ancient Wood somewhat costly for what it delivers. In environments where speed is crucial, a three-mana enchantment that relies on future actions may not be the most efficient use of resources, particularly when compared with lower-costed alternatives that can impact the board immediately.
Reasons to Include Oath of the Ancient Wood in Your Collection
Versatility: Oath of the Ancient Wood offers a dynamic approach to deck building, seamlessly fitting into enchantment-based strategies. Its ability to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control makes it a strong ally in decks that aim to utilize a lot of enchantments.
Combo Potential: With its enchantment synergy, Oath of the Ancient Wood can be an integral piece in combo-oriented decks. It works exceptionally well with cards that allow you to play multiple enchantments in a single turn, leading to a swift accumulation of +1/+1 counters and potentially overwhelming board presence.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where enchantress strategies are prevalent or in metas that are conducive to counter-centric tactics, Oath of the Ancient Wood can be an effective addition. It adapts to changing game conditions, providing continuous value as you deploy more enchantments.
How to beat Oath of the Ancient Wood
Oath of the Ancient Wood is a unique enchantment that has the potential to quickly turn the tide of the battlefield in a player’s favor by capitalizing on creature boosts each time a card with a green hue slips into play. The subtlety lies in its ability to steadily grow your creatures, making them more formidable with each enchantment.
Defeating this card requires a strategy to disrupt the consistency of enchantment triggers or the ability for creatures to benefit from them. This can be done through cards that specifically target enchantments, such as Naturalize or Disenchant, effectively removing Oath of the Ancient Wood from the game before it accumulates value. It’s also worth considering the pressure strategy; overwhelming the board with threats faster than the enchantment can handle, or using control elements to limit the number of creatures that your opponent can play, curtailing the advantage they would receive.
Lastly, tailoring one’s playstyle to be more reactive than proactive can be key – keeping mana open to respond to the threats as they arise, rather than overextending oneself on the board, can essentially negate the slow-building advantage that Oath of the Ancient Wood provides to an opponent’s creatures.
Cards like Oath of the Ancient Wood
Oath of the Ancient Wood offers a unique interaction with the enchantment strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It finds parallels with cards like Verdant Haven, which also centers around land and provides a life gain and mana fixing aspect. However, Oath of the Ancient Wood delivers a continuous creature-fortifying ability that can turn even your most unassuming creatures into threats as you cast more enchantments.
In comparison, we have Retreat to Kazandu, a card that similarly allows you to bolster a creature or gain life whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. While it presents a choice and flexibility, Oath of the Ancient Wood has the potential to yield significantly more power on the battlefield over time, provided you’re consistently playing enchantments. Further, Lumberknot is another comparable card that grows with each creature that dies. However, it lacks the enchantment synergy that Oath of the Ancient Wood provides, making it suit a different kind of deck strategy.
Assessing the utility and synergy, Oath of the Ancient Wood stands out among cards that empower creatures. Its ability to scale with each enchantment played sets it apart, making it a pivotal inclusion for enchantment-heavy MTG decks.
Cards similar to Oath of the Ancient Wood by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Oath of the Ancient Wood MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014, 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 Oath of the Ancient Wood 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Oath of the Ancient Wood 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 Oath of the Ancient Wood card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-07-01 | If the enchantment that enters the battlefield is somehow also a creature, you may choose it as the target of Oath of the Ancient Wood’s ability. |
