Seeds of Innocence MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Number	241
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Junior Tomlin

Key Takeaways

Can reset games dominated by artifacts while maintaining your own board presence and resources.
While not directly accelerating resources, it indirectly restricts opponents’ artifact-based ramp assets.
At sorcery speed, it ensures a cleared field for your follow-up plays without immediate interference.

Text of card

Bury all artifacts. Each artifact's controller gains an amount of life equal to that artifact's casting cost.

"I have hidden from the machinations of Zhalfir for centuries. Why should I join *your* campaign?" —Jolrael

Card Pros

Card Advantage: In the context of a game where equipment and enchantment-based strategies preside, Seeds of Innocence can level the playing field. While not directly drawing cards, it clears opponents’ threats while bypassing your own board, preserving your resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though Seeds of Innocence lacks a direct resource acceleration ability, by removing mana-generating artifacts or ramp-enabling artifacts from the opponent’s side, it indirectly hinders their acceleration and potentially shifts the tide of resource availability in your favor.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Seeds of Innocence ensures your plan unfolds at the start of your turn, setting the stage for you to deploy your creatures or spells with the assurance that the path has been cleared from possible enchantments or artifacts that could interfere.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Seeds of Innocence does not require a discard, so MTG players should not worry about losing card advantage when using this spell.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise mana arrangement — one green plus two of any color — which could complicate casting in multi-colored decks not heavily focused on green.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana for its mass artifact removal effect, Seeds of Innocence may be considered costly, particularly when compared to other artifact disruption options in the game that may come with lower mana requirements or additional benefits.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Seeds of Innocence offers a wide-ranging utility as it can seamlessly fit into numerous deck archetypes that focus on managing artifacts. This card can be a game-changer for green decks looking to disrupt opponents’ strategies reliant on artifact synergies.

Combo Potential: Within the right deck, Seeds of Innocence can act as a powerful combo piece. It can potentially clear the way for attacks or synergize with effects that trigger upon artifact destruction, thus offering both a board wipe and a strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames heavily featuring artifact-based strategies, Seeds of Innocence becomes an extremely potent sideboard card. Its ability to remove key artifacts from play and disrupt combo or engine-based decks makes it a valuable card in such environments.

How to beat

Seeds of Innocence is a powerhouse in the world of enchantment and artifact control within the game of Magic the Gathering. This green sorcery spell effectively destroys all artifacts, netting its caster a considerable advantage, particularly in matchups teeming with crucial artifacts.

To outmaneuver this card, foresight and strategy are essential. One effective tactic is to limit the number of key artifacts in your play, focusing on indispensable ones that can swiftly turn the tide of the game in your favor before your opponent can cast Seeds of Innocence. Additionally, employing counter spells or abilities that offer protection against green spells could help safeguard your artifacts.

Including versatile cards in your deck that can recover artifacts from the graveyard back into play can also serve as a contingency plan, ensuring that the potential setback is only temporary. Ensuring you have a balanced deck with a variety of threats that don’t rely solely on artifacts will reduce the impact of Seeds of Innocence, allowing you to maintain control of the game.

Cards like Seeds of Innocence

Seeds of Innocence stands out in the realm of artifact removal in Magic: The Gathering. This card immediately dismantles all artifacts, resembling the impact of cards like Creeping Corrosion or Fracturing Gust. Yet, it comes with a unique twist: Seeds of Innocence compensates owners of destroyed artifacts with life points equivalent to the artifacts’ casting costs. Creeping Corrosion and Fracturing Gust do not have this added life-gain feature, focusing solely on the blanket eradication of artifacts.

Shatterstorm is another analog, boasting a similar artifact annihilation capability, yet it forfeits the life gain bonus that Seeds of Innocence provides players. On a more targeted scale, Nature’s Claim allows the destruction of a single artifact or enchantment at a very low cost and also grants 4 life to the owner, offering precision but not the sweeping effect of Seeds of Innocence.

Analyzing these comparisons illuminates how Seeds of Innocence provides a broad-spectrum solution with a compensatory gesture to opponents, potentially altering the course of the game. In summary, this card secures a place in decks focused on mass artifact control while having the courtesy to soften the blow with life points, signifying its distinct place within Magic: The Gathering’s diverse card pool.

Cards similar to Seeds of Innocence by color, type and mana cost

Rosethorn Acolyte // Seasonal Ritual - MTG Card versions

Lovestruck Beast // Heart's Desire - MTG Card versions

Gift of the Gargantuan - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seeds of Innocence MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Seeds of Innocence and other MTG cards: