Urban Evolution MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Draw three cards and play an extra land with Urban Evolution to outpace opponents and ramp quickly.
  2. Mana cost and color commitment restricts use but offers high reward for Simic-tuned decks.
  3. A versatile MTG card, ideal for combo potential and adapting to the competitive meta.

Text of card

Draw three cards. You may play an additional land this turn.

As the Simic released more of their krasis experiments, they required new habitats, always at the expense of the locals.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Urban Evolution enables you to draw three cards when played. This significantly bolsters your hand, giving you more options and a better chance to respond to opponents’ strategies.

Resource Acceleration: With this card, not only do you get to draw cards, but you also can play an additional land on the turn it’s cast. This crucial element ramps up your resources, allowing for faster execution of high-cost spells or creatures.

Instant Speed: While Urban Evolution is a sorcery, its impact on gameplay is substantial. The card advantage and resource acceleration it provides are comparable to effects often found in instant speed cards, enabling a powerful shift in the game’s dynamic during your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Urban Evolution does not directly ask players to discard cards, but by drawing three cards, there’s a risk of overextending your hand, making you vulnerable to opposing discard strategies or forcing you to discard for maximum hand size in the cleanup step.

Specific Mana Cost: Urban Evolution’s cost of three generic mana, one green, and one blue can be restrictive. It requires dedication to these colors, making it less flexible for decks that do not heavily feature Simic guild colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana makes Urban Evolution a more significant investment compared to other draw spells or ramp options. This higher cost means it’s played later in the game and can potentially slow down your momentum in the early to mid-game phases.


Reasons to Include Urban Evolution in Your Collection

Versatility: Urban Evolution offers a unique mix of card draw and land play which makes it a boon for decks that aim to ramp up resources quickly. Its ability to adapt to various playstyles and strategies is what makes it a valuable addition to any collection.

Combo Potential: By drawing cards and allowing an additional land drop, Urban Evolution can act as a catalyst for numerous combos, potentially setting up the stage for game-winning turns. Its synergy with landfall mechanics and other card-drawing engines can also be exploited, paving the way for explosive plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where establishing board presence and maintaining card advantage is essential, Urban Evolution shines. It keeps you ahead of your opponents in terms of both land count and hand size, which is often crucial for outpacing the competitive landscape.


How to Beat

Urban Evolution presents a unique challenge on the battleground of Magic: The Gathering, standing out with its ability to provide card advantage and land acceleration in a singular package. Understanding its five mana cost, one that encompasses three different colors, is key to developing a strategy against it. Early game pressure can make it difficult for an opponent to safely cast Urban Evolution, as they may need to respond to threats rather than spend their turn drawing cards and playing an extra land.

Counterspells are an excellent tool to prevent Urban Evolution from ever resolving. By keeping up mana for spells such as Counterspell or Mana Leak, you can protect your game state and force your opponent to waste their turn trying to cast their spell. Alternatively, discard effects that remove Urban Evolution from your opponent’s hand before they have the chance to use it—such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek—can disrupt their plan and maintain your lead.

Ultimately, while Urban Evolution can give your opponent a significant advantage, it is susceptible to the same weaknesses as other high-cost spells. Play proactively, hold up your reactive answers, and you’ll stand a good chance of mitigating the card’s impact on the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Stepping into the strategy-rich world of MTG, every card choice can tip the scales of victory. Urban Evolution, with its robust ability to accelerate resources and offer a surge in card advantage, can be a pivotal addition to your arsenal. Whether you prefer a well-timed combo or building a sustainable presence on the board, this card has the potential to propel you ahead. Recognizing the utility and potential it brings to your deck-building choices is key. Dive deeper into the synergies and strategies that make Urban Evolution more than just a card—it’s a potent force that could craft the path to your triumph. Embrace the full spectrum of its capabilities and let it evolve your gameplay. Learn with us as we explore the depth of MTG strategies and ensure your deck is a force to be reckoned with.


Cards like Urban Evolution

Urban Evolution has carved its niche in the realm of card advantage and land plays within Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside spells like Explore, which permits an additional land drop as well as a card draw. Urban Evolution, however, takes this a step further by allowing for the drawing of three cards and the play of an additional land in a single turn, offering a more substantial boost in both resources and hand options.

Comparatively, we look at Skyshroud Blessing, a card that allows players to play an extra land and has the perk of being cast as an instant. While it doesn’t offer the card draw power of Urban Evolution, the flexibility of its instant speed can be crucial in certain game situations. Another relative in this sphere is Growth Spiral; it shares the instant-casting quality and combines a land drop with drawing a card. Though it provides immediate advantage, the amount of card draw pales in comparison to Urban Evolution’s three cards.

Ultimately, Urban Evolution might come with a higher mana cost, but it compensates with a potent surge in hand size and potential land drops, presenting itself as a valuable tool for ramping up and bolstering a player’s position in the game.

Explore - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Blessing - MTG Card versions
Growth Spiral - MTG Card versions
Explore - Worldwake (WWK)
Skyshroud Blessing - Planeshift (PLS)
Growth Spiral - Ravnica Allegiance Promos (PRNA)

Cards similar to Urban Evolution by color, type and mana cost

Aether Mutation - MTG Card versions
Augmenter Pugilist // Echoing Equation - MTG Card versions
Bring to Light - MTG Card versions
Oversimplify - MTG Card versions
Repudiate // Replicate - MTG Card versions
Aether Helix - MTG Card versions
Aether Mutation - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Augmenter Pugilist // Echoing Equation - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Bring to Light - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Oversimplify - Commander 2021 (C21)
Repudiate // Replicate - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Aether Helix - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Urban Evolution MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora, 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 Urban Evolution and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Urban Evolution Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Eytan Zana.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 2042003normalblackEytan Zana
22015-02-27Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. KioraDDO 572015normalblackEytan Zana
32017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 1982015normalblackEytan Zana
42018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 2082015normalblackEytan Zana
52019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 1262015normalblackEytan Zana
62019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2052015normalblackEytan Zana
72019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15042015normalblackEytan Zana
82020-09-26The ListPLST MM3-1982015normalblackEytan Zana
92020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 4552015normalblackEytan Zana
102022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3552015normalblackEytan Zana

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Urban Evolution has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Urban Evolution card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2018-12-07 If you somehow manage to cast Urban Evolution when it's not your turn, you'll draw three cards when it resolves, but you won't be able to play a land that turn.
2018-12-07 The effects of multiple Urban Evolutions in the same turn are cumulative. They're also cumulative with other effects that let you play additional lands, such as the one from Explore.
2018-12-07 Urban Evolution's effect allows you to play an additional land during your main phase. Doing so follows the normal timing rules for playing lands. In particular, you don't get to play a land as Urban Evolution resolves; Urban Evolution fully resolves first and you draw three cards, perhaps including a land you'll play later.

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