Iron Maiden MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 1999-02-15 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Urza's Legacy |
| Set code | ULG |
| Number | 127 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Tom Wänerstrand |
Key Takeaways
- Iron Maiden pressures opponents, threatening hand disruption and maintaining card advantage each upkeep.
- Its persistent threat aligns with instant-speed plays, enhancing strategies that operate on the opponent’s turn.
- Strategic mana investment is required, but Iron Maiden’s unique effect can be a pivotal game factor.
Text of card
During each of your opponent's upkeeps, Iron Maiden deals 1 damage to that player for each card more than four in his or her hand.
The maiden is a jealous lover.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Iron Maiden card taps into the core advantage of putting pressure on opponents by threatening hand disruption each turn. This subtle yet powerful effect ensures you maintain card quality while potentially diminishing your opponent’s resources.
Resource Acceleration: Although the card itself doesn’t directly offer mana acceleration, its ability to influence hand size can indirectly speed up your game plan. Controlling the pace lets you leverage your resources more efficiently, effectively accelerating your strategy.
Instant Speed: While Iron Maiden operates at upkeep, its persistent threat aligns with the dynamics of instant speed interactions. It allows a player to keep up the pressure without needing to allocate resources each turn, thus integrating well with strategies that favor instant speed plays and decision-making during an opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the context of Iron Maiden, the card presents no discard challenges for its controller. Its effect strictly targets opponents, making them potentially discard cards if they have excess in hand at the upkeep phase. Hence, the card’s strategy does not intrinsically put the player at a card disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Iron Maiden requires a precise mana alignment to cast. It’s predominantly an artifact requiring colorless mana but still can be restrictive if you’re looking for cards that fit into a multicolored mana base or a color-specific strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Iron Maiden’s unique effect can be a slow but steady win condition in a control deck, its initial mana investment is significant. Its utility in a fast-paced game can be questioned as it consumes resources that could potentially be allocated to more immediate threats or board presence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Iron Maiden boasts the ability to seamlessly integrate into decks that prioritize incremental damage, especially where opponents often have a full grip of cards. Its damage-dealing capacity, which scales with the size of opposing hands, ensures it’s a threat at all stages of the game.
Combo Potential: This artifact shines when combined with strategies that force opponents to draw cards or when you can manipulate their hand size. It pairs well with cards designed to maximize hand size, turning an opponents advantage into a disadvantage.
Meta-Relevance: In a game-state where players are holding onto numerous cards for protracted counter wars or complex plays, Iron Maiden can be a potent sideboard card, providing a passive damage clock that pressures opponents to act or risk increased damage every turn.
How to beat
The Iron Maiden card presents a unique challenge in the realm of MTG. Often finding its way into decks designed to passively drain opponents’ life, Iron Maiden turns the tables on players with full hands. To effectively undermine its potency, it’s essential to keep your hand lean. Cards that allow for rapid deployment, like low-cost creatures or instants, are valuable assets in this strategy.
Moreover, the introduction of instant-speed interaction can disrupt the Maiden’s effect. This includes options like enchantment removal or bounce spells that can temporarily or permanently remove Iron Maiden from the battlefield. Keeping a watchful eye on hand size, especially during the upkeep phase when Iron Maiden’s ability triggers, can prevent the incremental life point loss that could lead to your downfall.
By proactively managing your hand and utilizing the right spells at critical moments, Iron Maiden can be rendered ineffective. This approach ensures that the dreaded artifact serves more as a dormant relic than a persistent threat, allowing you to navigate the duel without succumbing to its passive pressure.
Cards like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique artifact that can be quite punishing to opponents during the upkeep phase. It draws a parallel to Ebony Owl Netsuke, as both cards inflict damage based on the number of cards in the opponent’s hand. However, Iron Maiden’s ability to deal damage during each upkeep offers a consistent threat that can swiftly whittle down an opponent’s life total.
Another card bearing resemblance is Black Vise, which shares the concept of taxing players for having large hands but deals its damage during the draw step and has a limit to its damage output. Iron Maiden’s flexibility in affecting all opponents at once can offer a strategic advantage in multiplayer games. Moreover, The Rack serves a similar purpose but focuses on punishing opponents for having too few cards in hand.
While analyzing these cards, one can appreciate Iron Maiden’s role in creating a subgame focused on hand size management. Against decks that maintain a full grip, it acts as a relentless source of damage, complementing strategies that force opponents to draw or hold cards unwillingly. Iron Maiden’s imposing effect on the game dynamics ensures its niche yet impactful presence in MTG decks.
Cards similar to Iron Maiden by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Iron Maiden MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Iron Maiden 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 Iron Maiden has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |