Genju of the Fields MTG Card
2005-02-04 - Number 5
2005-08-22 - Number G28
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Key Takeaways
- Genju of the Fields provides persistent board presence, resisting sorcery-speed removal while saving hand resources.
- It animates lands at instant speed for surprise defense, increasing strategic play and resource allocation.
- Despite its mana intensity and vulnerability to hand disruption, it remains a tactical asset in mono-white decks.
Text of card
: Until end of turn, enchanted Plains becomes a 2/5 white Spirit creature with "Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life." It's still a land. When enchanted Plains is put into a graveyard, you may return Genju of the Fields from your graveyard to your hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Genju of the Fields offers a unique form of card advantage. Once attached to a Plains, it can repeatedly become a 2/5 creature, effectively dodging most sorcery-speed removal. This tenacious enchantment allows you to maintain a board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, the resilience of Genju of the Fields can save mana in the long term. The continuous threat of a 2/5 creature means you can invest your resources elsewhere, potentially accelerating your game plan without having to redeploy additional creatures.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Genju of the Fields at instant speed grants it a tactical edge. You can animate your land during your opponent’s turn to block incoming attacks, a surprise that can turn the tide in combat scenarios. This instant-speed interaction adds a layer of strategic depth and resource flexibility to gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: As enchanting land is essential for Genju of the Fields’ effect, any strategy relying upon it can falter if faced with discard effects or hand disruption commonly found in competitive play. This vulnerability means that your investment in the card may be lost without any impact on the board state if the right conditions aren’t met.
Specific Mana Cost: Genju of the Fields necessitates exclusively white mana to activate its creature ability. This specificity narrows the card’s flexibility, making it less appealing in multicolored decks where mana resources need to be carefully balanced across various colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The requirement of one white mana to become a creature each turn can add up in the long run, making the card’s cost-efficiency questionable when compared to other options. Furthermore, its return-to-hand ability activates only if the land it’s attached to is put into a graveyard, which can make the card a higher liability in your mana base.
Reasons to Include Genju of the Fields in Your Collection
Versatility: Genju of the Fields can bring consistent life gain to a variety of white-based decks. This enchantment transforms any of your Plains into a creature that can potentially turn the tide of the game with its life-gaining ability.
Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies that capitalize on life gain or enchantments. When the enchanted Plains becomes a creature, it can work with effects that key off creatures entering the battlefield or with cards that reward gaining life.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Genju of the Fields can provide the necessary stabilization. Its ability to repeatedly come back to the battlefield offers a recurring source of life gain that can help you outlast opponents.
How to beat
Genju of the Fields presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, as it transforms a basic Plains into a formidable creature capable of healing its controller through lifelink. To successfully navigate this enchantment, players should consider enchantment removal cards, such as Disenchant or Mortify, which can effectively remove Genju of the Fields from the game before it becomes a recurring threat.
Additionally, it’s prudent to manage combat phases carefully, as engaging with the animated Plains creature can lead to a disadvantageous life swing. Using instant-speed removal spells allows you to thwart the lifelink advantage during your opponent’s attack, turning the tables in your favor.
Keeping in mind Genju of the Fields’ ability to return to its owner’s hand, consistent pressure and strategic resource management are key. Exhausting your opponent’s mana and maintaining control over the pace of the game will impede the Genju’s return and secure your position. Though, remaining vigilant of its resurrection is essential, for it can easily turn the tide of a seemingly controlled match.
Cards like Genju of the Fields
Genju of the Fields stands out in the Magic: The Gathering universe for its resilience and ability to transform lands into formidable creatures. Its similar counterparts include the cycle of Genju from the “Betrayers of Kamigawa” set, such as Genju of the Spires. Both attach to specific land types and can turn those lands into powerful creatures for a small mana investment. However, Genju of the Spires focuses on offensive power, converting a mountain into a 6/1 creature, while Genju of the Fields is more defensive, offering a 2/5 creature with lifelink to help stabilize your life total.
Another card that serves a comparable function is Guardian Idol. While not attaching to lands, it morphs from an inert mana rock into a 2/2 creature for just two mana. The transformation doesn’t require it to be enchained to a land, giving it a different form of versatility. However, Genju of the Fields trumps in terms of survivability and life-gain potential.
Assessing the unique abilities and strategic applications of Genju of the Fields puts it in an interesting niche among MTG cards that double as both land and creature, offering a distinct advantage in games that can leverage prolonged battlefield presence and incremental life gain.
Cards similar to Genju of the Fields by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Genju of the Fields MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa and Salvat 2005, 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 Genju of the Fields 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 Magic products
Printings
The Genju of the Fields Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-02-04 and 2005-08-22. Illustrated by Greg Staples.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-02-04 | Betrayers of Kamigawa | BOK | 5 | 2003 | normal | black | Greg Staples | |
| 2 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | G28 | 2003 | normal | white | Greg Staples |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Genju of the Fields has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Genju of the Fields card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-08-01 | When activated multiple times, it will have the triggered ability multiple times. When the animated Plains deals damage, the ability will trigger once for each copy of the ability. If, for example, you activate the ability three times, the Plains will deal two damage, and you’ll gain six life. |
| 2008-08-01 | A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature. |
| 2009-10-01 | Activating the ability that turns it into a creature while it’s already a creature will override any effects that set its power and/or toughness to a specific number. However, any effect that raises or lowers power and/or toughness (such as the effect created by Giant Growth, Glorious Anthem, or a +1/+1 counter) will continue to apply. |
