Wall of Wonder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Wall
Abilities Defender
Power 1
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Wall of Wonder provides versatile defense with its power/toughness altering ability during any turn.
  2. The card requires careful hand management due to its discard activation cost for certain abilities.
  3. It maintains meta-relevance with its ability to adapt to swift attacker-heavy decks.

Text of card

o Uoo U Gain +4/-4 and allow Wall of Wonder to attack this turn.

So confusing is the Wall's appearance that few of its victims even see it move.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wall of Wonder presents an opportunity to create a defensive barrier while maintaining card value. It shines in decks that capitalize on drawing or revealing multiple cards to set the stage for future turns.

Resource Acceleration: The card doesn’t directly offer traditional resource acceleration, but it does contribute to the defensive stability. This allows you to preserve resources by detering attacks that could diminish your life total or resources, essentially buying time to access more mana and cards in the long run.

Instant Speed: While Wall of Wonder isn’t played at instant speed, its ability can be activated during any player’s turn. That instant-speed activation gives you the flexibility to respond to threats or adapt to the battlefield as needed, making it a versatile defensive option.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Taking a closer look at Wall of Wonder, one downside is that it requires the player to discard a card to activate certain abilities. This demand for additional resources can often put the player at a disadvantage, especially in situations where hand size is already diminished.

Specific Mana Cost: Wall of Wonder’s mana cost is not the most flexible, making demands on the player’s mana pool that specifically require both generic and blue mana. This specificity can potentially limit the range of decks where Wall of Wonder can be played effectively, primarily harmonizing with those tailored around blue mana environments.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost from the upper tier, some players might find Wall of Wonder a costly inclusion. The need to invest a considerable amount of mana could deter players, considering alternative defensive cards or creatures that might provide comparable benefits for a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wall of Wonder offers a flexible defense option for any deck focused on delaying the game. Its ability to adjust its power and toughness makes it a wildcard on the battlefield, allowing for unpredictable plays and a robust defense.

Combo Potential: With the capacity to alter its stats, Wall of Wonder synergizes well with cards and strategies that hinge on creatures’ power or toughness. It opens up numerous combo avenues, particularly in decks that exploit creature abilities or enhance defensive fortifications.

Meta-Relevance: As player strategies frequently pivot to overcome popular decks, Wall of Wonder remains relevant due to its responsive nature. In metas where attackers come thick and fast, it stands as a multi-use sentinel, ready to adapt to the varying threats it faces.


How to beat

The Wall of Wonder presents itself as a formidable defensive card in Magic: The Gathering. Its unique ability to adjust its power and toughness makes it an unexpected challenge for players trying to strategize their attacks. Unlike static defenders, the Wall of Wonder’s adaptability requires a more nuanced approach to overcome. Thankfully, there are effective strategies to dismantle this tricky barrier.

For starters, direct removal spells are a reliable solution. Cards that can bypass its shape-shifting nature, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, can dispatch it with little fuss. Another potent tactic involves cards that provide -1/-1 counters or reduce toughness, which can permanently hamper Wall of Wonder’s defensive capabilities, rendering it useless even if its controller attempts to adjust its stats.

Lastly, evasive creatures with flying or unblockable traits can simply ignore the Wall of Wonder, allowing you to pressure your opponent without engaging with their defenses directly. This way, the Wall becomes more of a nuisance than a threat, offering you a path to victory without having to confront it head-on.


Cards like Wall of Wonder

Within the expanse of Magic: The Gathering’s diverse card pool, Wall of Wonder offers an intriguing versatility that is mirrored by several other creatures. Much like the utility-driven Fog Bank, Wall of Wonder stands as a defensive bulwark with the added ability to pump its stats, making it more daunting for opponents to breach. Unlike Fog Bank, which negates all damage dealt to it, Wall of Wonder’s ability to increase its power and toughness provides a dynamic approach to defending against attackers.

Comparably, Mnemonic Wall enters the battlefield with an ability that resurrects instants or sorceries from the graveyard, although it lacks the offensive presence that Wall of Wonder commands. Conversely, Wall of Frost effectively locks down creatures it blocks by preventing them from untapping during the next untap step, yet doesn’t offer the offensive flexibility that Wall of Wonder’s pump ability grants.

In reviewing these like-minded defenders, Wall of Wonder stands out by offering players an option that can transform from a stout defender into a formidable attacker at a moment’s notice. It solidifies a unique space among magic’s defensive creatures, catering to those who favor reactive playstyles with the potential for surprising offensive shifts.

Fog Bank - MTG Card versions
Mnemonic Wall - MTG Card versions
Wall of Frost - MTG Card versions
Fog Bank - Urza's Saga (USG)
Mnemonic Wall - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Wall of Frost - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Wall of Wonder by color, type and mana cost

Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Phantom Monster - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Dreamborn Muse - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Phantom Monster - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Wall of Vapor - Chronicles (CHR)
Tradewind Rider - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Archivist - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Thieving Magpie - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Inga Rune-Eyes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Laboratory Drudge - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Johnny, Combo Player - Unhinged (UNH)
Dream Prowler - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Clone - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Cytoplast Manipulator - Dissension (DIS)
Crookclaw Transmuter - Time Spiral (TSP)
Dreamborn Muse - Tenth Edition (10E)
Turtleshell Changeling - Lorwyn (LRW)
Glen Elendra Archmage - Eventide (EVE)
Fatestitcher - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Argent Sphinx - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Lumengrid Drake - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wall of Wonder MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Wall of Wonder and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wall of Wonder Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2001-04-11. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-06-01LegendsLEG 851993normalblackRichard Thomas
21995-07-01ChroniclesCHR 281993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1121997normalwhiteCarl Critchlow
42001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 112★1997normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wall of Wonder has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Paying to make the Wall capable of attacking does not override the normal rule that a creature may not attack unless it began your turn on the battlefield.

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