Familiar Ground MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Familiar Ground gives creatures an edge in combat, making them harder to block and enhancing attacks.
  2. It comes with downsides, including a specific mana cost and additional hand discard requirements.
  3. Incorporate Familiar Ground for its unique combat benefits and to elevate certain deck types.

Text of card

Each creature you control cannot be blocked by more than one creature.

"I'd rather fight on foreign soil. That way, if I lose I can blame it on the terrain." —Gerrard of the *Weatherlight*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Familiar Ground boosts the strength of your creatures by ensuring they can only be blocked by one creature. This mechanic tends to effectively bypass opponent’s multi-creature defense strategies, potentially leading to more sustained pressure and effective attacks each turn.

Resource Acceleration: By making your creatures harder to block, Familiar Ground can help you maintain a presence on the board. The enchantment helps in accelerating your game plan by allowing you to confidently commit creatures to the board, knowing they are likely to be capable attackers turn after turn.

Instant Speed: While Familiar Ground is not played at instant speed, the advantage it gives your creatures has a persistent impact that is always ‘on’. This means that every creature you play is immediately more threatening, forcing your opponent to respond or adapt without the luxury of time on their side.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Familiar Ground requires the player to part with another card from their hand to harness its effect. In situations where card advantage is crucial, this additional cost can set a player back, especially when other cards in hand are vital for maintaining their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Familiar Ground includes green mana, which may not be readily available in all deck types. This limitation can deter players who operate multicolor decks from including it, as it may not consistently align with their mana base, causing potential delays in play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card comes with a significant green mana investment, which can be considered high for the benefits it provides. Players might find that other cards could offer similar or more impactful effects with less or more flexible mana requirements, potentially providing a better return on investment and improved deck efficiency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Familiar Ground ensures that your creatures are tougher to block by conferring the singular combat ability to each of them. This can slide into any deck that prioritizes swinging in with creatures without the fear of multi-blockers, thus enhancing various aggro or midrange strategies.

Combo Potential: Familiar Ground shines in decks that aim to capitalize on combat phases or commander-damage victories. Not only does it synergize with cards that grant bonuses per creature attacking, but it also combines well with effects that limit blocking opportunities further, paving the way for lethal damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based decks are prevalent, Familiar Ground offers a significant edge by limiting opponent’s defensive options. This can give aggro and commander-focused decks a critical advantage, allowing them to circumvent common defensive setups and push through crucial damage more consistently.


How to beat

Overcoming Familiar Ground in MTG demands a strategy that curtails the advantage it provides. This enchantment allows creatures to bypass the need for tapping when attacking, enabling a relentless offensive. To balance the scales, focus on control mechanics that restrict creature abilities or eliminate the enchantment altogether. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant efficiently remove Familiar Ground from play, cutting off the incessant creature assault. Another route is manipulating card accessibility, using Counterspells to prevent it from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Alternatively, leverage board wipes like Wrath of God to reset the playing field. Each of these tactics creates an environment where the benefit of Familiar Ground is significantly reduced or removed, ensuring a fair fight.


Cards like Familiar Ground

Familiar Ground is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that grants creatures you control the benefit of being unblockable by more than one creature. This card shares similarities with cards that enhance the tactical advantage of your creatures during combat. For instance, cards like Spirit Mantle, which provides protection from creatures, prevent all creatures from blocking the enchanted creature, a step further than the restricted blocking condition of Familiar Ground.

Another card in the same ballpark is Primal Rage, an enchantment that outright gives your creatures trample, thereby allowing you to potentially deal damage through blockers rather than avoiding them altogether. While Primal Rage focuses on overpowering the enemy with raw force, Familiar Ground takes a subtler route, strategically minimizing the number of potential blockers.

Considering gameplay strategies and combat tricks, Familiar Ground stands out by shaping the flow of battle. It offers a unique middle ground, deterring opponents from double-blocking, which can be pivotal in games where evasion and careful planning dominate the battlefield dynamics.

Spirit Mantle - MTG Card versions
Primal Rage - MTG Card versions
Spirit Mantle - Magic 2012 (M12)
Primal Rage - Stronghold (STH)

Cards similar to Familiar Ground by color, type and mana cost

Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Wanderlust - MTG Card versions
Thelon's Chant - MTG Card versions
Maddening Wind - MTG Card versions
Cycle of Life - MTG Card versions
Dense Foliage - MTG Card versions
Hall of Gemstone - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Momentum - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Mask - MTG Card versions
Broken Fall - MTG Card versions
Verdant Field - MTG Card versions
Lure - MTG Card versions
Food Chain - MTG Card versions
Howling Moon - MTG Card versions
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - MTG Card versions
Squirrel Nest - MTG Card versions
Alpha Status - MTG Card versions
Lifegift - MTG Card versions
Blanchwood Armor - MTG Card versions
Kudzu - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Wanderlust - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Thelon's Chant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Maddening Wind - Ice Age (ICE)
Cycle of Life - Mirage (MIR)
Dense Foliage - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Hall of Gemstone - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Fecundity - Urza's Saga (USG)
Momentum - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Ancestral Mask - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Broken Fall - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Verdant Field - Prophecy (PCY)
Lure - Tenth Edition (10E)
Food Chain - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Howling Moon - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
The Dragon-Kami Reborn // Dragon-Kami's Egg - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Squirrel Nest - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)
Alpha Status - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Lifegift - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Blanchwood Armor - The Brothers' War (BRO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Familiar Ground MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight and Classic Sixth Edition, 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 Familiar Ground and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Familiar Ground Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-06-09 and 2001-04-11. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-06-09WeatherlightWTH 1271997normalblackJeff Miracola
21999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2281997normalwhiteJeff Miracola
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 2431997normalwhiteThomas Gianni
42001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 243★1997normalblackThomas Gianni

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Familiar Ground has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Familiar Ground 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 When combined with an effect that reads “Each creature you control can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures,” none of your creatures can be blocked.

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