An-Zerrin Ruins MTG Card
1995-10-01 - Number 64
1996-05-02 - Number et48sb
2008-09-22 - Number 117
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- Enemies’ creatures become pricier, giving you a clear battlefield advantage with An-Zerrin Ruins.
- Mana cost specificity in An-Zerrin Ruins may restrict its use in varied decks.
- Despite its high mana cost, An-Zerrin Ruins can massively disrupt opponents’ strategies.
Text of card
Choose a creature type. Creatures of that type do not untap during their controller's untap phase.
"The An-Zerrins have served me well, ever since I first killed them." —Baron Sengir
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Strategically limiting an opponent’s creature deployments can lead to a scenario where you have more active cards in play, enhancing your position on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly impacting resources, An-Zerrin Ruins shifts the economic balance by making creature spells more costly for opponents, which can indirectly speed up your gameplay as your resources are comparatively more efficient.
Instant Speed: While An-Zerrin Ruins operates at sorcery speed, its enduring effect on the game tempo acts as a preventive measure, creating opportunities for you to play your instant-speed responses more effectively in a less-threatened state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: An-Zerrin Ruins comes with an unforgiving clause that involves discarding cards. This can be particularly taxing on your hand, especially in crucial moments when maintaining card advantage is key to victory.
Specific Mana Cost: This card has a stringent mana requirement, needing not just one but two red mana symbols. This specificity necessitates a commitment to red mana resources, meaning it’s not as flexible for multi-color decks that may only have a splash of red.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at a total of four mana, three of which are generic, An-Zerrin Ruins has a relatively steep cost compared to other disruption cards in the format. Considering the fast pace of many MTG games, the high cost could hinder its inclusion in efficient, speed-oriented decks.
Reasons to Include An-Zerrin Ruins in Your Collection
Versatility: An-Zerrin Ruins offers strategic flexibility by hindering creature-based strategies, making it adaptable to a variety of deck builds and play styles that aim to suppress opponents’ board development.
Combo Potential: This card can serve a critical role in combos by disrupting tribal synergies, thus creating opportunities for players to capitalize on a temporarily weakened state of their opponents’ creatures.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to restrict certain creature types, An-Zerrin Ruins has the potential to be a powerful sideboard card in a meta dominated by tribal decks, granting savvy players a significant tactical edge.
How to beat
An-Zerrin Ruins is an intriguing card that has the power to disrupt strategies centered around creature types in Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment makes creatures of the chosen type more costly to play, which can significantly hamper tribal decks reliant upon synergy between their creatures. To effectively counteract An-Zerrin Ruins, flexibility in deck building is key. Incorporating a diverse array of creatures or relying on non-creature spells help minimize its impact.
Another strategy is to prioritize the removal of problematic enchantments. Cards like Disenchant, Naturalize, or other targeted removal spells can swiftly handle An-Zerrin Ruins, ensuring your creatures maintain their intended casting cost. Alternatively, deploying counterspells when An-Zerrin Ruins is being cast can pre-emptively neutralize it before it ever takes effect. Utilizing these strategies will enable you to maintain tempo and keep your tribal synergies flourishing despite the potentially disruptive nature of An-Zerrin Ruins.
Overall, while An-Zerrin Ruins can present a unique challenge to specific deck types, maintaining a flexible approach and having enchantment removal at the ready can clinch your victory. Always be prepared for such hurdles and adjust your game plan swiftly to overcome the obstacles posed by this potent enchantment.
Cards like An-Zerrin Ruins
An-Zerrin Ruins is a unique enchantment that brings a strategic edge to Magic: The Gathering gameplay. In terms of disruption, it can be likened to cards like Meekstone, which inhibit specific creature types, in this case, limiting the untapping of creatures with high power. However, An-Zerrin Ruins stands out by allowing players the ability to impose restrictions on their opponent’s ability to cast creature spells of a chosen type unless a tax is paid.
Looking at other cards with a taxing effect, we encounter Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. Thalia affects the casting cost of all noncreature spells, making her a broad-spectrum choice for slowing down opponents reliant on noncreature spells. In contrast, An-Zerrin Ruins is more focused on creature control and requires a mana cost to enact its effect each turn.
Lastly, consider the card Damping Sphere, which is effective in strategies aimed at controlling the pace of the game, similar to An-Zerrin Ruins. However, its functionality is distinct as it increases mana costs for spells based on the number previously cast in the turn and restricts the production of excessive mana from lands. An-Zerrin Ruins allows for comprehensive creature-type control, positioning it as a tactically diverse option within Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to An-Zerrin Ruins by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase An-Zerrin Ruins MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Pro Tour Collector Set, 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 An-Zerrin Ruins 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 An-Zerrin Ruins Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Dennis Detwiller.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995-10-01 | Homelands | HML | 64 | 1993 | normal | black | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 2 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | et48sb | 1993 | normal | gold | Dennis Detwiller | |
| 3 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 117 | 1997 | normal | black | Dennis Detwiller |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where An-Zerrin Ruins has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
