Trade Caravan MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Nomad
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Trade Caravan allows for potential mana acceleration and strategic untapping during upkeep phases.
  2. Its precision mana requirement and card discard can pose a challenge within varied strategies.
  3. Despite its cost, the card’s versatility and combo potential make it an intriguing option.

Text of card

During your upkeep, put a currency counter on Trade Caravan. : Remove two currency counters from Trade Caravan to untap target basic land. Use this ability only during any opponent's upkeep.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Trade Caravan, while circumstantial, can potentially offer card advantage by amassing trade counters, eventually allowing you to untap more substantial lands or even secure key lands from being tapped down by opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This card has the potential to accelerate resources by untapping a land during each of your upkeeps, potentially boosting your mana availability for casting spells quicker than your opponents.

Instant Speed: Although Trade Caravan doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability triggers during the upkeep which can impact the board at a pseudo-instant speed rhythm, allowing for strategic planning equivalent to instant speed actions in certain scenarios.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To reap Trade Caravan’s benefits, players must abandon other potential plays by discarding cards, potentially causing a setback in the player’s hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Trade Caravan demands a precise mix of mana, which can be restrictive for decks that strategize around a broad spectrum of mana sources and might not always have the right combination at the critical moment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a somewhat hefty investment required to summon Trade Caravan, it’s worth considering alternatives that could provide greater value or more immediate impact on the game state for a similar cost.


Reasons to Include Trade Caravan in Your Collection

Versatility: Trade Caravan is flexible enough for a variety of deck builds, especially those that can capitalize on its ability to untap with storage counters for additional mana generation.

Combo Potential: This card can be part of intricate combos, working with cards that interact with counters or benefit from consistent untapping mechanisms.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where managing resources cleverly is key, Trade Caravan’s subtle mana stockpiling can be a sleeper hit against slower, resource-hungry strategies.


How to beat

Trade Caravan is an older creature card from the Homelands set in Magic: The Gathering that has a unique place in the game’s history. Primarily, its ability to accummulate storage counters to eventually create mana can be viewed as a slow but steady investment for future turns. Despite its capability to stockpile resources, Trade Caravan can be outmaneuvered by accelerating the pace of the game and applying pressure with faster strategies.

Cards that can eliminate creatures or disrupt the opponent’s board will make Trade Caravan less effective. For instance, using low-cost removal spells to target it before it gathers too many storage counters can halt its resource generation. Also, employing aggressive creatures can force the Trade Caravan owner to use mana for defense, interrupting their game plan. It is vital to keep in mind that Trade Caravan requires time to be profitable, so advancing your board state quickly and maintaining momentum will prevent it from becoming a significant threat.

Overall, analyzing the strengths and vulnerabilities of Trade Caravan can aid players in devising formidable strategies to counter this particular card, ensuring its impact on the battlefield is minimized and the course of victory remains clear.


Cards like Trade Caravan

Trade Caravan steps into the realm of resource management within Magic: The Gathering, sharing a thematic kinship with cards that focus on incremental gains. Looming large in the same category is the classic card Land Tax, revered for ensuring land drops and smoothing out a player’s mana curve. While Trade Caravan offers potential for consistent resource accrual, Land Tax guarantees land in hand, provided you’re trailing behind your opponent in this vital resource.

Then there’s Tithe Taker, a card with a deterrent effect against opponents during your turns, alongside leaving behind a resource when it leaves the field. Trade Caravan doesn’t impose such taxes or leave a lasting effect; its strength lies in its passive potential under the right conditions. Lastly, consider Courser of Kruphix, which allows for playing lands from the deck itself, directly impacting the board state, something the Caravan does not influence.

Recognizing the unique strengths and applications of each card is key for deckbuilders in Magic: The Gathering. Trade Caravan offers a subtle edge in resource management, but it may not be as immediately impactful as some of its more direct peers.

Land Tax - MTG Card versions
Tithe Taker - MTG Card versions
Courser of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Land Tax - Legends (LEG)
Tithe Taker - Ravnica Allegiance Promos (PRNA)
Courser of Kruphix - Born of the Gods (BNG)

Cards similar to Trade Caravan by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Daru Mender - MTG Card versions
Eager Cadet - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Benalish Hero - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Warrior - Ice Age (ICE)
Vigilant Martyr - Mirage (MIR)
Honor Guard - Stronghold (STH)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Nomads en-Kor - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Devoted Caretaker - Odyssey (ODY)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mother of Runes - The List (PLST)
Daru Mender - Legions (LGN)
Eager Cadet - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Trade Caravan MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Homelands, 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 Trade Caravan and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Trade Caravan Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 1995-10-01. Illustrated by Kaja Foglio.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-10-01HomelandsHML 19a1993normalblackKaja Foglio
21995-10-01HomelandsHML 19b1993normalblackKaja Foglio

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Trade Caravan has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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