Loam Dweller MTG Card


Loam Dweller - Betrayers of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Released2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameBetrayers of Kamigawa
Set codeBOK
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number134
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPaolo Parente

Key Takeaways

  1. Maximizes card advantage by allowing additional land plays, enhancing your resource pool in-game.
  2. Accelerates mana availability, empowering quicker plays and giving players an early lead.
  3. Synergizes with landfall for flexible strategies, offering instant-speed tactical advantages.

Text of card

Whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, you may put a land card from your hand into play tapped.

"You know its mood by the plants that spring up around it. When it is placid, fields of lilies flow in its wake; when it is angry, every stem has a thorn." —Isao, Enlightened Bushi


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Loam Dweller enables you to potentially transform land cards into action by allowing you to play an additional land on each of your turns. Over the course of a game, this steadily increases your card advantage as you utilize more of your deck’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: By playing extra land cards, Loam Dweller accelerates your resource access, enabling quicker deployment of your threats or activation of abilities that require more mana, potentially putting you ahead of the curve.

Instant Speed: Although Loam Dweller itself is not an instant, its capability to put lands onto the battlefield can synergize with landfall abilities that trigger at instant speed, effectively increasing your tactical flexibility during the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When playing Loam Dweller, one should be aware of the necessity to discard another card. This condition could potentially lead to a strategic setback if your hand is already depleted or if crucial cards are unwillingly discarded, impairing your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Loam Dweller’s casting cost demands specific mana types that may not always align with a player’s land base, particularly in multicolor decks. This requirement can hinder the card’s inclusion in a diverse range of decks and reduce its overall versatility in gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to get Loam Dweller on the field is significant when compared to other creatures with similar abilities or power. Players may find that allocating resources for Loam Dweller might not yield the best value per mana spent, especially in environments where tempo and efficiency are crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Loam Dweller’s adaptability shines in decks that capitalize on landfall mechanics or aim to leverage creatures with different typing. Its ability to interact with land cards enhances synergy in diverse build strategies.

Combo Potential: This card’s innate synergy with bounce effects or land recursion can set up powerful combos. Players can exploit these interactions to maximize value from each land play, potentially leading to game-altering turns.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to influence board state with each land drop, Loam Dweller holds its own in a meta focused on incremental advantage and land-based strategies. Its presence can shift dynamics, making it a pertinent choice for decks seeking to stay relevant against the prevailing competitive landscape.


How to beat Loam Dweller

Loam Dweller presents a unique challenge on the battlefield owing to its ability to interact with the landfall mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. When used strategically, this creature becomes a thorn in your side, steadily building a strong board presence. However, like any card in MTG, Loam Dweller has weaknesses that can be exploited. Bounce spells are particularly effective, as returning it to its owner’s hand disrupts the landfall synergy and tempo. Graveyard hate is also crucial; removing the fuel for Loam Dweller’s ability can stifle its effectiveness. Moreover, direct removal spells can easily handle the creature before it becomes too big of a threat.

Another strategy is to focus on aggressive plays that outpace Loam Dweller’s value generation. Swift, flying threats can bypass it, applying pressure and forcing your opponent to choose between developing their landfall strategy or defending. Lastly, if you prioritize land destruction or manipulation, you can impede your opponent’s ability to trigger landfall consistently, thereby minimizing the impact of Loam Dweller and keeping the pace of the game in your favor.


Cards like Loam Dweller

Loam Dweller is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, associated closely with abilities that capitalize on land play. When we delve into similar mechanics, we discover Tireless Tracker. While Loam Dweller focuses on giving bonus abilities when a land enters under your control, Tireless Tracker hones in on investigation, rewarding you with clues to draw cards, which bolsters your hand while interacting with lands.

Another parallel might be drawn with Courser of Kruphix, which also plays with land dynamics by allowing you to play with the top card of your library revealed and play an additional land during your turns. However, Courser of Kruphix gives the added advantage of life gain for each land played, diverging from Loam Dweller’s approach of enhancing other creature spells.

Lastly, exploring Azusa, Lost but Seeking brings us to a creature that allows you to play additional lands on each of your turns, boosting your mana economy at a rapid pace. Unlike Loam Dweller, Azusa doesn’t directly empower your other creatures but provides a different strategic benefit in accelerating land deployment.

Each of these cards offers unique strategic nuances for MTG players seeking to harness the pathways of land-centric play, with Loam Dweller standing as a solid option for its synergy with creature spell casting.

Tireless Tracker - MTG Card versions
Courser of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Azusa, Lost but Seeking - MTG Card versions
Tireless Tracker - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Courser of Kruphix - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Azusa, Lost but Seeking - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Cards similar to Loam Dweller by color, type and mana cost

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Whirling Dervish - MTG Card versions
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Grizzly Bears - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Genesis Hydra - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Utopia Tree - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bloodline Shaman - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sakura-Tribe Elder - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)
Stonewood Invoker - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Loam Dweller MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, 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 Loam Dweller and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Loam Dweller has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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