Makindi Ox MTG Card
2020-09-25 - Number 293
2020-09-25 - Number 25
2002-06-24 - Number 83700
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Ox |
| Abilities | Landfall |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Makindi Ox grants recurring value through its creature threat, leveraging opponents’ removal strategies.
- Its landfall ability accelerates game resources, making it a formidable force in specific decks.
- Despite its mana cost, the Ox’s potential for board control makes it a worthy collection addition.
Text of card
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, tap target creature an opponent controls.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though Makindi Ox may not directly allow you to draw cards, it can provide repeated value over time. As a creature, it presents a recurring threat that must be dealt with, potentially leading to a card advantage as opponents are forced to use their removal spells on it.
Resource Acceleration: As a 4/4 creature, it can quickly become a formidable force on the battlefield, especially in landfall decks that focus on playing many lands. Each land played can turn Makindi Ox into a temporary ramp threat, accelerating your resource development and pressuring opponents.
Instant Speed: Although the capabilities of Makindi Ox are not activated at instant speed, the fact that it can impact the board right away is akin to having an effect that disrupts your opponent’s plays. Encountering an Ox can be a tide-turning moment, precisely when you’ve established enough lands to fully leverage its landfall ability.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Makindi Ox doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, its play value may be impacted by scenarios where discarding could benefit its landfall ability, placing a strain on hand resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both white and colorless mana to cast, the Ox is tailored for a specific deck archetype, potentially limiting its versatility across various MTG strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana to summon, Makindi Ox may come onto the battlefield later than other more efficient creatures, putting players at a tempo disadvantage especially when faster, more impactful creatures are available.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Makindi Ox can be a useful addition to landfall-focused decks as its ability is triggered whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, bolstering your defensive capabilities considerably each turn.
Combo Potential: With land ramp spells or effects that put multiple lands into play, Makindi Ox helps to maintain board control by repeatedly tapping potential attackers or blockers, synergizing particularly well with cards that punish tapped creatures.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based combat prevails, having a solid creature like Makindi Ox that can consistently keep opposing threats at bay each turn can be invaluable, especially in limited formats or specific constructed environments that favor landfall mechanics.
How to beat
Makindi Ox presents a formidable challenge on the battlefield to MTG players leveraging its landfall ability that can repeatedly incapacitate an opponent’s creatures. To effectively counter this card, focus on strategies that minimize the impact of landfall triggers or remove the ox from the board altogether.
One method is to limit the number of lands your opponent controls or can play, which hampers the ox’s ability to tap your creatures. Cards with land destruction or those that allow you to manipulate the opponent’s land plays can be crucial here. Another approach is to use instant-speed removal spells that can eliminate Makindi Ox before the landfall ability can be used strategically during your opponent’s turn.
Enchantment-based strategies that prevent the ox from engaging in combat or abilities that negate the tapping effect on your creatures can also be effective. These methods allow you to maintain a strong defensive position while negating the advantage that Makindi Ox provides. By prioritizing the removal or disruption of this creature, players can navigate around the challenges it poses within the game.
Cards like Makindi Ox
Makindi Ox stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a creature card that offers a unique blend of board control and strength. A close counterpart is Affa Protector, which also has vigilance but lacks Makindi Ox’s landfall capability. When a land enters the battlefield under your control, Makindi Ox gives you the upper hand by tapping an opponent’s creature. This can disrupt your opponent’s strategy and pacing significantly.
Another similar creature is Ruin-Strider Ox, which shares the ox creature type and also benefits from landfall. However, instead of controlling the board, it gains a temporary boost in power, which might offer a more aggressive approach. Comparing those abilities, the choice between them hinges on whether you prioritize board control or combat strength during your turns.
Assessing Makindi Ox against other creatures in its field, it’s clear that its landfall-triggered capacity to sway combat offers strategic flexibility that can be valuable in many decks that play with land mechanics, marking its utility in specific MTG strategies.
Cards similar to Makindi Ox by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Makindi Ox MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Makindi Ox 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 MTG Products
Printings
The Makindi Ox Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 83700 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Roman Kuteynikov | ||
| 2 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 293 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Roman Kuteynikov | |
| 3 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 25 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ilse Gort |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Makindi Ox has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Makindi Ox card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | A landfall ability doesn’t trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land. |
| 2020-09-25 | A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control. |
| 2020-09-25 | Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve. |
