When this was first printed in Lorwyn block, it
found its way into just about every deck in the
format simply because it was every creature type
in a block full of tribal cards. But "man lands"
have always been a popular play for their
inherent advantages-- can't be countered, can
evade creature kill spells by not always being a
creature, takes up a land slot instead of a
spell slot in deck construction, will never be
dead in hand due to manascrew, and can be
seamlessly added to just about any deck as a
"Plan B". Now that it's legal in Standard again,
it's already finding its way into decklists
despite the lack of tribal support in the
format. Mutavault in Lorwyn block was frequently
bigger and better than just a 2/2 simply by
leeching off of tribal pump cards. Is a vanilla
2/2 man-land really powerful enough to be a
ubiquitous tourney-winning staple? Or is
Mutavault seeing so much play because it's
colorless and people already have playsets of
it?
Some design tropes get old faster than
others. The land-that-turns-into-a-creature one
is not one of those - it was very cool and very
powerful and an attention-grabbing trick in
Antiquities and Urza's Legacy and Worldwake, and
it still is now. Mutavault is among the most
aggressive of its kind, letting even blue decks
attack for two damage on turn two, and as such
there are very few aggressive decks that can't
use it. Even if you don't have any tribal
elements in your deck, it's worth considering.
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there were even
some control-type decks that could make use of
it.
Welcome back readers today's card of the day
while flavorful is not destined to see much
play. A conditional creature killer this card
can shut down an equipment or force the opponent
to lose creatures to use its effects. In
standard this card could see play as a sideboard
card against equipment heavy decks and it
doesn't target which is relevant. In modern and
eternal formats powerful equipment is somewhat
more prevalent but decks based around them are
not, it acts as a way to shut down problematic
equipment in black however giving it a niche. In
casual and multiplayer especially commander this
card can shut down voltron general strategies
and can punish cards such as Lighting Greaves
and can act as a way to continuously destroy
creatures filling a nice niche. In limited its
really a sideboard card against decks utilizing
a lot of equipment otherwise stay away. Overall
a card with some niche casual and commander
usage that could see some sideboard play as it
nullifies powerful equipments perhaps its
destined to not see much play but the times it
does it will be quite powerful.
Today's card of the day is Mutavault which is a
land that taps for one and for one mana becomes
a 2/2 with all creature types until end of turn.
This is an excellent land in general, with a low
cost and efficient option to become a creature,
that really stands out in decks with tribal
support. From slivers to soldiers this can
fairly easily be included to provide an added
threat that also avoids many forms of removal by
returning to land status between turns. Overall
this will see a great deal of play, though
possibly not as much as in the Lorwyn block
unless tribal is a major theme of the upcoming
Theros block.
In Limited this is one of the few times a
land is an obvious first pick, both for the
value and the potential power in game. In a deck
including slivers this is a very dangerous tool
and has no real drawbacks.
Tapping for mana or working as a 2/2 this is a
card that every Sealed should run as well and
even without slivers it caries its weight.
With card art reminiscent of Cathullu’s
colonoscopy, Mutavault is the stuff of
nightmares, a writhing mass of shifting formless
ooze that steals the shape of all creatures, yet
is still a land.
For one mana it takes the shape of a two power
two toughness,
elf/goblin/beast/dragoon/leviathan/IT. Like all
of the aggressive lands in magic this card
dodges sorcery speed removal, making it even
harder to burn this monster.
In draft this card should be a first pick.
It’s a 2/2 that is hard to kill in a draft pool,
unless you run into shock and demolish. Even
against an opponent sporting those red dandy’s
you can still tap it for colorless mana, because
let’s not forget-its still a land.
In constructed, this card competes with it’s
better cousins Mishra’s Factory and Inkmoth
Nexus for attention.
