Shambling Vent is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
This land enters tapped.: Add
or
.
Complete guide
Shambling Vent is a versatile utility land that provides dual mana and the ability to transform into a creature. It serves as a reliable mana fixer early in the game and a defensive threat or life-stabilizer in later turns. Mastering its timing is key to making the most of its lifelink ability.
A Land with a Hidden Form
Shambling Vent enters the battlefield tapped, providing White or Black mana. For three mana, it becomes a 2/3 white and black Elemental creature with lifelink until end of turn. While it is a creature, it retains its land type, meaning it can still be tapped for mana if it is not attacking or blocking.
Transformation and Timing
When you activate the ability, Shambling Vent becomes a creature immediately upon resolution. Because it was already on the battlefield, this does not trigger 'enters the battlefield' effects. However, if you haven't controlled this permanent since the beginning of your turn, it will have 'summoning sickness' and cannot attack or be tapped for mana once it becomes a creature.
Understanding Stats and Lifelink
Activating the ability sets its power and toughness to 2/3. If the land already had +1/+1 counters on it, those are added to the 2/3 base. Note that multiple activations of the ability are redundant regarding lifelink; you will not gain double life if you activate it twice before combat damage.
Strategic Deployment
You should play Shambling Vent early when you don't mind a tapped land, or late when you have mana to spare for its activation. It is excellent for blocking small attackers and regaining lost health, or for finishing off an opponent after a board wipe has cleared other creatures.
Interaction examples
Command TowerOn turn one, you play Shambling Vent tapped. On turn two, you play Command Tower. Because Shambling Vent is now untapped, you can use it to produce White or Black mana, combined with Command Tower's flexibility, to cast a variety of spells.
Exotic OrchardIf your opponent controls a land that produces Blue mana, Exotic Orchard can produce Blue. You can use mana from Exotic Orchard and other sources to pay the {1}{W}{B} activation cost of Shambling Vent. Once activated, Shambling Vent becomes a 2/3 creature, allowing you to attack and gain life while your other lands stay ready for utility.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Shambling Vent
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant. Activating the last ability more than once won't cause you to gain additional life if Shambling Vent deals damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A land that becomes a creature may be affected by "summoning sickness." You can't attack with it or use any of its
abilities (including its mana abilities) unless it began your most recent turn on the battlefield under your control. Note that summoning sickness cares about when that permanent came under your control, not when it became a creature nor when it entered the battlefield.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
This land is colorless until the last ability gives it colors.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
When a land becomes a creature, that doesn't count as having a creature enter the battlefield. The permanent was already on the battlefield; it only changed its types. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield won't trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that turns a land into a creature also sets that creature's power and toughness. If the land was already a creature (for example, if it was the target of a spell with awaken), this will overwrite the previous effect that set its power and toughness. Effects that modify its power or toughness will continue to apply no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change its power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness. For example, if Shambling Vent has been made a 0/0 creature with three +1/+1 counters on it, activating its last ability will turn it into a 5/6 creature that's still a land.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Shambling Vent
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.