Tainted WellHow it works & interactions with other cards

What Tainted Well Does

Tainted Well is an Aura that attaches to a land. As soon as it enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack to let you draw a card. While it remains on the battlefield, the enchanted land loses its previous land types and abilities, becoming a Swamp that can only tap for black mana.

Resolving the Transformation

When Tainted Well resolves and enters the battlefield, the land's type becomes Swamp. This is a type-changing effect that replaces all other land types (like Forest or Island) and removes all abilities printed on the land card. The land gains the intrinsic mana ability '{T}: Add {B}.' Note that the land keeps its name and any supertypes, such as Legendary or Basic.

Common Mistakes

Players often forget that Tainted Well does not remove the land's name; it only changes the land type. Additionally, because the card-draw happens as an 'enters' trigger, if the Aura is destroyed in response to the trigger, you still get to draw the card, but the land will no longer be a Swamp.

When to Play It

This card is best used against opponents who rely on specific non-basic lands or colors you want to lock them out of. Since it replaces itself by drawing a card, it is a low-risk way to slow down an opponent's momentum while digging for your own win conditions.

Interaction examples

Setting Up Your Engine

Phyrexian Arena

If you are struggling to cast Phyrexian Arena because you lack a second black mana source, you can cast Tainted Well on your own non-Swamp land. Tainted Well enters, you draw a card from its trigger, and your land becomes a Swamp, providing the second {B} needed for the Arena.

Disrupting the Market

Black Market Connections

If an opponent is using a specialized land to generate the mana for Black Market Connections, you can enchant that land with Tainted Well. The land loses its special abilities and becomes a Swamp. On your turn, you draw a card from Tainted Well, effectively cycling the card while hindering your opponent's ability to pay for their powerful enchantments.