Witch's Cottage 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
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.) This land enters tapped unless you control three or more other Swamps. When this land enters untapped, you may put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.
Complete guide
Witch's Cottage is a unique land from the Throne of Eldraine expansion that doubles as a piece of graveyard recursion. While it carries the Swamp subtype, it requires a bit of planning to unlock its full potential. Understanding the timing of its triggered ability is key to ensuring you get your best creature back.
A Swamp with a Twist
Witch's Cottage is a nonbasic land with the Swamp subtype, meaning it can be searched for by cards that look for Swamps and it produces black mana. However, it enters the battlefield tapped unless you already control at least three other Swamps. This check happens as the land is entering, so you must have the three Swamps already on the battlefield for the Cottage to enter untapped.
Managing the Trigger
The ability to put a creature card from your graveyard on top of your library only triggers if the Cottage enters the battlefield untapped. If it enters tapped, you get no trigger at all. Furthermore, this is a 'may' ability, so you are not forced to move a card if you would rather keep your graveyard intact or prefer your current top deck.
Strategic Timing
Because the creature goes on top of your library, you will usually draw it during your next draw step. It is often best to play this land when you have a way to draw an extra card immediately or when you have a high-impact creature that has recently been destroyed. Remember that the ability targets, so your opponent can respond by removing the creature card from your graveyard with an effect.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is counting the Witch's Cottage itself as one of the three Swamps; the card explicitly states you need three 'other' Swamps. Additionally, if an effect like a spell or another ability forces a land to enter the battlefield tapped, that effect overrides the Cottage's ability to enter untapped, even if you meet the Swamp requirement.
Interaction examples
If you have three basic Swamps on the battlefield and play Witch's Cottage, it enters untapped. You choose a creature card from your graveyard, such as a fallen hero, and place it on top of your library. You will draw that creature at the start of your next turn.
Command Tower
Exotic OrchardIf your battlefield consists of one Command Tower, one Exotic Orchard, and only two basic Swamps, playing Witch's Cottage will result in it entering the battlefield tapped. Because it entered tapped, the triggered ability to recover a creature does not occur.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Witch's Cottage
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
As these lands are entering the battlefield, they check for lands that are already on the battlefield. They won't see lands that are entering the battlefield at the same time (due to Scapeshift, for example).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If another effect puts these lands onto the battlefield tapped, they enter tapped, even if you control enough lands with the appropriate basic land type.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Witch's Cottage
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.