Heartwood Storyteller MTG Card


Card draw triggers from opponents’ noncreature spells, enhancing your strategic depth and long-term advantage. Indirect resource acceleration via additional card draws potentially unlocks earlier, more powerful plays. Real-time response mechanism provides a steady influx of cards, ensuring preparedness for all scenarios.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Treefolk
Power 2
Toughness 3

Text of card

Whenever a player plays a noncreature spell, each of that player's opponents may draw a card.

His roots reach deep, nurtured not by soil and rain, but by millennia of experience.


Cards like Heartwood Storyteller

Heartwood Storyteller holds a unique spot in the variety of MTG creatures that impact the flow of cards. This Fae creature is often weighed against Runic Armasaur, another creature that leverages opponents’ actions to draw cards. While Runic Armasaur requires an activated ability from an opponent to trigger, Heartwood Storyteller gives a card to each player whenever a noncreature spell is cast, fostering a more consistent draw strategy.

Eidolon of Blossoms presents another parallel, where it draws cards through its constellation ability whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control. Unlike Heartwood Storyteller, it’s more focused on the controller’s own plays rather than the opponents’. Then we see Selvala, Explorer Returned, a commander favorite, who combines mana acceleration with card draw, though it also benefits each player, it can be more selective than the indiscriminate draw of the Storyteller.

Assessing the broader picture, Heartwood Storyteller’s symmetrical card advantage is a double-edged sword, offering narrative twists to each game. Its ability to fit into various strategies makes it a multifaceted card, not only in creature-based decks but as a staple for games focusing on card flow dynamics.

Runic Armasaur - MTG Card versions
Eidolon of Blossoms - MTG Card versions
Selvala, Explorer Returned - MTG Card versions
Runic Armasaur - MTG Card versions
Eidolon of Blossoms - MTG Card versions
Selvala, Explorer Returned - MTG Card versions

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Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions
Timberwatch Elf - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Awakener Druid - MTG Card versions
Brindle Boar - MTG Card versions
Wood Elves - MTG Card versions
Rot Wolf - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Heartwood Storyteller rewards you by adding cards to your hand whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, bolstering your options and strategic depth during play. This benefit can lead to significant card advantage over time, especially in formats where players tend to cast numerous noncreature spells.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly producing mana or tokens, the Heartwood Storyteller can indirectly accelerate your resources. The additional cards drawn may include land or mana-producing spells, thus increasing your ability to execute more powerful plays earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: While Heartwood Storyteller itself is not an instant, it responds in real-time to your opponents’ actions, effectively working at instant speed. The continuous and passive card draw mechanism activates during any turn, providing you with a steady stream of new cards and ensuring you’re always primed with responses and strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Heartwood Storyteller doesn’t force you to discard cards, its ability could inadvertently help your opponent get rid of unwanted cards while they draw into more useful ones, providing them an unanticipated advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The Storyteller’s casting cost requires one green mana, which, although not excessively demanding, does pigeonhole it into green-heavy or multicolor decks, potentially limiting its versatility across the broader Magic landscape.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a three mana value, two of which are generic, may not seem steep. However, in formats where fast pacing is critical, the Storyteller’s impact might not be immediate enough compared to other three-cost creatures or spells that could affect the board upon entering the battlefield or offer other types of immediate utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Heartwood Storyteller is a unique addition that blends into various deck archetypes seamlessly. This card hails from the Future Sight set and serves as an excellent utility in games where players cast numerous noncreature spells, allowing its controller to draw extra cards passively.

Combo Potential: The Storyteller works wonders in combination with cards that discourage or punish spell casting. By creating a situation where opponents must concede resources or hand advantage, it can become a cornerstone of a control strategy or a group-hug approach, depending on your deck’s theme.

Meta-Relevance: In environments rife with noncreature spells, Heartwood Storyteller takes center stage. With the ever-changing dynamics of formats like Commander and Modern, this card’s ability to draw you cards while opponents cast instants and sorceries makes it a dynamically valuable asset in reactive and long-game strategies.


How to beat Heartwood Storyteller

Heartwood Storyteller presents a unique challenge within Magic: The Gathering. This creature’s ability provides a card draw to all players whenever a noncreature spell is cast, creating an intricate balance of power. To leverage against the Storyteller’s symmetrical effect, you might opt for a deck that favors creature-based strategies. By doing so, you reduce the opportunities for your opponent to benefit from additional draws, tipping the academic scale in your favor.

Deploying targeted removal spells such as Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy will efficiently handle the Storyteller, ensuring its ability does not overwhelm you with a tide of card advantage. Another strategy is to opt for hand disruption techniques, such as Thoughtseize, to prevent the Storyteller from ever hitting the battlefield. This proactive approach can save you from having to deal with its effects entirely.

Ultimately, adapting your play style to include more creature combat, removal, and hand disruption can create an environment in which Heartwood Storyteller becomes more a tale of caution than a chronological narrative of your opponent’s victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Heartwood Storyteller weaves a tale of advantage on the MTG battlefield, enticing players to add this unique creature to their green-centric or multicolor decks. It promises a continued source of card flow, which is beneficial in various game formats. By drawing cards off opponents’ noncreature spells, it reinforces your hand, providing a continuous stream of resources. Moreover, its potential in combo and control strategies makes it a card worth considering for your collection. Whether you’re facing spell-heavy opponents or looking to expand your strategic horizons, the Storyteller is a versatile ally. Learn more and fine-tune your gameplay with the insights we share on maximizing card advantage.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Heartwood Storyteller MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and The List, 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 Heartwood Storyteller and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Heartwood Storyteller Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Anthony S. Waters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-05-04Future SightFUT 1272003NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters
22020-09-26The ListPLST FUT-1272003NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters
32021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 2092015NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Heartwood Storyteller has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Heartwood Storyteller card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2021-03-19 Players can cast spells and activate abilities after the triggered ability resolves but before the spell that caused it to trigger does.