Natural Affinity MTG Card


Natural Affinity can quickly swing a game by turning all lands into creatures, providing a distinct board advantage. Casting it requires careful timing to avoid turning your lands into targets for your opponent’s removal spells. Despite its potential, the specific mana cost and high mana investment can limit its inclusion in some decks.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Text of card

All lands become 2/2 creatures until end of turn. They still count as lands.

As long as the dryads are a part of the forest, the forest is a part of the army.


Cards like Natural Affinity

Natural Affinity brings a unique dynamic to Magic: The Gathering by instantly turning all lands into 2/2 creatures until end of turn. It shares common ground with cards like Sylvan Awakening, which also animates lands, but Sylvan Awakening provides indestructible and reach to these lands, making them safer combatants. However, Sylvan Awakening affects only the controller’s lands, whereas Natural Affinity has a symmetrical effect, impacting the entire battlefield.

Kamahl’s Will is another contender in this group, offering the option to create creatures out of lands, but with the added versatility of being able to choose between this effect or destroying an enemy artifact or enchantment. While this provides tactical flexibility, it targets only one land per each creature you control, unlike the blanket effect of Natural Affinity.

Overall, while each card has its own merits and tactical uses, Natural Affinity stands out for its potential game-changing ability to turn all lands into creatures at a moment’s notice, making it a potent surprise to shift the tides in a player’s favor within Magic: The Gathering’s strategic gameplay.

Sylvan Awakening - MTG Card versions
Kamahl's Will - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Awakening - MTG Card versions
Kamahl's Will - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Natural Affinity, the potential to transform all lands into creatures can create an overwhelming board presence. This sweeping transformation can often equate to a sudden influx of creatures, tipping the scale in your favor during a match.

Resource Acceleration: Although Natural Affinity doesn’t produce mana directly, by turning lands into creatures, it essentially accelerates your resource capabilities. Those lands, now creatures, can become potent attackers or blockers, which can be especially valuable in a land-focused deck.

Instant Speed: One of Natural Affinity’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to be cast at instant speed. This allows a player to wait until the most opportune moment—such as during the end of an opponent’s turn or in response to a board wipe—to turn all lands into creatures, thereby avoiding premature exposure to removal and maximizing tactical surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Natural Affinity doesn’t necessitate outright discarding from your hand, it does transform all lands into creatures temporarily. This move can backfire if your opponent has mass removal, effectively making you discard valuable land resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Natural Affinity features a mana cost that requires both green mana and generic mana. This specific composition can make it less versatile, potentially limiting it to green-centric or multicolor decks that can accommodate green mana efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two generic and one green, Natural Affinity demands a significant mana investment. Considering this cost, the card may compete for the same mana resources as other impactful three-mana spells or permanents within a deck’s strategy.


Reasons to Include Natural Affinity in Your Collection

Versatility: Natural Affinity offers the unique ability to turn all lands into creatures until end of turn. This characteristic makes it a flexible inclusion in decks that capitalize on landfall triggers or require a sudden army for offensive or defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: The instant speed of Natural Affinity allows for surprise interactions and combinations with cards that benefit from a high creature count or need to respond to an opponent’s mass removal by turning lands into creatures for a well-timed counterplay.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where sweepers are common, Natural Affinity can either discourage opponents from using mass removal effects or it can be utilized as an aggressive tool to create an unexpected lethal attack during a stalemate or against an unprepared opponent.


How to Overcome Natural Affinity in Game Play

Natural Affinity is an intriguing card that can abruptly turn all lands into 2/2 creatures until end of turn. This can be a surprising move during combat, potentially sweeping an unprepared opponent’s lands away if they block or are not vigilant. To beat this card, smart play is crucial. You want to avoid extending too many lands into the battlefield when playing against a deck that could run Natural Affinity.

It’s also essential to keep removal spells handy or have instant-speed board wipes. Cards like Wrath of God can clear the board without damaging your own land base if timed correctly after your opponent has activated Natural Affinity. Additionally, countermagic works well by simply preventing Natural Affinity from resolving. Managing your own resources and keeping a close watch on your opponent’s moves will significantly nullify the threat posed by this card in your matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unveil the potential of every land on your battlefield with Natural Affinity. The ability to convert all lands into creatures at instant speed can catch an opponent off guard and flip the tide of any game. But this power comes with its risks. Finely tune your MTG strategies with our insights about mitigating dangers and maximizing surprises that Natural Affinity can bring to the table. Every match presents new challenges, and with cards like Natural Affinity, you can adapt and overcome. Dive deeper into MTG’s depths with us and discover the tactical edge you need for victory. Learn more and enrich your play with BurnMana’s guidance.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Natural Affinity MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Eighth Edition, 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 Natural Affinity and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Natural Affinity Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-10-04Mercadian MasquesMMQ 2601997NormalBlackPete Venters
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 2692003NormalWhitePete Venters
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 269★2003NormalBlackPete Venters
42005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 256★2003NormalBlackPete Venters
52005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 2562003NormalWhitePete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Natural Affinity has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.