Wooded Foothills

Wooded Foothills Full Guide

Onslaught Rare
Mana Cost:
Type: Land
Wooded Foothills Text:
{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for a Mountain or Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Artist: Rob Alexander
Collector Number: 330
Release Date: 2002-10-07
Art crop

Strategy Guide

Last updated 2025-06-30
TL;DR Summary

Wooded Foothills is a rare land that shines in Commander and casual play. It allows you to search for either Mountain or Forest, enabling you to fix your mana more efficiently. This card's power level is moderate, making it a solid addition to decks running these colors.

Main use cases include:

  • Enabling flexible mana fixing in mono-red and mono-green decks
  • Supporting aggro strategies that rely on quickly developing their mana base

Most popular formats for Wooded Foothills are Commander and casual play, where its value as a flexible fixer is most apparent.

Card Mechanics & Interactions

Wooded Foothills

Wooded Foothills is a rare land card from the Oath of the Gatewatch set. As a land, it has no power or toughness and its primary function is to generate mana.

Mana Generation

To play Wooded Foothills, you'll need to pay 0 mana (its CMC is listed as 0.0). It can be played at any time during your turn, including on your first turn. When tapped ({T}), it costs 1 life and allows you to generate one colorless mana.

Ability

The Oracle text reads: "{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice this land: Search your library for a Mountain or Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle." This is a triggered ability that triggers when Wooded Foothills is sacrificed. The ability has three parts:

  • Tap and pay 1 life: You must tap the land and pay 1 life as costs.
  • Sacrifice: Sacrificing means putting Wooded Foothills into the graveyard from the battlefield.
  • Search for a Mountain or Forest card: You search your library (deck) for either a Mountain or Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

This ability can be triggered multiple times if you sacrifice Wooded Foothills each time it's tapped and sacrificed. However, keep in mind that sacrificing the land also triggers its triggered ability to generate one colorless mana when it's tapped.

Interactions

  • Sacrifice and tap: If Wooded Foothills is tapped as part of an ability (e.g., during a combo), you can sacrifice it immediately after generating the colorless mana, triggering its ability again.
  • Triggered abilities and timing: The ability will trigger in your main phase, allowing you to search for a Mountain or Forest card. However, if another effect triggers during this time (e.g., Tolarian Academy's ability), it may interact with Wooded Foothills's ability.

Edge Cases

  • Sacrificing tapped lands: If you sacrifice a tapped Wooded Foothills, its triggered ability will trigger in the graveyard. However, since it's no longer on the battlefield, it won't generate any mana when tapped.
  • Multiple abilities triggering: In some cases, multiple abilities may trigger simultaneously (e.g., Tolarian Academy and Wooded Foothills, both generating colorless mana). The order in which these abilities resolve is determined by their timing.

Commander-Specific Quirks

  • Legacy of the Wilds: This card's ability can be used to search for lands in a Legacy of the Wilds deck, potentially disrupting an opponent's plans.
  • Combos with other cards: Wooded Foothills can be used as part of combos involving Tolarian Academy, Mana Confluence, or other cards that generate multiple colorless mana.

In summary, Wooded Foothills is a versatile land card that provides access to green and red mana while also allowing for flexible searching in the library. Its ability interacts with various effects and can be used as part of combos or as a single card play.

Strategic Applications

Wooded Foothills is a versatile land that has seen play in various formats, from Commander to Modern. Its ability to search for Mountains and Forests makes it an attractive addition to decks that rely on these mana sources.

One of the most common uses of Wooded Foothills is in aggressive green decks that aim to swarm the board with tokens. By sacrificing a life, players can quickly generate additional mana to fuel their creatures, allowing them to attack earlier in the game.

In more controlling decks, Wooded Foothills can serve as a way to find specific lands like Verdant Catacombs or Stomping Ground. These lands provide a boost to land drops and can help players ramp into more expensive spells.

Wooded Foothills has also seen play in some Modern decks that focus on tempo and value trades. By using the card's ability to search for a Mountain, players can generate an additional mana source and potentially disrupt their opponent's plans.

In Commander, Wooded Foothills is often used in combo decks that rely on Tarmogoyf or other value engines. These decks use the land's ability to find specific lands like Goblin Guide or Llanowar Elves, allowing them to accelerate into their combo pieces more efficiently.

The card's value lies in its ability to search for specific lands, making it an attractive addition to decks that rely on a particular mana source. Its versatility and ability to generate additional mana make it a valuable asset in a variety of formats.

Notable Commander strategies:

  • Green token swarm: Aggressive green decks can use Wooded Foothills to quickly generate additional mana for their tokens.
  • Combo decks: Decks that focus on Tarmogoyf or other value engines can use the land's ability to find specific lands and accelerate into their combo pieces more efficiently.
  • Aggro decks: Decks that aim to swarm the board with creatures can use Wooded Foothills to generate additional mana for their tokens.

Notable color identities:

  • Green-storm: Aggressive green decks that focus on token generation and early-game aggression.
  • Naya ramp: Combo decks that rely on Tarmogoyf or other value engines and focus on accelerating into more expensive spells.

Overall, Wooded Foothills is a valuable addition to any deck that relies on specific mana sources. Its ability to search for lands makes it an attractive asset in a variety of formats, from Commander to Modern.

Advanced Techniques

Wooded Foothills is a versatile land that can be used in various combinations to generate card advantage and manipulate the board. Here are some advanced uses:

  • Mana Fixing with Forests: Paired with Goblin Guide, Wooded Foothills enables you to consistently play one-mana creatures on turn 2, even if your hand doesn't contain a Forest. This combo is particularly effective in aggressive decks.
  • Mountain Ramp with Serra Ascendant: By sacrificing Wooded Foothills, you can search for Serra Ascendant, which allows you to tap it for colorless mana and generate additional life gain.
  • Card Advantage with Mox Opal: Using Wooded Foothills in combination with Mox Opal enables you to generate card advantage by searching for Mountains or Forests while also ramping up your available mana.
  • Combo Potential with Doran, the Siege Tower: In certain combos involving Doran, the Siege Tower, Wooded Foothills can be used as a key component to generate additional creatures and fuel the combo.

When playing with Wooded Foothills, it's essential to consider the following:

  • Make sure you have a suitable library of Mountain and Forest cards in your deck.
  • Be mindful of life loss when using the activated ability, especially in aggressive or low-life decks.
  • Balance the benefits of using Wooded Foothills with the potential drawbacks, such as sacrificing a land that could be used for mana.

By incorporating Wooded Foothills into your Commander deck and combining it with other cards, you can create complex and powerful synergies.

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid with Wooded Foothills

Wooded Foothills is a versatile land that can provide an influx of mountains or forests, but players often misuse its abilities. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

  • Incorrect timing: Players sometimes forget that the ability only triggers when the land is sacrificed. This means you must have a use for the land on the field before sacrificing it to get the search benefit.
  • Not considering life loss: Wooded Foothills requires paying 1 life to trigger its ability, which can be a significant drawback in certain situations. Be aware of your life total and make sure you're not putting yourself in a precarious position by playing this land.
  • Poor synergies: While Wooded Foothills is great for finding mountains or forests, it doesn't necessarily interact well with other cards that require specific mana colors. For example, using it to find a forest might not be as beneficial if your deck already has an abundance of green sources.

Some potential misplays include:

  • Playing Wooded Foothills too early: If you're trying to search for a specific card, it's usually better to play a more traditional land that provides the necessary mana instead of sacrificing this one.
  • Not accounting for life loss: In games where life totals are high, the 1 life cost can be negligible. However, in shorter or more aggressive games, paying life may be too steep a price for the benefit.
  • Ignoring alternative sources: If your deck already has an abundance of mountains or forests, using Wooded Foothills might not provide as much value as it would if you were struggling to find those cards.

To get the most out of Wooded Foothills, consider playing it when you have a specific need for its ability. For example:

  • In a format with multiple land destruction spells: Using Wooded Foothills to search for a mountain or forest can help mitigate the impact of these spells.
  • In an aggressive deck: Sacrificing Wooded Foothills to find a card that accelerates your gameplan can be beneficial in competitive situations.

Keep in mind that Wooded Foothills is most effective when played at a time when its ability can have the greatest impact. Be mindful of its life cost and consider alternative sources for the cards you need.

Conclusion

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Wooded Foothills: A Rare Land with Strategic Flexibility

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, few lands offer as much strategic potential as Wooded Foothills. This rare land has been a staple in many Commander decks due to its unique ability to search for and play Mountain or Forest cards.

Flavor and Lore

Wooded Foothills depicts a serene landscape where rolling hills meet the forest. A lone tree stands sentinel on a hilltop, while below it, a narrow valley stretches into the distance. This card's flavor and lore are deeply connected to the natural world of Magic: The Gathering.

Gameplay Impact

When tapped for mana, Wooded Foothills functions similarly to any other basic land, providing one colorless mana per turn. However, when sacrificed, it becomes a powerful artifact that allows players to search their library for either a Mountain or Forest card, putting it onto the battlefield. This interaction showcases how a single land can have multiple uses and strategic implications throughout a game.

Alternative Options

For those on a budget or seeking alternatives to Wooded Foothills, consider the following options:

  • Misty Rainforest: A common land that allows you to search for a basic land at instant speed.
  • Sacred Foundry: An uncommon land that allows you to sacrifice it to search your library for a basic Mountain or Forest card.
  • Razorverge Thicket: A rare land that offers similar functionality to Wooded Foothills but at a lower price point.

Budget and Accessibility

Wooded Foothills is not a budget-friendly option, with a non-foil version costing around $55.72 USD. The foil version is significantly more costly, with a price tag of $599.99 USD. In terms of reprint status, there are no recent reprints of Wooded Foothills in Commander sets.

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  • Avoiding direct references to the reader or their deck
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  • Emphasizing the card's unique abilities and strategic implications
Deckbuilding & Synergies

Wooded Foothills: A Land of Opportunity

Wooded Foothills is a versatile land that excels in green-white and aggressive decks. Its ability to search for a Mountain or Forest card makes it an excellent addition to any deck building strategy.

Commanders and Color Identities

  • Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God: Wooded Foothills complements Nicol Bolas's ability to accelerate mana development with its own mana acceleration.
  • Estrid, the Masked: This commander synergizes well with Wooded Foothills due to Estrid's ability to generate card advantage and life gain.
  • Green-White Aggro: Decks focused on aggressive creatures like Golgari Findbroker or Falkenrath Marauders can benefit from the extra mana fixing and acceleration provided by Wooded Foothills.

Themed Engines

  • Land Ramp: With its ability to search for Mountain or Forest cards, Wooded Foothills is a great addition to land ramp decks like Golgari or Selesnya.
  • Life Gain and Card Advantage: Combining Wooded Foothills with life-gaining creatures like Kor Spiritdancer or Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim can create a powerful synergy.

Synergy Cards

  • Mistveil Plains: This land's ability to untap and tap provides additional mana acceleration when paired with Wooded Foothills.
  • Stomping Ground: Stomping Grounds' ability to generate +1/+1 counters on creatures complements the life gain from Wooded Foothills.

Combo Notes

  • Accelerated Mana Development: Pairing Wooded Foothills with lands like Sylvan Caryatid or Razorverge Thicket can create a powerful combo that accelerates mana development.
  • Search and Shuffler: Using Wooded Foothills in combination with cards like Catacomb Abomination or Sram, Senior Edificer can generate card advantage through the search function.
Format Roles

Wooded Foothills in Commander

In Commander, Wooded Foothills is a staple in many green and green-white decks that focus on ramping into larger creatures. Its ability to search for either Mountain or Forest provides an incredible level of flexibility, allowing players to adapt to their opponent's strategies.

  • With a price tag around $55 USD, it's considered mid-range among Commander cards.
  • It has an EDHREC rank of 55, indicating moderate usage and popularity in the format.
  • Wooded Foothills is not banned or restricted in any way, making it available for all players.

Format Comparison

Format Competitive (Tournaments) Casual (Draft/Constructed) Banned/Restricted
Commander Not competitive Common Not banned
Modern Not legal Not applicable Not relevant
Standard Not legal Not applicable Not relevant

Deckbuilding Considerations

When building a deck around Wooded Foothills, consider the following:

  • Include a mix of Mountains and Forests to maximize its ability.
  • Use it in conjunction with other ramp spells, such as Llanowar Elves or Feldon of the Third Path, to accelerate into bigger creatures.
  • Consider running more land-drawing effects, like Rampant Growth, to make the most of Wooded Foothills' ability.
Key Scenarios

Scenarios and Matchups

Wooded Foothills is a versatile land that excels in certain scenarios, particularly when combined with specific cards or strategies.

  • Combo Potential: When paired with Sram, Guinsoo's Broker, Wooded Foothills enables Sram's ability to sacrifice a creature to search for another card. This combination can lead to explosive turns and create opportunities for Sram to find key cards.
  • Ramp and Fixing: In midrange or control decks, Wooded Foothills provides an efficient way to ramp into more expensive spells while fixing your mana base with Mountains and Forests. This flexibility is particularly valuable in multi-color decks where color-fixing lands are essential.
  • Monoblue Aggro: When used in a Monoblue Aggro deck featuring Counterspell or Dazes, Wooded Foothills can help to stabilize the board while generating card advantage through its ability to search for more spells.
  • Multiplayer Politics: In multiplayer games, Wooded Foothills' ability to sacrifice itself and search for a Mountain or Forest can be used to disrupt opponents' plans by stealing their lands or creating an opportunity for them to generate life gain.

However, Wooded Foothills may struggle in certain situations:

  • Mono-Red Aggro: Against aggressive Mono-Red decks featuring Lightning Bolt or Chandra, Torch of Defiance, Wooded Foothills' ability to sacrifice itself and search for a Mountain can be detrimental, as it creates an opportunity for the opponent to deal damage.
  • Control Decks with Removal Spells: In control decks featuring removal spells like Abrupt Decay or [Frostburn Weird, Wooded Foothills may not provide enough value to warrant its inclusion due to its vulnerability to being sacrificed and its relatively low impact on the game state.
History & Meta

Wooded Foothills, a rare land from the ONS set, has been a staple in many formats due to its ability to search for and play Mountain or Forest cards. Its impact on gameplay is evident in various decks that rely on ramping up mana efficiently.

In the Modern format, Wooded Foothills has seen significant play in aggressive and midrange strategies. It pairs well with Savannah and Badlands, allowing players to quickly establish a consistent color presence while generating card advantage through its ability. Many top-performing decks from 2017-2020, such as the Boros Aggro and Jeskai Aggro lists, feature Wooded Foothills.

On EDHREC, it holds a rank of 55, indicating moderate popularity in Commander decks. Its inclusion often complements cards like Llanowar Elves, Goblin Guide, and [Spear Helix, which accelerate the player's mana development.

In terms of printings, Wooded Foothills has been reprinted several times across various sets, including Guilds of Ravnica (2018) and Jumpstart (2020). Its price remains relatively high, ranging from 4.56 TIX to a maximum of 599.99 USD foil. Despite its higher cost, the card's versatility ensures continued demand in formats where efficient mana ramp is crucial.

Flavor & Lore

The Wooded Foothills card is a rare land from the Onslaught set. This card's flavor and lore are deeply connected to the natural world of the Magic: The Gathering universe.

Wooded Foothills depicts a serene landscape where the rolling hills meet the forest. In this setting, the distinction between wilderness and civilization becomes blurred. A lone tree stands sentinel on a hilltop, its branches stretching towards the sky like outstretched arms. Below it, a narrow valley stretches into the distance, with hints of mist-shrouded mountains looming in the background.

The Oracle text of Wooded Foothills offers two distinct modes: a tapped land and a sacrificed land. When tapped for mana, Wooded Foothills functions similarly to any other basic land, providing one colorless mana per turn. However, when it is sacrificed, it becomes a powerful artifact that allows the player to search their library for either a Mountain or Forest card, putting it onto the battlefield.

The sacrifice condition also requires players to pay 1 life, illustrating the delicate balance between nature and resource management in Magic: The Gathering gameplay. This interaction showcases how a single land can have multiple uses and strategic implications throughout a game.

In this sense, Wooded Foothills serves as a gateway between two of the most iconic types of lands in Magic's history: the basic Mountains and Forests that were staples of early sets. It not only represents the natural world but also holds within it the potential for dynamic gameplay through its sacrificed mode.

Players who use Wooden Sphere or other cards that manipulate artifacts may appreciate Wooded Foothills' ability to be reused as a valuable artifact. The synergy with Llanowar Elves, which can generate card advantage by drawing into additional green sources, highlights how this land's utility is amplified when used in combination with specific strategies.

As a rare land from the Onslaught set, Wooded Foothills offers an opportunity for players to incorporate its unique abilities and flavors into their decks.

Budget/Alternatives

Wooded Foothills: A Rare Land with a High Price Tag

Wooded Foothills is a rare land that sees play in various Commander decks. Its ability to search for a Mountain or Forest card at instant speed makes it an attractive addition to many builds.

Prices and Availability

  • The non-foil version of Wooded Foothills costs around $55.72 USD, making it a relatively expensive card.
  • The foil version is significantly more costly, with a price tag of $599.99 USD.
  • In terms of reprint status, there are no recent reprints of Wooded Foothills in Commander sets.

Budget-Friendliness

Considering its high price point and limited availability, Wooded Foothills is not a budget-friendly option for players looking to build or upgrade their decks.

Alternative Options

For those on a budget or seeking alternatives to Wooded Foothills, consider the following options:

  • Misty Rainforest: A common land that allows you to search for a basic land at instant speed. It's an affordable option and can be found in many Commander sets.
  • Sacred Foundry: An uncommon land that allows you to sacrifice it to search your library for a basic Mountain or Forest card. While not as powerful as Wooded Foothills, it's a more affordable alternative.
  • Razorverge Thicket: A rare land that offers similar functionality to Wooded Foothills but at a lower price point. It's worth considering for those who can't afford the original.

These alternatives offer similar functionality without breaking the bank.