I always like when a new ability comes out and this "fortify" thing sounds pretty cool!
Volcre
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Fortify seems cool but this ability seems a little overcosted...
darkfury
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
they really should include fortifications in Zendikar, as we now know that it is built around land and what they could do with that. a set built around land and Indiana Jones should have fortifications because it fits under the land and artifact themes
anyway: How do you mold Darksteel? with a fruitcake hammer?
Designer_Genes
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I think this design room is kinda narrow. Although, the "when X becomes tapped" idea was used in Lorwyn, and I would like to see it on lands.
Neutralion
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
One of many perfect cards that show what will be new in magic.... I love Future Sight! Just think about Fomori Giant, River of Tears or narcomoebae. All of them became parts of Planechase in some way...
Urbar
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I have a really strong feeling that fortify will be in Worldwake or in the 3rd set of Zendikar. It fits perfectly in the theme of Zendikar. Emphasis on playing lands and equipments = Fortify. It is the next logical step in the development of Zendikar. I even can imagine that fortify comes along with landfall: "Landfall - Whenever a land comes into play you may attach target Fortification to target land"
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Lovely mechanic. Very intuitive if you know how Equip works. Flavourful too.
Ava_Adore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(10 votes)
although pricey i love the idea of fortifications
but shouldnt the darksteel card be indestructible, not the land, or both, how many times do you come up against land destruction, vs artifact destruction?
A3Kitsune
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Fortifications do not fit Zendikar. Zendikar is a wild, untamed, unstable plane, and fortifications are large constructions, the sort of thing you get on developed planes.
Although the Garrison goes great with Worldwake's man-lands.
Omenchild
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
How would this have made it into zendikar at all? darksteel is from mirrodin. Would they just make fortify then forget about the card it came from haha no, itll come back with mirrodin-with steamflogger boss haha jk
DonRoyale
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
Manlands love this thing. Auto-boost and the ability to become indestructible? Awesome.
Vedalken_Arbiter
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I really hope they reprint this and other forts for Scars of Mirrodin.
Zulp
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I'm getting the feeling that fortifications might see further development in Scars of Mirrodin, going on the whole Darksteel aspect.
Tezz
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
if this is in scars, there will be more fortify cards. i will fit the land theme from zendikar for standard with manlands and all. check urbar's comment.
Blackworm_Bloodworm
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I agree fortifications should be mainstream. Duel Masters has them, so why not Magic?
TheChurchIsHere
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Expecting to see lots of forts and contraptions in Scars of Mirrodin.
Flyheight
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
We can only hope this will be in the SoM block. I expected to see Ghostfire in Zendikar, but it never showed up...
FragNutMK1
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Very cool premise, hope to see more in the future.
dybeck
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I wouldn't let excitement about the mechanic blind you to the fact that 2 to cast and 3 to equip is a lot of mana for the effect... You'd need a land you REALLY need to defend and a deck that can't find a cheaper way of doing it...
coyotemoon722
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Rules say this gets destroyed like totem armor? That's uber-lame considering it's "indestructible".
bogartman6
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Mirrordin Beseiged?
Belz_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only Darksteel card that doesn't have any yellow energy things spinning around it. Maybe it's cheaper quality Darksteel and that's why it's not itself indestructible ;)
Stray_Dog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I also love the idea of 'land equipment', especially the idea of fortifying a man-land.
Atali
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd say this was meant for Dark Depths, protecting the land while you pull ice counters over time. Hexmage has, of course, made that moot, but Hexmage didn't exist yet in Future Sight.
Otherwise, it's for manlands, making them slightly stronger and protecting them from harm.
bijart_dauth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
not very good, as 5 mana is way to much for that ability, but i would love to see more fortify later in the game.
jsttu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combo with the Minamo Legendary land from kamigawa, translates into repeatable +1/+1 to a creature for each as the land can untap itself. fun in a blue weenie deck.
scumbling1
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Five mana is a bit much to make your Mishra's Factory indestructable.
This card is bad, and I don't see the fortify mechanic opening up a lot of new design space -- it's just equipment for non-creature permanents. I doubt it will make a reappearance, and I won't miss it in the meantime.
2 things 1. As discussed in a Doug Beyer letter of the week, you can't mold darksteel into a plating for an entire land, it's indestructible! No, you can't use magic, that's why Doom Blade doesn't kill Darksteel Myr. You could use super-powered magic, but that would cost more than , right? 2. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN SOM, MBS OR NPH GODDAMMIT
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The concept of fortifications seems interesting, but the use of them (at least now) seems to be lower.
The idea behind equipment is that you can use it on multiple creatures, either because the old wielder died or because you've cast one that can make better use of it. But how should the land 'die' if it's indestructible? When should you want to switch the fortification? The +1/+1 bonus from tapping is independant from the land, and i can't imagine too many lands that need to be protected that much more than the one you've previously spent 3 mana on and which will get destructible again.
Overall this card feels too expensive to me, especially when compared to Darksteel Plate this feels less usefull. It also totally bugs me that this card is something made of Darksteel and not indestructible itself. Manlands could make good use of this, though. But that's the only good use i could imagine:
In general you don't have to fear for your lands getting destroyed. Aside from Wasteland (and Strip Mine) in eternal formats, where it often sees play, e.g. to destroy a dual land. But in that case spending five mana won't really help since the Wasteland would just pick another Dual, so you could as well have used land search for that amount.
It can be useful to protect utility lands like Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Academy Ruins or Gaea's Cradle. But why not simply use Consecrate Land for instead? Less decks have enchantment removal than artifact removal, and as aforementioned the general idea of fortifications doesn't seem that relevant in the case of Darksteel Garrison.
Since this is (currently) rated more than 3.75, it feels like i'm missing something...
Well, maybe one day when the third Mirrodin block comes out, with a new array of lands and interactions with fortifications, when we get riggers that assemble contraptions for us, this card might once in a sudden appear a whole lot more useful.
KikiJikiTiki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fortification itself isn't indestructable. All the other darksteel stuff is. :(
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fortify seems neat, but prone to the same kinds of limitations that prevent Auras from seeing competitive play.
Still, someday, I hope there will be a way to break this card. Inkmoth Nexus came close -- an indestructible flying blocker that leaves -1/-1 counters on your opponent's attacker is pretty cool. It's just not worth . If this card said "Fortified land is indestructible and gains shroud," then maybe.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
never came to SoM...
zenuedite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I really want more of this type of card. Yes, this one is crappy, but I can imagine some really good ones, and plus, I want a USE for my lands other than just sitting there, thank you very much. Still, I can see why it hasn't seen a printing because the designers have admitted that they don't like land destruction, and the only way I could see these coming back is with a reasonable counter to them, which would be when land destruction once again reigns supreme.
kazenpaus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fortifications seem pretty cool, I hope they'll come back in the future. Rise of the Eldrazi or Scars of Mirrodin would've been good spots, it's a shame they didn't take it.
I believe they cast Darksteel. While it is indestructible (from shattering, breaking, bending, etc) it does seem to still have a melting point it it gets hot enough (Into the Core, two Darksteel Juggernauts getting killed) or if treated with some unknown, naturally occurring chemicals (Ferrovore, mentions it's digestion of Darksteel Myrs). So it makes sense to me that they just melt it down and fill molds with it.
@Lueseto No more than any other artifact would. Tarmogoyf ability says it is equal to the number of types and 'Fortification' is a subtype, much like 'Equipment'. Unless you are asking about the tap trigger. Then yes, of course you can target your goyf to pump it.
NoobOfLore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Manlands make this an awesome card.
Kryptnyt
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Alternate South Park art must be made
OpenSeasonNoobs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You can bet Scars will have this in it. Almost guaranteed.
Wow, really put my foot in my mouth there. I hope I wasn't the only one surprised that they didn't put any reinforce lands in SoM.
pedrodyl
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Oh all of the rulings that they had to reword, and all because this one card...
Sootoo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Actually a really cool idea. I would love to be able to make my Lotus Vale indestructible, but if a Terastodon, for example, enters the battlefield, then it easily can destroy this artifact first, and after this the land, that´s why I definitely rather go for Crucible of Worlds, instead of this.
Instead of being able to give a creature +1/+1, they really should have made this artifact itself indestructible too. Apart from this, it´s pretty overcosted, anyway.
LordRandomness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Amusingly, if you fortify a manland it will pump itself when it attacks, AND be indestructible! Handy.
Mohia
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Equip to Dryad Arbor for a 1/1 indestructible.. ...mother of god!!
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel odd about "artifact" lands and this. They're so huge they seem like they're just lands and no longer artifacts, ya know? We don't really call Pyramids artifacts (although they probably are now that I think about it..)
That all said, I think I'd rather see things like pendlehaven than this. The fortification *is* the land it seems like. We have barbarian rings and other such things as land, I just figure it makes more sense if we make a powerful land that comes in tapped than it does to attach cards to other cards needlessly.
Doaj
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Quick rules question: Creeping Tar Pit is fortified, and I have three cards in hand, with Ensnaring Bridge in play. He's already declared as an attacker by he time he receives the pump, so all is square, correct?
aescula
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I realize this is a really really old comment, but @OmegaSerris, what about the flavor text of Smelt?
MattLynn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If there was a way to make fortifications NOT be artifacts, that would be awesome. It seems inspiration from Castle and Elven Palisade could be cool. Maybe land auras that returned to hand if placed in the graveyard?
Aremath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The only darksteel card that isn't indestructible.
It's a cool idea, but I feel like it should have a bigger effect. I would like to see a fortification version of Fertile Ground.
Kelptic183
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wait, so with Deserted Temple fortified with this, it's second effect become 1: Target creature gets +1/+1? That seems really good for colors without much in the way of combat tricks. Too bad the initial cost is so high.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Attach it to a man-land and give the man-land +1/+1 when it attacks! :D
Comments (51)
anyway: How do you mold Darksteel? with a fruitcake hammer?
It fits perfectly in the theme of Zendikar. Emphasis on playing lands and equipments = Fortify. It is the next logical step in the development of Zendikar. I even can imagine that fortify comes along with landfall: "Landfall - Whenever a land comes into play you may attach target Fortification to target land"
but shouldnt the darksteel card be indestructible, not the land, or both,
how many times do you come up against land destruction, vs artifact destruction?
Although the Garrison goes great with Worldwake's man-lands.
Duel Masters has them, so why not Magic?
Otherwise, it's for manlands, making them slightly stronger and protecting them from harm.
This card is bad, and I don't see the fortify mechanic opening up a lot of new design space -- it's just equipment for non-creature permanents. I doubt it will make a reappearance, and I won't miss it in the meantime.
1. As discussed in a Doug Beyer letter of the week, you can't mold darksteel into a plating for an entire land, it's indestructible! No, you can't use magic, that's why Doom Blade doesn't kill Darksteel Myr. You could use super-powered magic, but that would cost more than
2. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN SOM, MBS OR NPH GODDAMMIT
The idea behind equipment is that you can use it on multiple creatures, either because the old wielder died or because you've cast one that can make better use of it.
But how should the land 'die' if it's indestructible?
When should you want to switch the fortification? The +1/+1 bonus from tapping is independant from the land, and i can't imagine too many lands that need to be protected that much more than the one you've previously spent 3 mana on and which will get destructible again.
Overall this card feels too expensive to me, especially when compared to Darksteel Plate this feels less usefull.
It also totally bugs me that this card is something made of Darksteel and not indestructible itself.
Manlands could make good use of this, though. But that's the only good use i could imagine:
In general you don't have to fear for your lands getting destroyed.
Aside from Wasteland (and Strip Mine) in eternal formats, where it often sees play, e.g. to destroy a dual land.
But in that case spending five mana won't really help since the Wasteland would just pick another Dual, so you could as well have used land search for that amount.
It can be useful to protect utility lands like Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Academy Ruins or Gaea's Cradle.
But why not simply use Consecrate Land for
Since this is (currently) rated more than 3.75, it feels like i'm missing something...
Well, maybe one day when the third Mirrodin block comes out,
with a new array of lands and interactions with fortifications,
when we get riggers that assemble contraptions for us,
this card might once in a sudden appear a whole lot more useful.
Still, someday, I hope there will be a way to break this card. Inkmoth Nexus came close -- an indestructible flying blocker that leaves -1/-1 counters on your opponent's attacker is pretty cool. It's just not worth
@Lueseto
No more than any other artifact would. Tarmogoyf ability says it is equal to the number of types and 'Fortification' is a subtype, much like 'Equipment'. Unless you are asking about the tap trigger. Then yes, of course you can target your goyf to pump it.
Wow, really put my foot in my mouth there. I hope I wasn't the only one surprised that they didn't put any reinforce lands in SoM.
Instead of being able to give a creature +1/+1, they really should have made this artifact itself indestructible too. Apart from this, it´s pretty overcosted, anyway.
...mother of god!!
That all said, I think I'd rather see things like pendlehaven than this. The fortification *is* the land it seems like. We have barbarian rings and other such things as land, I just figure it makes more sense if we make a powerful land that comes in tapped than it does to attach cards to other cards needlessly.
Creeping Tar Pit is fortified, and I have three cards in hand, with Ensnaring Bridge in play. He's already declared as an attacker by he time he receives the pump, so all is square, correct?
It's a cool idea, but I feel like it should have a bigger effect. I would like to see a fortification version of Fertile Ground.