Swarmyard
Land
: Add 
.
: Regenerate target Insect, Rat, Spider, or Squirrel. (The next time it would be destroyed this turn, instead tap it, remove it from combat, and heal all damage on it.)
*Where scavengers nest in hollowed-out rib cages and chittering crawlers peer from empty eye sockets, few dare to trespass.*
Why Play Swarmyard
Tribal decks built around Insects, Rats, Spiders, or Squirrels gain significant defensive utility from this land's regeneration ability. The colorless mana production ensures it fits into any mana base without color requirements, while the regeneration effect protects key creatures from removal and combat damage. Most effective in creature-heavy strategies where preserving board presence is crucial, particularly against decks running targeted removal or sweeper effects.Format Notes
Commander sees the most play for Swarmyard, especially in tribal builds like Rat Colony decks or Spider tribal led by commanders like Ishkanah, Grafwidow. Modern occasionally features it in fringe tribal strategies, though the utility land slot competition is fierce. Legacy and Vintage applications remain minimal due to faster formats and limited tribal support for the relevant creature types.Combos & Synergies
Rat Colony builds utilize Swarmyard as both mana fixing and protection for their numerous copies, making each rat harder to remove permanently. Pack Rat strategies benefit from the regeneration shield on both the original and token copies created by its ability. Ohran Viper and other value-generating creatures in these tribes gain additional staying power, allowing repeated triggers of their beneficial effects while maintaining board presence against removal-heavy opponents.Featured in These Decks
- Squirreled Away Commander
