The Motherlode, Excavator

Card text

When The Motherlode enters, choose target opponent. You get an amount of {E} (energy counters) equal to the number of nonbasic lands that player controls.

Whenever The Motherlode attacks, you may pay {E}{E}{E}{E}. When you do, destroy target nonbasic land defending player controls, and creatures that player controls without flying can't block this turn.

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.31 (as of 2026-11-12).

The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.

Format legality

Legality of The Motherlode, Excavator by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of The Motherlode, Excavator

The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

The 8 most recent official rulings for The Motherlode, Excavator, newest first.

• 2024-03-08 If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of {E}, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any {E} even if you want to.
• 2024-03-08 {E} is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
• 2024-03-08 Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of {E}. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of {E} as the ability resolves.
• 2024-03-08 Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
• 2024-03-08 If an effect says you get one or more {E}, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more {E}, you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.
• 2024-03-08 Some spells and abilities that give you {E} may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any {E}.
• 2024-03-08 Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
• 2024-03-08 Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of {E} describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.

Similar cards

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