Dungeon is a new card type. It’s closely tied to the venture into the dungeon mechanic. They were both introduced in the Adventures in the Forgotten Realms set.
In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about this new keyword and card type, including:
- How do Dungeon and venture into the dungeon cards work?
- FAQ about the mechanic.
- Interesting interactions with MTG Dungeon cards.
- And more!
Let’s get to it.
How do Dungeon and Venture into the Dungeon work?
We’ll take a lot at a some examples, starting with a Dungeon card.
Dungeons
One example of the new card type – Dungeon, is Lost Mine of Phandelver. Dungeon cards, like this one, don’t start in your deck.
While they do start outside the game, they don’t take up Sideboard slots either. However, you can still store them with your Sideboard in a competitive game.
Venture into Dungeon
Dungeons are brought into the game with a new keyword action – venture into the Dungeon. This could happen as the result of a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability.
Let’s take a look at Shortcut Seeker.
As you can see, Shortcut Seeker has a triggered ability, which triggers when it deals combat damage to a player. You get to venture into the dungeon!
How do you venture into the dungeon?
If you would venture into the Dungeon while you are not already in a Dungeon, you put a Dungeon of your choice into your Command Zone, and a marker in the top room. When you enter a room (signified by moving your marker to it), its room ability triggers. For example, entering the first room of Lost Mine of Phandelver would cause you to Scry 1.
When you’re already in a Dungeon, venturing into the dungeon causes you to move to the next room. When moving to the next room, follow the arrows shown on the card. For example, you could not move from the Goblin Lair to the Fungi Cavern in Lost mine of Phandelver.
You can’t move backwards in Dungeons, and you can’t start a new Dungeon before your old one is finished.
Completing A Dungeon
Dungeons are removed from your Command Zone after their final ability resolves, and are considered to be completed. Cards like Gloom Stalker have abilities that will activate in situations like this.
These cards don’t have to be under your control as a Dungeon is completed for their ability to be active. Their ability will be active as long as you’ve completed a Dungeon at any stage of the game.
Completing a Dungeon also allows you to start a new one! The next time you venture into the Dungeon, you may choose any Dungeon to enter – including the one that you have just completed, so choose carefully!
MTG Dungeon FAQ
How many MTG Dungeon cards are there?
As of Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, there are three Dungeon cards. These cards are Tomb of Annihilation, Dungeon of the Mad Mage, and Lost Mine of Phandelver. While there will be no other Dungeons in Adventures of the Forgotten Realms, it is possible that we’ll get more Dungeons in the future sets.
Where can I find MTG Dungeon Cards?
You can get MTG Dungeon cards in the token slots of Forgotten Realms Booster Packs, meaning that they should be cheap and easy to come by!
What if I Venture into the Dungeon in response to the final room’s ability?
In some cases, you could complete a Dungeon and then Venture into the Dungeon again before its final ability resolves.
If this happens, you complete the Dungeon you are currently in before the ability of its last room leaves the stack. You then start your next Dungeon, whose first room ability will resolve before the last room ability of the Dungeon that you left.
Can you destroy a Dungeon?
No, you can’t. Dungeon card goes to the Command Zone, and you can’t interact with it.
You can interact with the venture mechanic, though. You can counter cards that would venture into the dungeon with counterspells, and you can counter abilities with cards like Stifle. However, you can’t destroy a Dungeon card.
MTG Dungeon – Flavor
The Flavor of Dungeons should be clear to anyone who has heard the name Dungeons and Dragons. As Forgotten Realms is a DND themed set, the Dungeon card type and Venture into the Dungeon mechanic represent the Dungeons.
We are sure to get Dragons as well!
MTG Dungeon – Interesting Interactions
As we’ve already talked about various interactions in previous sections, here’s just one more combo you can do with Dungeons. However, if you’ve found a special interaction, let us know in the comments below.
Nadaar, Selfless Paladin Infinite Loop
One of the coolest interactions with the MTG Dungeon mechanic so far is the infinite loop with Nadaar. Whenever Nadaar enters the battlefield, you can Venture into the Dungeon.
Using Panharmonicon in combination with creatures like Felidar Guardian can allow you to infinitely flicker Nadaar. As Panharmonicon doubles their triggers, two creatures with flicker effects will be able to infinitely flicker one another and also infinitely flicker Nadaar.
This means you get infinite Venture into the Dungeon triggers. So, you can go through the Lost Mine of Phandelver, for example, as many times as you like. Since Dark Pool room drains your opponents, you’ll be able to win – unless you mill yourself with the last room, Temple of Dumathoin.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have an advanced understanding of how Dungeons work in MTG. If you still have questions that you’d like answered, make sure to ask them in the comment section.
Planning on getting some Dungeon cards from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms? You can get a Set Booster Box on Amazon.
If you want to get more information about the DND themed Magic set, Forgotten Realms, you might like some of the following articles:
- Forgotten Realms Spoilers
- Forgotten Realms Commander Decks
- Collector Booster Contents (Forgotten Realms)
Best of luck on your adventures, and may you always roll a natural 20!
Couple of questions.
Can we enter the same dungeon multiple times in one game or is there some kind of limit?
Can we enter a dungeon before completing the last dungeon? So can we be in multiple dungeons at once?
If yes, can we enter the same dungeons multiple times before completing any of them so we’d be in the same dungeon in different rooms at once?
Can we counter the ability of the room in such a way that we enter a room, counter its effect and the next time we venture we move on to the next room?
Once you complete a dungeon, you can enter the same one again (or another one – it’s your choice). So you can enter the same dungeon as many time as you want.
No, you can’t enter a new dungeon before completing the current one. You can only be in a single dungeon at once.
Yes, you could counter the ability of the room in a such way, with a card like Stifle, which lets you counter a triggered ability.
Hi there,
I have one question: Is it correct that there is only one prebuild Commander Deck on Dungeons and Dragons that actually has the “venture” ability in it? And what Commander Deck is that one? Is it “Dugeons of Death”?
Thank you very much!
Yes, you’re correct on both of these.
with Dungeon of the mad mage, Runestone Caverns. Is there a restriction on how long you can play the exiled cards. right away, until end of turn, till the games ends?
You have to play them right away.
I have Sun Titan and Triumphant Adventurer in play, and I attack with both cards. Then I order ther stack so that the Sun Titan’s triggered ability resolves first to bring Hama Pashar, Ruin Seeker into play and then Triumphant Adventurer’s triggered ability resolves. Does the dungeon ability is triggered one more time due to Hamma’s ability?
Yes, it does. You don’t go into the next room, until the Adventurer’s ability resolves. Once the ability resolves, you already have Hama Pashar in play, and the room’s ability will trigger an additional time.
I have Ellywich Tumblestrum, with her last ability being that you’re creatures gain +2/+2 for every dungeon you have completed. If you clear the same dungeon twice does that count as two completed or only one?
Ellywick’s emblem reads: “Creatures you control have trample and haste and get +2/+2 for each differently named dungeon you’ve completed.” So if you complete a same dungeon twice, that still only counts as one. (As Gimli would say.)
if i complete the dungeon of the mad mage on my opponents turn when i draw three cards do i get to play any creature at instant speed because of it or does it need flash.
You can play a creature immediately.