The Motherlode, Excavator
~$0.30 low · ~$2.45 high
Red. Legendary Artifact Creature — Robot

Fallout #62 · Illustrated by Josu Solano
What is The Motherlode, Excavator worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
When The Motherlode enters, choose target opponent. You get an amount of (energy counters) equal to the number of nonbasic lands that player controls.
Whenever The Motherlode attacks, you may pay . When you do, destroy target nonbasic land defending player controls, and creatures that player controls without flying can't block this turn.
5/5
Format legality
All 4 printings of The Motherlode, Excavator
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fallout pip #62· 2024rare· Cardmarket €0.26 · €0.42 foil | rare | $0.30 | $0.62 | €0.26€0.42 foil | |
Fallout pip #389· 2024Extended Artrare· Cardmarket €0.53 · €0.86 foil | rare | $0.61 | $0.92 | €0.53€0.86 foil | |
Fallout pip #590· 2024Surge Foilrare· Cardmarket €1.42 foil | rare | No non-foil printing | $1.36 | €1.42 foil | |
Fallout pip #917· 2024Extended ArtSurge Foilrare· Cardmarket €1.76 foil | rare | No non-foil printing | $2.45 | €1.76 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy The Motherlode, Excavator
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Card details
- First printed
- 2024
- Printings
- 4
- Mana value
- 5
- EDHREC rank
- #8,235 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Artist
- Josu Solano
Rulings (13)
2024-03-08
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of
, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any
even if you want to.
2024-03-08
is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
2024-03-08
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of
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
, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more
, 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
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
.
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
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.
2024-03-08
The Motherlode's reflexive triggered ability prevents all creatures without flying that player controls from blocking that turn, including creatures that lose flying after the ability resolves as well as creatures without flying that enter the battlefield or come under that player's control later in the turn.
2024-03-08
Use the number of nonbasic lands the target opponent controls when The Motherlode's first ability resolves to determine the number of energy counters you get.
2024-03-08
You don't choose a target nonbasic land at the time The Motherlode's last ability triggers. Rather, a second "reflexive" ability triggers when you pay
this way. You choose a target for that ability as it goes on the stack. Each player may respond to this triggered ability as normal.
2024-03-08
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing them down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
2024-03-08
If the target nonbasic land is an illegal target as The Motherlode's reflexive triggered ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects happen. Creatures defending player controls without flying will still be able to block this turn.
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