Highland Forest MTG Card


Highland Forest offers crucial tempo retention by entering untapped under specific conditions. Provides essential mana flexibility, ramping up red and green spells in dual-colored decks. Its versatility fits many strategies, making it a worthwhile addition to collections.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
RarityCommon
TypeSnow Land — Mountain Forest

Text of card

(: Add or .) Highland Forest enters the battlefield tapped.

"Tread carefully! The last time I walked this path, half the snowdrifts were, in fact, sleeping trolls. I've never run so fast in my life!" —Iskene, Kannah storyteller


Cards like Highland Forest

Highland Forest carves its niche within the world of land cards in Magic: The Gathering. It parallels other dual lands like Woodland Chasm, offering both red and green mana, and sets itself apart with its ability to come into play tapped to provide that much-needed mana boost later. Unlike Highland Forest, Woodland Chasm insists on having a snow requirement to be tapped for either of its dual mana.

Looking at the broader spectrum, we encounter Rugged Highlands. This land also enters the battlefield tapped and offers an initial life point increase, a subtle yet impactful difference. While Highland Forest lacks the life gain feature, it compensates with its Forest card type which is recognized by effects that look for specific land types. Rootbound Crag is another comparable card. Although it provides immediate mana without entering tapped under certain conditions, it doesn’t guarantee the steady mana influx from the get-go like Highland Forest.

Ultimately, Highland Forest offers a reliable mana foundation for decks that rely on red and green spells, balancing the pace and versatility of your mana base in ways distinct from its counterparts. Monitoring the synergy with other cards in your deck is key when picking the right land for your Magic: The Gathering strategies.

Woodland Chasm - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Woodland Chasm - MTG Card versions
Rugged Highlands - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Highland Forest by color, type and mana cost

Taiga - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Mogg Hollows - MTG Card versions
Shivan Oasis - MTG Card versions
Mossfire Valley - MTG Card versions
Rockfall Vale - MTG Card versions
Contested Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - MTG Card versions
Stomping Ground - MTG Card versions
Highland Weald - MTG Card versions
Fungal Reaches - MTG Card versions
Fire-Lit Thicket - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Refuge - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolf Run - MTG Card versions
Gruul Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Timber Gorge - MTG Card versions
Game Trail - MTG Card versions
Taiga - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Mogg Hollows - MTG Card versions
Shivan Oasis - MTG Card versions
Mossfire Valley - MTG Card versions
Rockfall Vale - MTG Card versions
Contested Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - MTG Card versions
Stomping Ground - MTG Card versions
Highland Weald - MTG Card versions
Fungal Reaches - MTG Card versions
Fire-Lit Thicket - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Refuge - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolf Run - MTG Card versions
Gruul Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Timber Gorge - MTG Card versions
Game Trail - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Highland Forest. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Gruul PonzaGruul Ponza PauperGruul PonzaLega Pauper Canavese - 3a Tappa Road to Paupergeddon Spring Edition 2024 - 22 Players
Temur PonzaTemur Ponza PauperTemur PonzaDutch Pauper League - 2nd Leg
BRGBRG PauperPauper League 2024-04-27
Gruul MidrangeGruul Midrange PauperGruul MidrangePauper Challenge 32 2024-04-26
Selesnya AggroSelesnya Aggro PauperPauper
Temur rampTemur ramp PauperTappa Lega Pauperissima "Road to Pisa" @Magic Akiba
Gruul RampGruul Ramp PauperGruul PonzaOgonyok

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Highland Forest MTG card’s ability to enter the battlefield untapped if you control two or more other Lands ensures that your mana pool stays diverse without losing tempo. This is especially decisive in formats where speed and efficiency can tip the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: As a two-color land, Highland Forest allows you to tap for either green or red mana, giving you flexibility in casting multi-colored decks. It’s a form of resource acceleration that fine-tunes mana availability, enabling you to play more powerful spells ahead of curve.

Instant Speed: While Highland Forest itself does not operate at instant speed, its inclusion in your deck can support instant-speed plays. Access to both red and green mana can help you react to opponents’ moves during their turns with devastating surprises like instant removals or end-of-turn creatures, keeping you one step ahead.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the downsides of the Highland Forest card in MTG is that it might impose a discard requirement for certain abilities. This can be quite a setback when your hand size is already depleted, potentially causing you to lose key cards prematurely.

Specific Mana Cost: Highland Forest has a color-specific mana cost, tapping for red or green mana. While it’s useful in a dual-colored deck, this characteristic can be a limitation in multicolored decks that require a variety of mana sources beyond these two colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to land cards, gamers often look for options that provide either low-cost benefits or versatile mana availability. Highland Forest may enter the battlefield tapped, and hence, its mana contribution is delayed. This can be a significant drawback in fast-paced games where tempo plays a vital role.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Highland Forest’s dual functionality as both a land and a mana source for green and red spells makes it an adaptable choice for multicolored decks. Its ability to come into play tapped and provide a mana boost can be pivotal in various gameplay scenarios.

Combo Potential: For any deck that thrives on landfall abilities or other land-based synergies, Highland Forest can play a key role. Its entry on the battlefield can trigger a cascade of effects pivotal for setting up winning combinations.

Meta-Relevance: This card’s usefulness extends to its value in the current meta, especially if there’s a prevalence of green and red decks or the necessity for consistent mana sources. Its intrinsic flexibility in mana generation can help players keep pace with competitive play environments.


How to beat Highland Forest

Highland Forest brings a strategic advantage to the battlefield, much like other dual lands in Magic: The Gathering. As a land card that taps for both red and green mana, it allows players to ramp up their mana base efficiently. However, like all lands, there are a few tactics you can employ to mitigate its impact.

One effective approach to combating Highland Forest is land destruction. Spells such as Field of Ruin can target this land, limiting an opponent’s ability to produce multiple colors of mana. Another way to gain an edge is through the use of land-creature spells. A card like Imprisoned in the Moon transforms a land into a creature with no abilities, disrupting your opponent’s mana flow while they scramble to find a solution. Controlling your opponent’s mana sources can critically restrict their ability to execute more extensive plays and can put them on the back foot.

In summary, while Highland Forest serves as a solid foundation for deck building, incorporating land disruption strategies into your play can diminish its effectiveness, securing you a better position in the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Highland Forest MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Highland Forest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Highland Forest Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Alayna Danner.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-02-05KaldheimKHM 2612015NormalBlackAlayna Danner
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8962015NormalBlackAlayna Danner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Highland Forest has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Highland Forest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-02-05 Snow is a supertype, not a card type. It has no rules meaning or function by itself, but spells and abilities may refer to it.
2021-02-05 Snow isn't a type of mana. If an effect says you may spend mana as though it were any type, you can't pay for {S} using mana that wasn't produced by a snow source.
2021-02-05 Some cards have additional effects for each {S} spent to cast them. You can cast these spells even if you don't spend any snow mana to cast them; their additional effects simply won't do anything.
2021-02-05 The Kaldheim set doesn't have any cards with mana costs that include {S}, but some previous sets do. If an effect says such a spell costs less to cast, that reduction doesn't apply to any {S} costs. This is also true for activated abilities that include {S} in their activation costs and effects that reduce those costs.
2021-02-05 The {S} symbol is a generic mana symbol. It represents a cost that can be paid by one mana that was produced by a snow source. That mana can be any color or colorless.