Reef Shaman MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Merfolk Shaman
Released	2001-06-04
Set symbol
Set name	Apocalypse
Set code	APC
Power	0
Toughness	2
Number	29
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Scott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

Alters lands at instant speed, pivoting gameplay by interfering with or amplifying land-reliant strategies.
Restrictive blue mana cost and potential hand depletion are notable considerations when utilizing this card.
Regardless of drawbacks, its disruptive power and combo potential make it a valuable asset in land-focused decks.

Text of card

oc T: Target land's type becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.

With one gesture, she can render a thousand years of navigational charts obsolete.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reef Shaman can effectively shift the power balance by altering land types, playing into strategies that benefit from land type control, and potentially disrupting opponent tactics rooted in specific land types.

Resource Acceleration: By changing the land type to one that you can capitalize on with landfall abilities or other land type-specific cards, Reef Shaman can act as an enabler for acceleration and synergy within your deck.

Instant Speed: The ability of Reef Shaman to change a land’s type at instant speed allows for reactive plays during your opponent’s turn, making it a versatile tool for both offensive strategies and defensive maneuvers.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Reef Shaman demands strategic hand management as it does not offer card advantage. Should you find yourself with this creature card but low on cards, activating its ability comes at the potentially steep price of diminishing your hand without immediate in-game gain.

Specific Mana Cost: Reef Shaman’s utility is somewhat hampered by its demand for blue mana. This requirement can pigeonhole the card into mono-blue or two-color blue-centric decks, reducing its flexibility across the broader meta. Committing to blue mana might constrain deck-building options, especially for those looking to weave in multiple colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a card that offers land type modification, the mana investment in Reef Shaman might not compare favorably with other cards of a similar cost. Competing cards may provide more impactful board presence, direct manipulation, or card advantage, casting a shadow on the Shaman’s cost-to-benefit ratio.

Reasons to Include Reef Shaman in Your Collection

Versatility: Reef Shaman allows players to adapt to different scenarios, as it can change the land type of any land. This can disrupt opponent’s strategies or enhance your own by ensuring you have the right type of land available for your spells.

Combo Potential: With its land type alteration ability, this card pairs well with land-dependent abilities and cards that profit from lands of a certain type, making it a key component in niche but powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where land types are crucial, such as enabling domain or cards that have benefits against certain land types, Reef Shaman can be an under-the-radar tool for gaining an edge over your opponents.

How to beat Reef Shaman

Reef Shaman poses a unique challenge as an adept land manipulator in Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to alter the basic land type of a single land until the end of the turn, it can disrupt your strategic plays or amplify the effectiveness of land-type-dependent cards for your opponent.

To mitigate the impact of Reef Shaman, prioritize removal spells to eliminate it quickly from the battlefield. Since it’s a creature, a vast array of creature removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can deal with it efficiently. Moreover, timing your land plays to avoid giving the opponent an opportunity to exploit the Reef Shaman’s ability is essential. Keep an eye on instant-speed interaction that might hinder your plans due to unexpected land type changes.

Remember, Reef Shaman thrives in a deck that capitalizes on land types. Therefore, reducing its opportunities to alter the game’s state and removing it before it can influence other synergies is crucial. By focusing on swift removal and optimal timing, Reef Shaman becomes a manageable threat on the board.

Cards like Reef Shaman

Reef Shaman holds a unique space among cards that manipulate land types in MTG. Sharing similarities with cards like Sea’s Claim, Reef Shaman allows players to strategically alter the land type of a single land until end of turn, potentially disrupting opponent’s mana bases or enhancing your own land-related synergies. While Sea’s Claim changes the landscape permanently unless removed, it’s limited to turning lands into Islands. This is a noteworthy difference, as the transient effect of Reef Shaman can be beneficial for one-time-use effects and can fly under the radar.

Tidal Warrior represents another card from this niche group, with the ability to turn a land into an Island until end of turn, just like Reef Shaman. However, Tidal Warrior taps when using its ability, whereas Reef Shaman remains untapped, offering versatility and bluffing potential. Liquimetal Coating, while not changing land types, turns a targeted permanent into an artifact, granting some cross-over in that it can disrupt the makeup of your opponent’s field in a similar way.

Each card serves a specific role within their respective ecosystems. Reef Shaman, with its constant readiness, seems well-suited for players looking for ongoing flexibility in games rather than a one-time shift in terrain.

Liquimetal Coating - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Cards similar to Reef Shaman by color, type and mana cost

Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - MTG Card versions

Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - Seventh Edition (7ED)

Flying Men - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Manta Riders - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)

Faerie Seer - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)

Wandering Ones - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Teardrop Kami - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Dreamcatcher - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Drifter il-Dal - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Screeching Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reef Shaman MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse, 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 Reef Shaman and other MTG cards: