Bad River MTG Card
1996-10-08 - Number 324
2014-06-16 - Number 290
2022-09-09 - Number 197
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Bad River comes into play tapped. oc T, Sacrifice Bad River: Search your library for an island or swamp card. Put that land into play. Shuffle your library afterwards.
Cards like Bad River
Bad River is a unique fetch land in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to search their library for an Island or Swamp card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. A comparable card is Terramorphic Expanse, which offers a similar fetch mechanic but without the specificity of targeting two land types. Although Bad River ensures you access your key colors, Terramorphic Expanse allows for even greater flexibility in mana fixing, catering to any basic land type.
Flood Plain is another land with an almost identical ability to Bad River, searching for an Island or Plains. What distinguishes Bad River is its focus on black and blue mana bases, which can be crucial for certain deck archetypes. However, the entrance of the fetched land tapped is a common drawback they share. Evolving Wilds also deserves a mention; it acts much like Terramorphic Expanse, serving decks that need an untargeted, basic land fetch.
In sum, Bad River remains a specific and strategic choice for certain MTG decks that rely on blue and black mana. The ability to fetch a needed land, despite the tempo loss from having it enter the battlefield tapped, offers deck consistency and makes Bad River a valued card among its peers.
Cards similar to Bad River by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Bad River offers a strategic deck thinning that ever so slightly increases your chances of drawing non-land cards in the subsequent turns. This subtle edge can play a pivotal role in gaining an upper hand on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: Although Bad River comes into play tapped and does not provide an immediate boost, it sets the stage for potential mana acceleration. By fetching a dual land that can be tapped for two different mana types, it effectively accelerates your resources, allowing for more flexible plays ahead.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of fetching a land at instant speed cannot be understated. Being able to search for a land at the end of your opponent’s turn keeps your mana open during your own turn, allowing for timely responses and maintaining the crucial element of surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Bad River doesn’t come with a discard requirement per se, but it takes a spot in your deck potentially replacing more immediate solutions. Players must weigh the cost of a slower land against their strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Bad River is earmarked for decks that specifically need Islands or Swamps, making it less versatile. It’s essentially dedicated to blue or black mana-based decks, limiting its playability across the diverse spectrum of MTG archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Bad River enters the battlefield untapped, it does require a tap and a sacrifice to fetch for a land, meaning you’re waiting until your next turn for that land to be utilized. This delay is costlier compared to other land cards that allow for immediate mana access or have a lower activation cost.
Reasons to Include Bad River in Your Collection
Versatility: Bad River offers flexibility in mana fixing, making it an asset in multicolored decks. Its ability to search for an Island or Swamp ensures that you can tailor your mana base according to the needs of your deck, whether you’re casting spells early or preparing for late game threats.
Combo Potential: Land cards with fetch capabilities like Bad River work excellently with landfall mechanics or any strategy that capitalizes on lands entering the battlefield or being shuffled into the library. By enabling specific land combinations, it can be a linchpin in powerful deck synergies.
Meta-Relevance: As the competitive landscape shifts, having access to a consistent mana base remains crucial. Bad River holds its place in various formats, helping players keep pace with frequently changing metagames and ensuring they have the right color resources when they need them most.
How to Beat
Bad River is a land card that roots itself firmly within the strategies of fetching specific basic land types in Magic: The Gathering. Similar to other fetch lands, Bad River enables you to search your deck for an Island or Swamp card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. This can set you up for a greater strategic reach in later turns, despite the slight tempo loss initially.
To counter Bad River’s advantage, a strong play is to apply land destruction or land hate tactics, limiting an opponent’s mana base and disrupting their plans. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can replace Bad River with a basic land before it activates, diluting the benefit your opponent gets from the search. Furthermore, using instant-speed removal when they activate Bad River leaves the opponent with one less land, a setback in resources that could be crucial.
Acknowledging the importance of timing in MTG is vital, as interrupting the fetch process can be as effective as countering a key spell. Capitalize on the window of opportunity when the land is sacrificed but before the new land is fetched, effectively neutralizing one of your opponent’s strategic moves. By incorporating such counterplays, you can mitigate the impact of Bad River and maintain the upper hand.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bad River MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Vintage Masters, 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 Bad River and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Bad River Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 324 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 290 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen | |
| 3 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Commander | DMC | 197 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nils Hamm |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bad River has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bad River card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don't have to find the card if you don't want to. |