Breeding Pool MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 172
2013-02-01 - Number 240
2015-10-02 - Number 15
2019-01-25 - Number 246
2019-01-25 - Number 246p
2022-10-07 - Number 537
2022-10-07 - Number 286
2024-01-12 - Number 399z
2024-01-12 - Number 275
2024-01-12 - Number 293
2024-01-12 - Number 399
2024-02-23 - Number 275
2002-06-24 - Number 72311
2019-12-02 - Number 132
| Card sets | Released in 14 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land — Forest Island |
Text of card
(: Add or to your mana pool.) As Breeding Pool comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, Breeding Pool comes into play tapped instead.
Cards like Breeding Pool
Breeding Pool is a powerful land card that establishes its utility by providing two types of mana—green and blue. This dual land card from the Ravnica expansion can be incredibly similar to other lands like Watery Grave and Stomping Ground. Each of these cards can be brought into play tapped or untapped by paying 2 life, a small price for a significant advantage in flexibility. However, Breeding Pool is unique as it caters to decks that thrive on green and blue mana, which is essential for players that combine creature growth with tactical control.
Another card that mirrors this effect is Hinterland Harbor, which provides the same colors of mana without the initial life cost, but it does come with a condition—it enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Forest or Island. In contrast, Breeding Pool doesn’t have that dependency and can be immediately beneficial. Additionally, the Tropical Island card also offers green and blue mana without any penalty or condition. Yet, Breeding Pool’s advantage lies in its synergy with cards that have mechanics like landfall or that benefit from having more lands with basic land types in play.
Assessing the value of Breeding Pool against its counterparts, its flexibility to be used immediately and enable complex strategies gives it a unique position in player decks that want to blend the powers of green and blue mana without delay.
Cards similar to Breeding Pool by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Breeding Pool. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Domain Zoo | Modern | Domain Zoo | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
| Grinding Station | Modern | Grinding Station | Modern League 2024-04-25 |
 | 4c Omnath | Modern | 4/5c Omnath | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
| 5c Omnath | Modern | 4/5c Omnath | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
| Bant Control | Modern | Bant Control | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Crashing Footfalls | Modern | Crashing Footfalls | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
 | Kethis Combo | Modern | Kethis Combo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Living End | Modern | Living End | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Affinity | Modern | Affinity | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
| Temur Control | Modern | Temur Control | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Breeding Pool offers the flexibility of having both types of mana it produces available without the need for additional cards. This enables seamless casting of multicolored hands, keeping you ahead in the mana curve and ensuring you’re never stuck with uncastable spells in hand.
Resource Acceleration: As a dual land, Breeding Pool is a significant resource accelerator. It counts as both an Island and a Forest, which can be essential for activating abilities that require one or the other, or when delving into decks that benefit from having a variety of land types in play.
Instant Speed: While lands themselves don’t operate at instant speed, the ability to pay 2 life and have Breeding Pool enter the battlefield untapped is as close as lands get to instant speed action. This allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves without missing a beat – deploying creatures, enchantments, or crucial instants on their turn with unanticipated mana.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Breeding Pool doesn’t have a discard cost itself, it might pressure you to discard other valuable cards to make room for the lands you need—especially when combined with hand-size management cards.
Specific Mana Cost: As a land with the ability to provide both green and blue mana, Breeding Pool can be restrictive in decks not designed to optimize the use of those two colors, potentially making it less valuable in non Simic (green-blue) deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The land enters the battlefield tapped unless you pay 2 life, which is a significant cost, especially in the early game. This can slow down your play compared to other lands that either enter untapped for free or have a lower life payment.
Reasons to Include Breeding Pool in Your Collection
Versatility: Breeding Pool serves as an essential piece in decks archetypes across multiple formats. It can seamlessly be included in both aggressive and control decks without disrupting your mana base, thanks to its dual land status.
Combo Potential: This card stands out for its ability to support various combo ensembles, particularly in decks that synergize with the Simic guild’s color combination of green and blue. It enables efficient mana fixing that often is the key piece for executing powerful plays.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame frequently evolves, a Breeding Pool is consistently relevant. It fits well into the current competitive landscape, where having access to multiple colors of mana without slowing down your game can provide a significant advantage.
How to beat
Breeding Pool is a pivotal land card in many Magic: The Gathering deck strategies, known for its utility in simultaneously tapping for both green and blue mana. This versatility enables a smooth mana curve, crucial for casting spells efficiently in Simic (green/blue) decks. One of the most effective strategies to undermine a player using Breeding Pool is to target their mana base. Employing land destruction cards such as Field of Ruin can disrupt their mana flow and strategy. Another approach is to use cards like Blood Moon, which can transform Breeding Pool into a basic Mountain, denying access to blue and green mana.
Countering the hefty tempo provided by Breeding Pool can also be achieved through aggression. Applying pressure with fast creatures or employing rush tactics can outpace the advantage this dual land provides. It’s important to keep in mind the synergy Breeding Pool has with other cards such as Growth Spiral, which can further expand a player’s mana availability. A timely counter-spell or discard strategy can help manage these threats and maintain control over the game.
Ultimately, while Breeding Pool is a formidable card, tailoring your match tactics and including specific countermeasures in your deck can tip the scales in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Breeding Pool MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dissension, 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 Breeding Pool 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
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Printings
The Breeding Pool Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 7 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 72311 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | ||
| 2 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 172 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 3 | 2013-02-01 | Gatecrash | GTC | 240 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Mike Bierek | |
| 4 | 2015-10-02 | Zendikar Expeditions | EXP | 15 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 5 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance | RNA | 246 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ravenna Tran | |
| 6 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance Promos | PRNA | 246p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ravenna Tran | |
| 7 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot | ||
| 8 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 537 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Bruce Brenneise | |
| 9 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 286 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Bruce Brenneise | |
| 10 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 399z | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 11 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 275 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 12 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 293 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 13 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 399 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 14 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 275 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Yeong-Hao Han |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Breeding Pool has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Breeding Pool card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped. |
| 2018-10-05 | Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as District Guide can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set). |