Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway MTG Card
2020-05-29 - Number 15
2020-09-25 - Number 286
2020-09-25 - Number 260s
2020-09-25 - Number 260
2023-05-08 - Number 66
2002-06-24 - Number 83858
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add .
Cards like Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
Clearwater Pathway stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a versatile land card, able to swap between two mana types at no additional cost. It bears semblance to the check lands like Drowned Catacomb, although Clearwater Pathway has the edge of not entering the battlefield tapped under any conditions. This ensures that players have immediate access to the mana they need without delay.
Continuing the comparison, we can’t overlook the modal dual-faced card nature of Clearwater Pathway, which mirrors the flexibility found in cards like Hengegate Pathway. Similarly, Hengegate Pathway allows a player to choose between two mana types, enhancing strategic depth. However, Hengegate Pathway offers access to different colors of mana, demonstrating the wide array of mana flexibility present within modal dual-faced cards.
Another card with a kinship in versatility is Temple of Epiphany. While it also provides mana of two different colors, it comes with the downside of always entering the battlefield tapped, though it compensates with a scry ability. Assessing the options side by side, Clearwater Pathway is particularly potent in decks that require an unfaltering pace of play.
Cards similar to Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Unlike traditional dual lands, Clearwater Pathway offers the advantage of flexibility in mana usage without the downside of entering the battlefield tapped. This ensures players maintain momentum in casting spells without delay.
Resource Acceleration: The unique modal double-faced nature of Clearwater Pathway provides a choice of casting it as either a blue or black mana source. This capacity for mana flexibility acts as resource acceleration by smoothing out mana curves and aiding in casting multi-colored spells more efficiently.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, having an untapped land upon entry allows players to keep options open. Players can react at instant speed with other spells in hand, giving them the upper hand during the swift unfolding of gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although the Clearwater Pathway doesn’t require a discard itself, transforming it from a land card into potential mana resources doesn’t provide card advantage, unlike some dual lands that offer additional effects or conditions that could complement your hand’s strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: As a modal double-faced card, Clearwater Pathway is restricted to generating either blue or black mana. This specificity can be limiting in multicolored decks that require a more diverse mana pool or in situations where having access to both colors simultaneously is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Clearwater Pathway doesn’t have a mana cost, its potential downside lies in its opportunity cost. In decks where land drops are critical, dedicating a land slot to a card that provides color fixing without an immediate additional benefit may not be as cost-effective compared to runs or lands with intrinsic abilities beyond mana generation.
Reasons to Include Clearwater Pathway in Your Collection
Versatility: Clearwater Pathway provides unique flexibility as a land card that can tap for two types of mana, blue or black. Ideal for dual-color decks, it ensures a smooth mana curve without entering the battlefield tapped.
Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal for setting up combos or activating abilities by providing the necessary mana at a crucial time. It seamlessly supports strategies that hinge on a strong mana base.
Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing MTG landscape, having adaptable mana sources like Clearwater Pathway can give players an edge. It supports a myriad of decks and strategies, maintaining its relevance in various meta-game shifts.
How to beat
Clearwater Pathway is a versatile land card in Magic: The Gathering that can add a degree of flexibility to any player’s mana base. Being a dual-faced card, it allows players to choose between two types of mana, giving an edge in games where color fixing is crucial. Despite this utility, there are tactics to counteract the benefits Clearwater Pathway provides.
One effective strategy is land disruption. Implementing cards that can destroy or alter an opponent’s land can significantly hinder their mana strategy, and this applies to the Pathway as well. Employing cards like Ghost Quarter to destroy the Pathway, or Field of Ruin that forces the controller to search for an alternative basic land, can disrupt their game plan. Additionally, utilizing counter spells aimed at non-creature spells can mitigate the impact of the optional flip side of the Pathway, keeping your opponent’s mana restricted to one color.
Ultimately, while Clearwater Pathway brings undeniable mana flexibility to a deck, addressing it requires a combination of land destruction and strategic countering. This approach ensures that the advantage provided by this dual-faced card is minimized, leaving your opponent with tougher decisions and a potentially less reliable mana base.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition, 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 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2020-05-29 and 2023-05-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 83858 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Johannes Voss | ||
| 2 | 2020-05-29 | Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition | SLU | 15 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Borderless | Alayna Danner | |
| 3 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 286 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Borderless | Johannes Voss | |
| 4 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Promos | PZNR | 260s | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Daarken | |
| 5 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 260 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Daarken | |
| 6 | 2023-05-08 | From Cute to Brute | PCTB | 66 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Daarken |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name. |
| 2020-09-25 | If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. |
| 2020-09-25 | In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. |
| 2020-09-25 | The mana value of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the mana value of a transforming double-faced card is determined. |
| 2020-09-25 | There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics. |