Geier Reach Sanitarium MTG Card


Optimizes hand by enabling players to draw and discard, helping strategies that use the graveyard. Instant speed activation allows for surprise plays and increased turn-by-turn tactical depth. While offering card advantage, it could also unintentionally benefit the opponent.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Land

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool. , : Each player draws a card, then discards a card.

All are welcome.


Cards like Geier Reach Sanitarium

Geier Reach Sanitarium stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique utility land with the ability to impact both your and your opponent’s hand. Like Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, which permits each player to draw a card, Geier Reach Sanitarium also offers the potential for card draw; however, it incorporates a discard effect. Each player must discard a card which adds a dimension of strategy and can be exploited to your advantage if you’re adept at utilizing your graveyard.

Another land with a parallel purpose is Nephalia Drownyard, which targets an opponent’s library for milling. It doesn’t provide card draw, but it’s a compelling option for decks dedicated to depleting the opponent’s library. When compared to Geier Reach Sanitarium, the choice of land might hinge on synergy with your deck’s overarching strategy and win conditions.

In summary, while Geier Reach Sanitarium may not fit every deck archetype, it carves a niche within MTG as a land card offering both players card draw with the twist of a forced discard, presenting intriguing tactical decisions, and graveyard shenanigans.

Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Nephalia Drownyard - MTG Card versions
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Nephalia Drownyard - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Geier Reach Sanitarium by color, type and mana cost

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Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions
Maze of Ith - MTG Card versions
Cathedral of Serra - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Factory - MTG Card versions
Bad River - MTG Card versions
Griffin Canyon - MTG Card versions
Ice Floe - MTG Card versions
Ghost Town - MTG Card versions
Urza's Mine - MTG Card versions
Hall of Tagsin - MTG Card versions
City of Brass - MTG Card versions
Bloodstained Mire - MTG Card versions
Zoetic Cavern - MTG Card versions
Grixis Panorama - MTG Card versions
Rupture Spire - MTG Card versions
Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Edge - MTG Card versions
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions
Buried Ruin - MTG Card versions
Wasteland - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions
Maze of Ith - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Azorius ControlAzorius Control PioneerAzorius ControlPioneer League 2024-05-08
Esper ControlEsper Control ModernEsper ControlModern League 2024-05-08
Mono-Black DiscardMono-Black Discard PioneerMono-Black DiscardPioneer Preliminary 2024-05-08
Rakdos MidrangeRakdos Midrange PioneerRakdos MidrangePioneer League 2024-05-09

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Geier Reach Sanitarium facilitates card selection by enabling players to draw and then discard a card. This effect can benefit decks that thrive on filling their graveyard with valuable resources while also refreshing their hand.

Resource Acceleration: This utility land doesn’t tap for colored mana; however, it can accelerate strategic play by readily transforming excess or dead cards into new options, ensuring that every card in your hand can contribute to your game plan.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Geier Reach Sanitarium at instant speed gives players the flexibility to use it during the opponent’s end step or in response to actions, maintaining the element of surprise and allowing for more strategic depth during each turn cycle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The ability of Geier Reach Sanitarium mandates both players to discard a card, which could potentially give your opponent an unintended advantage or disrupt your own hand if you’re not equipped to capitalize on the discard.

Specific Mana Cost: Activation of this land’s ability requires one colorless and one generic mana, which can be a minor nuisance in a multi-colored mana base, especially in early game scenarios where every mana counts.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For decks aiming at optimal mana curve efficiency, the cumulative cost of playing and activating Geier Reach Sanitarium can be a setback since it could divert resources from deploying more impactful spells or creatures timely.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Geier Reach Sanitarium offers a unique utility in being both a land and a source of card advantage. It seamlessly integrates into strategies that thrive on discard or draw mechanics, making it a valuable addition to various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse when combined with effects that punish opponents for discarding or draw additional cards. It provides a consistent way to enable madness or graveyard synergies, maximizing your strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-evolving meta, Geier Reach Sanitarium remains a relevant choice in formats where controlling opponents’ hand sizes and graveyard interaction are key. It serves as both a tactical tool for disruption and a means to fuel your own game plan.


How to beat

Geier Reach Sanitarium’s unique ability to both draw and discard cards can create pivotal moments in a match, offering a blend of utility and disruption. This flexibility can prove challenging to face off against, particularly because it allows your opponent to sift through their deck while potentially discarding cards that benefit them from the graveyard. However, countering Geier Reach Sanitarium’s impact often comes down to targeted land destruction or using cards that punish discards.

Strategies to mitigate the Sanitarium’s influence include employing cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin which can outright destroy the troublesome land. Additionally, running graveyard hate such as Rest in Peace can nullify the advantages gained by your opponent from the discard ability. By keeping pressure through these means, the asymmetric edge that Geier Reach Sanitarium provides can be significantly dulled, maintaining balance in the face of this crafty utility land.

Remember that timing and resource management are key when planning to dismantle the utilities of such a card. Proper use of disruptive spells ensures that your opponent never fully leverages the advantage offered by the Sanitarium, keeping the game in your favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Geier Reach Sanitarium MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Eldritch Moon Promos, 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 Geier Reach Sanitarium and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Geier Reach Sanitarium Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 2032015NormalBlackCliff Childs
22016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 203s2015NormalBlackCliff Childs
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2462015NormalBlackCliff Childs
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 14082015NormalBorderlessRyan Quickfall
52021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2412015NormalBlackCliff Childs
62022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 2132015NormalBlackCliff Childs
72023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 2702015NormalBlackCliff Childs
82023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 10002015NormalBlackCliff Childs
92023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 3352015NormalBlackCliff Childs

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Geier Reach Sanitarium has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-07-13 If more than one player discards a card with madness simultaneously, the player whose turn it is puts their madness abilities onto the stack first, then each other player does the same in turn order. The last one put onto the stack resolves first, and a spell cast this way will resolve before resolving the next madness ability.
2016-07-13 When you activate Geier Reach Sanitarium's last ability, first each player draws a card. Then the player whose turn it is selects a card from their hand and sets it aside without revealing it; proceeding in turn order, each other player does the same. Then the cards that were set aside are discarded at once.