Glaciers MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1995-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ice Age |
| Set code | ICE |
| Number | 294 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Mark Tedin |
Text of card
During your upkeep, pay o Wo U or destroy Glaciers. All mountains become plains.
"Even the highest mountain can be ground to dust." —Lucilde Fiksdotter, Leader of the Order of the White Shield
Cards like Glaciers
Glaciers is a unique card in the realm of land manipulation within Magic: The Gathering. Its ability closely mirrors cards such as Thawing Glaciers, which also allows for the gradual fetching of basic land cards. However, Glaciers distinguishes itself by possibly altering the course of a match with its cumulative upkeep cost. Unlike Thawing Glaciers, which returns to your hand at the end of turn, Glaciers remains on the battlefield, continually impacting your land resources.
Considering cards like Into the North serve the same purpose of fetching a snow land, Glaciers extends the ability to search for a land each turn as long as the cumulative upkeep is met. Into the North, although more cost-efficient, is a one-time use. Another counterpart, Explosive Vegetation, accelerates the land fetching by bringing two lands onto the battlefield at once. Yet, it does not offer the prolonged advantage of Glaciers’ recurring ability.
When analyzing the potential of Glaciers against similar MTG card options, its unique cumulative upkeep ability provides a consistent land advantage that can be crucial in long-drawn matches, setting it apart as an enduring resource accelerator.
Cards similar to Glaciers by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Glaciers is a powerful tool in the world of Magic, providing its controller with a relentless stream of land cards from their library to their hand. This ability ensures the player has a consistent advancement in resources, making it a valuable piece of any deck that prioritizes landfall strategies or needs to secure land drops each turn.
Resource Acceleration: By allowing its user to place an additional land into play during their upkeep, Glaciers acts as a form of resource acceleration. It’s particularly synergistic with decks that benefit from having numerous lands on the field, propelling you ahead of your competition by ramping up your mana availability efficiently.
Instant Speed: While the card itself may not be an instant, it has a lasting impact on the game that is akin to the advantages provided by instant-speed interaction. The continuous effect of Glaciers allows a player to circumvent traditional sorcery-speed limitations associated with land play, adding a subtle layer of tactical advantage over opponents who are unable to match this heightened pace of development.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When playing Glaciers, you encounter a strategic setback, requiring the user to part with a card from their hand. In game situations where your hand is already depleted, this demand can be particularly taxing, leaving you at a disadvantage when you need to maintain options.
Specific Mana Cost: Glaciers’ unique mana cost creates a deck-building constraint, making it a less flexible choice for a diverse mana base. If your deck isn’t tailored to accommodate this card’s specific needs, integrating Glaciers effectively can be challenging.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Glaciers might offer the tantalizing promise of controlling the battlefield, it comes with a mana value that’s on the higher end. There are instances where this cost is not justified by the card’s impact on the game, especially when compared to other cards with similar effects but lower mana requirements.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Glaciers offers flexibility in land management, ensuring you have the mana resources required for key plays. This elemental flexibility can be critical in formats with a slower pace or where land destruction features prominently.
Combo Potential: By gradually increasing your land count, Glaciers sets the stage for devastating late-game spells or powers up landfall abilities. It can be the linchpin in a deck built around ramping up to overpowering plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where controlling the flow of resources is paramount, Glaciers can give you the upper hand. It’s about ensuring steady growth in a meta where setting the tempo can lead to victory. For players facing decks that disrupt mana bases, Glaciers can provide the durability your deck needs.
How to beat
Glaciers is a unique card that significantly alters land dynamics in MTG. As a card that allows players to search their library for a snow land and put it into play tapped, it sets the stage for a powerful mana ramp strategy—particularly in decks built around snow-covered lands and synergistic snow spells. However, like any formidable card, Glaciers has its vulnerabilities.
To effectively counter Glaciers, consider using land destruction or denial strategies that can disrupt this type of mana acceleration. Playing cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin lets you target the key snow lands that Glaciers fetches. Applying pressure early on with aggressive creatures or strategies can prevent the Glaciers user from stabilizing and taking advantage of the mana gained. Moreover, keeping a Counterspell at the ready for when Glaciers is activated ensures that your opponent’s tempo is hindered, preventing the snowball effect that this card can create. Recognizing the critical moment to disrupt the sequencing of a Glaciers play is essential in maintaining control of the game.
Ultimately, although Glaciers provides a robust mechanic for land manipulation, a prepared player with the right counters, removal, and strategy can navigate this challenge and preserve their winning edge.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Glaciers MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Glaciers 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Glaciers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |