Circuitous Route MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers both basic land and Gate card fetching, enhancing mana ramp and deck consistency.
  2. Enables early casting of high-cost spells and activation of land-based abilities.
  3. The card’s versatility makes it a staple in multi-color and Commander decks.

Text of card

Search your library for up to two basic land cards and/or Gate cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.

"The shortest path between two points is not always the safest." —Tamina, district guide


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Circuitous Route provides a unique opportunity to not just get any lands, but specifically to fetch two Gates or basic lands from your deck, which can be crucial for setting up powerful land-based synergies or simply ensuring you do not miss land drops.

Resource Acceleration: This card acts as an exceptional ramp spell, immediately boosting your mana resources the turn it’s played. By placing additional lands onto the battlefield, it accelerates your ability to cast high-cost cards much earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: Although Circuitous Route is a sorcery, it effectively sets you up to take full advantage of instant-speed spells in subsequent turns by providing ample mana. The significant ramp can lead to commanding board states where the mana is available for reactive plays or powerful end-of-turn effects.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Circuitous Route requires a firm commitment in your mana base with both green and white symbols, making it less flexible for multicolor decks that might be tight on these specific colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Circuitous Route can be a game-changer by ramping your lands, its four mana cost puts it on the higher side compared to other ramp options like Rampant Growth, meaning it might slow down the pace for aggressive decks seeking a quicker board presence.

Discard Requirement: While Circuitous Route doesn’t directly require a discard, it can indirectly lead to discarding later in the game. As it places lands onto the battlefield, if you have already developed a solid mana base, drawing this card can be less impactful, potentially leading to a discard during cleanup if you exceed your hand size limit.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Circuitous Route offers flexibility to any Commander or Standard deck that runs multiple colors. This card allows you to search for two basic land cards or Gate cards and put them onto the battlefield tapped, significantly ramping up your mana base and paving the way for casting high-cost spells.

Combo Potential: With Circuitous Route in your deck, the landfall triggers or other land-based synergies can be exponentially increased, giving you a formidable advantage. It’s a boon for strategies reliant on land counts, like those involving cards such as ‘Omnath, Locus of Creation’ or ‘Tatyova, Benthic Druid.’

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, having reliable mana sources remains a cornerstone of any winning strategy. Circuitous Route ensures that your deck stays consistent and competitive, especially in a meta that’s heavy with multicolored decks that can benefit from its efficient land tutoring capability.


How to beat

Circuitous Route is a renowned game-changer in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to rapidly expand their mana base by enabling them to search their library for two basic land cards or Gate cards and put them onto the battlefield. This surge in resource management can put opponents at a significant disadvantage if not addressed promptly. To effectively counter Circuitous Route, disruption is key.

Strategies to combat this include utilizing land destruction cards to keep their mana base in check. Aggressively targeting their Gates with spells like Field of Ruin can hamper their plan, as it is paramount to deny them the extra land advantage that Circuitous Route provides. Moreover, counter magic, such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto, can prevent Circuitous Route from resolving, maintaining an equal playing field in terms of resources. Lastly, since it’s a sorcery, cards with flash that allow you to play spells on your opponent’s turn can provide the tactical edge needed to keep the board under control even after they have resolved a Circuitous Route.

Ultimately, being proactive and disrupting your opponent’s strategies early on can ensure that the benefits of Circuitous Route are minimized, allowing you to maintain dominance in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of resource acceleration in MTG is crucial for achieving victory. Circuitous Route stands as a key card to unlock this potential – whether you’re searching for basic lands or the strategic Gates to catapult your mana base. For those looking to advance their gameplay, understanding the synergy and utilization of such cards is vital. We encourage all players to delve deeper into exploring the multitude of strategies Circuitous Route can enable, especially in multicolored or land-based decks. Enhance your MTG knowledge with us, and let’s embark on a journey to refine your deck and outmaneuver opponents with superior resource management.


Cards like Circuitous Route

Circuitous Route is a pivotal card for players looking to ramp up their mana in Magic: The Gathering. It stands in line with other land search cards like Explosive Vegetation, which enables a player to put two basic land cards from their deck onto the battlefield. What makes Circuitous Route unique is its flexibility, allowing players to search for Gate cards instead of just basic lands, potentially unlocking synergies within a Gate-centric deck.

Another card that echoes a similar mana acceleration is Skyshroud Claim. Though Skyshroud Claim is confined to fetching Forest cards, it places them onto the battlefield untapped, offering an immediate advantage. While Skyshroud Claim caters to a quicker pace of play, Circuitous Route provides a broader range of deck-building adaptations with its dual land searching ability. Cultivate is also part of this discussion; it costs less and provides an immediate land drop plus an additional land in hand, but lacks the power of placing two lands directly into play as Circuitous Route does.

Ultimately, Circuitous Route shines in its unique balance between mana ramping and deck versatility. In the landscape of land-accelerating strategies in Magic: The Gathering, this card is a strong contender for its gateway to multi-color availability and potential for pivotal plays.

Explosive Vegetation - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Claim - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions
Explosive Vegetation - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Claim - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Circuitous Route MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Zendikar Rising Commander, 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 Circuitous Route and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Circuitous Route Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Milivoj Ćeran.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 1252015NormalBlackMilivoj Ćeran
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 622015NormalBlackMilivoj Ćeran

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Circuitous Route has restrictions

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

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