Homeward Path MTG Card
2011-06-17 - Number 277
2013-11-01 - Number 295
2015-11-18 - Number 141
2016-11-11 - Number 301
2017-01-01 - Number 4
2023-06-23 - Number 365
2023-06-23 - Number 395
2023-06-23 - Number 395z
2019-12-02 - Number 1467
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Each player gains control of all creatures he or she owns.
"Let your heels point you home." —Ancient blessing
Cards like Homeward Path
Homeward Path holds a unique position among land cards in Magic: The Gathering, standing out with its ability to regain control of all creatures that you own. This effect makes it akin to cards like Brand, which also returns control of your cards, though Brand is limited to cards in other categories. Yet, Homeward Path offers this power from a land, giving it a distinct advantage due to its permanence on the battlefield and not requiring mana to be held up for its activating ability.
Conversely, Gruul Charm offers a similar yet situational effect, giving you temporary control of all permanents you own for a singular turn, which contrasts with Homeward Path’s lasting control effect. Despite different card types, Brooding Saurian serves a comparable role, automatically reverting ownership of your creatures during each end step, which ensures a similar, although continual and passive, protection against control-changing effects.
Assessing these options, Homeward Path’s capacity to consistently safeguard your creatures carves a notable niche within MTG, offering a powerful and reliable way to counteract theft-based strategies, enhancing its strategic value in player decks that prize creature ownership stability.
Cards similar to Homeward Path by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Homeward Path. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Gruul Cloudpost | Legacy | Green Cloudpost | Legacy League 2024-03-28 |
| Mono-Green Cloudpost | Legacy | Green Cloudpost | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-01-13 |
| Green 12-Post | Legacy | Green Cloudpost | Untap.in Open League |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Homeward Path offers a unique form of card advantage by safeguarding your board presence. It ensures that control of your creatures stays with you, thwarting any strategies focusing on stealing them. This effect guarantees a persistent advantage in creature-heavy matchups.
Resource Acceleration: While Homeward Path doesn’t directly accelerate your mana resources, it is a land card that taps for colorless mana without entering the battlefield tapped. This makes it a seamless addition to your mana base, capable of impacting the game without slowing down your development.
Instant Speed: The ability of Homeward Path to be activated at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility and surprise. It allows you to wait until the last possible moment before regaining control of your creatures, potentially disrupting your opponent’s calculations and turning the tides in combats or in response to direct control spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Homeward Path offers a unique ability to regain control of your creatures, it does not come without its drawbacks. One of these is that to activate its ability, you often need to make a significant sacrifice, such as discarding a card. This can put you at a disadvantage, especially when you’re in a position where your hand size is crucial to maintaining control of the game.
Specific Mana Cost: Homeward Path requires a specific mana investment to utilize its ability. This colorless mana cost can sometimes be restrictive or difficult to manage, particularly in multi-colored decks that may prioritize mana for other spells or abilities. As such, incorporating Homeward Path into your deck requires careful consideration of your mana base to ensure it doesn’t negatively impact your ability to play other cards.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the activation of Homeward Path’s ability requiring a lump sum of mana, its cost is comparatively high in the context of the game’s economy. While the ability it confers is powerful, players may find that they are unable to use the land’s ability when needed due to other mana demands, or they might prefer to allocate resources to more immediate threats or opportunities in the course of a match.
Reasons to Include Homeward Path in Your Collection
Versatility: Homeward Path offers a unique ability that is useful in a wide range of decks, particularly those facing control strategies that might take possession of your creatures. It serves as a safeguard, allowing you to reclaim ownership of your creatures at any time.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key component in combos that involve temporarily giving away control of a creature to disrupt your opponent’s plans. Its presence on the battlefield can deter opponents from attempting to seize your creatures, effectively disrupting their strategy.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where threats of permanent control are prevalent, Homeward Path secures a spot in sideboards or even main decks. It’s especially relevant in metas with a high incidence of theft effects or where “borrowing” creatures is a common tactic.
How to beat
Homeward Path is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering that acts as a powerful countermeasure against strategies that involve taking control of your creatures. Its ability to return all creatures to their original owners with just a tap can be a game-changer, especially when facing theft-based decks.
Defeating a card like Homeward Path involves a strategy that doesn’t rely heavily on control magic or temporary creature theft. Instead, focus on removal spells that eliminate threats permanently or tactics that apply pressure without exchanging creature ownership, such as creating a wide board presence or stacking enhancements on your creatures. It may also be beneficial to employ land destruction or denial strategies to prevent Homeward Path from ever being activated. Additionally, playing cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to use activated abilities could neutralize Homeward Path’s effect, securing your dominance on the battlefield.
Understanding Homeward Path’s capabilities is crucial in navigating a match with it on the field. By adapting your strategy, not only can you mitigate its impact, but also lead your own path to victory in your Magic: The Gathering games.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Homeward Path MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2011 and Commander 2013, 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 Homeward Path 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 Homeward Path Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2011-06-17 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 277 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 2 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 295 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 3 | 2015-11-18 | Legendary Cube Prize Pack | PZ1 | 141 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 4 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 301 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 5 | 2017-01-01 | Judge Gift Cards 2017 | J17 | 4 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 6 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1467 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Jesse LeDoux | ||
| 7 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 365 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Erikas Perl | |
| 8 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 395 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Erikas Perl | |
| 9 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 395z | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Erikas Perl |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Homeward Path has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Homeward Path card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-09-22 | The owner of a card is the player who started the game with that card in their deck. |
| 2011-09-22 | The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield. |