Inexorable Tide MTG Card


Inexorable Tide grants a consistent edge by proliferating counters, enhancing board state without needing extra cards. It accelerates resources, boosting loyalty and charge counters on planeswalkers and artifacts with every spell cast. The card adds strategic depth, multiplying the impact of your instants, and preparing your board for future turns.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Proliferate

Text of card

Whenever you cast a spell, proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.)

"See how gratefully this world accepts our blessings." —Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur


Cards like Inexorable Tide

Inexorable Tide stands unique in the pantheon of proliferate abilities within Magic: The Gathering. It shares a conceptual kinship with Contagion Engine, another card that offers proliferate, but Inexorable Tide applies this effect more broadly with each spell cast, as opposed to Contagion Engine’s activation requirement. While the Engine targets players and grants an immediate double proliferate use, the Tide’s strength lies in its consistent, turn-by-turn value.

Moving forward, Tezzeret’s Gambit also proliferates, yet diverges in its one-time effect upon casting. Tezzeret’s Gambit grants card draw alongside the proliferate ability, which can offer vital deck acceleration, but it doesn’t match the ongoing effect of Inexorable Tide. Then there is Thrummingbird, a creature that proliferates upon dealing combat damage. Its potential for multiple proliferate triggers is dependent on player strategy and a clear path to the opponent, a contrast to the Tide’s non-conditional, automatic triggers.

Considering the mechanics and potential impact on the game, Inexorable Tide carves out a significant niche. Its ability to scale and shift the balance of power each turn without additional cost or conditions makes it a formidable card for players looking to maintain steady pressure and growth in their matches.

Contagion Engine - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Gambit - MTG Card versions
Thrummingbird - MTG Card versions
Contagion Engine - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Gambit - MTG Card versions
Thrummingbird - MTG Card versions

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Heightened Awareness - MTG Card versions
Sunken Hope - MTG Card versions
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Telekinetic Bonds - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Inexorable Tide ensures every spell you cast equates to additional power on the board by proliferating all of your permanents with counters. This consistent incremental advantage allows you to escalate your influence on the game without needing to draw extra cards.

Resource Acceleration: With each cast, Inexorable Tide can potentially ramp up your resources by increasing loyalty counters on planeswalkers or charge counters on artifacts, thereby accelerating your game plan and pushing you towards victory more rapidly.

Instant Speed: While Inexorable Tide doesn’t function at instant speed itself, it amplifies the value of your instants and any other spells by triggering proliferate. Therefore, each instant you cast not only addresses immediate threats but also strategically prepares your board for future turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Inexorable Tide does not have a discard requirement, players must be keenly aware of hand management. Holding onto key proliferate targets is vital for maximizing its potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a precise blend of two blue and three generic mana, Inexorable Tide demands a commitment to blue mana sources, potentially filtering out decks not heavily invested in blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a five-mana investment, some may find Inexorable Tide’s static ability less appealing when other lower-cost cards can initiate or mimic the proliferate effect, albeit not as consistently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Inexorable Tide is a flexible addition to any deck that looks to amplify proliferation. This card easily integrates with strategies based on counters, whether they’re +1/+1, loyalty, or even poison counters, making it a superior card to escalate your board state.

Combo Potential: By utilizing this card’s ability to proliferate with every spell you cast, it becomes a key component in combos that revolve around permanents with counters. Notably, it synergizes well with planeswalkers or cards with charge counters to potentially accelerate victory.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where counter strategies are prevalent, Inexorable Tide commands a significant presence. Given its capacity to consistently spread counters across your permanents, it can adapt and thrive against various competitive decks, ensuring its lasting relevance in the format.


How to Beat Inexorable Tide

Inexorable Tide is a powerful enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that proliferates whenever a player casts a spell, which can exponentially increase counters across the board. Dealing with this card effectively is a must for players looking to maintain control of the game. To counteract Inexorable Tide, one should consider either targeted enchantment removal or counterspells to prevent it from hitting the battlefield in the first place.

Direct removal spells such as Naturalize or Disenchant can be highly effective, efficiently stripping the problematic enchantment away from the opponent’s arsenal. Counterspells like Cancel or Negate are also efficient tools, nipping the problem in the bud by ensuring Inexorable Tide never resolves. Additionally, due to its five mana cost, early aggression to pressure mana bases and keep the opponent off their game plan is a sound strategy. By disrupting their setup, you can prevent them from fully utilizing the value Inexorable Tide provides.

Overall, staying ahead of the Tide means preparing for it in your deckbuilding phase and responding swiftly in the game. With the right spells and strategy, keeping this rising tide at bay is certainly possible for seasoned Magic: The Gathering players.


BurnMana Recommendations

As MTG aficionados continue to explore the depths and complexities of each card, Inexorable Tide stands out as a formidable force in decks centered around counters. With its ability to turn every spell cast into a tide of proliferating power, it can significantly tip the scales of the battlefield. If you’re looking to capitalize on strategies that revolve around counters and want to give your deck a competitive edge, including Inexorable Tide could prove to be a crafty move. Craving more insights on how to incorporate this enchanting card into your arsenal and optimize your gameplay? We’re here to guide you through the intricacies of building a deck that not only competes but consistently conquers. Delve deeper with us to ensure Inexorable Tide surges in your favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Inexorable Tide MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Inexorable Tide and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Inexorable Tide Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 352003NormalBlackDave Kendall
22015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 492015NormalBlackDave Kendall
32020-03-12Historic Anthology 2HA2 62015NormalBlackDave Kendall
42024-03-08FalloutPIP 1772015NormalBlackJames Bousema
52024-03-08FalloutPIP 9882015NormalBlackJames Bousema
62024-03-08FalloutPIP 7052015NormalBlackJames Bousema
72024-03-08FalloutPIP 4602015NormalBlackJames Bousema

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Inexorable Tide has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2011-01-01 Players can respond to the spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it’s too late for anyone to respond.
2011-01-01 Whenever you cast a spell, Inexorable Tide’s ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of it. It will resolve (and you’ll proliferate) before the spell resolves.
2011-01-01 You can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can’t choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them, such as suspended cards or a Lightning Storm on the stack.
2011-01-01 You can choose any player that has a counter, including yourself.
2011-01-01 You don’t have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since “any number” includes zero, you don’t have to choose any permanents at all, and you don’t have to choose any players at all.