Collapsing Borders MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Abilities	Domain
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	141
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Glen Angus

Key Takeaways

Instant speed and card advantage make Collapsing Borders a strategic asset in prolonged MTG matches.
The demand for specific mana and card discard can challenge deck fluidity and hand resources.
This card’s unique effects offer powerful combo potential and metagame relevance against diverse mana bases.

Text of card

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player gains 1 life for each basic land type among lands he or she controls. Then Collapsing Borders deals 3 damage to him or her.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Collapsing Borders presents an opportunity to continually gain access to more cards each turn, providing the crucial edge needed to outmaneuver opponents in longer games.

Resource Acceleration: This card can serve as a catalyst for ramping up your resources. By altering mana costs or creating openings for additional plays, it accelerates your game plan, allowing you to deploy threats or answers ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Collapsing Borders at instant speed gives you the tactical advantage of flexibility. React to an evolving battlefield or capitalize on windows of opportunity as they arise, making it a versatile tool in any strategic arsenal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Collapsing Borders necessitates discarding a card, which may deplete your hand when you least afford it. This effect, especially in the mid to late game, can leave players at a tactical disadvantage, weakening their ability to respond to opponents’ threats effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a dedicated mana requirement, this card demands a precise selection of mana sources. Decks that rely on a variety of colors might struggle to consistently meet the casting conditions, potentially making Collapsing Borders a cumbersome addition to an otherwise fluid mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Collapsing Borders is significant when considering alternative plays. Given its cost, players must weigh the benefits against other valuable options within the same mana range, which might offer more immediate or impactful results on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Collapsing Borders offers a unique flexibility as it affects each player, shaping the game irrespective of the color identity of your deck. Its universal impact on mana bases can be leveraged in diverse strategies, from control to multicolor shenanigans.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse in combinations with effects that punish players for each land they control or each land entering the battlefield. It’s essential for decks that capitalize on landfall triggers or punish opponents for their mana resources.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta heavy with multicolored decks, Collapsing Borders gains significance. It acts as a tool to level the playing field against greedy mana bases and encourages a more cautious approach to land deployment, potentially shaking up the local and broader tournament scenes.

How to beat

Collapsing Borders presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, stirring the dynamics of land-based strategies in Magic the Gathering. This intriguing enchantment alters the status quo by dealing damage to players based on the number of different basic land types they control. Overcoming this card requires a strategic approach to land management and deck composition. One effective tactic is to streamline your deck to include fewer basic land types, minimizing the damage incurred from the enchantment’s effect.

In addition, utilizing lands that don’t fall under the basic land types, such as dual lands or utility lands, can mitigate the impact of Collapsing Borders. Instant-speed land destruction or enchantment removal cards are also valuable tools, offering a direct counter by removing the threat from the field as soon as it appears. Prioritizing the inclusion of such answers in your deck can turn the tables, transforming a potential vulnerability into a triumph against opponents banking on land-based disruption.

Adapting to this enchantment’s presence in a match means staying ahead with robust land play techniques and keeping a keen eye on your mana base to ensure it doesn’t become your downfall.

Cards like Collapsing Borders

Collapsing Borders is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering that shares some thematic and functional similarities with other area-of-effect cards. It resembles cards like Blood Moon that disrupt the mana base by transforming nonbasic lands. Collapsing Borders adds a unique twist by dealing damage to players based on the number of different basic lands they control. This effect can significantly change the tide of a game, similar to how Blood Moon can.

Also akin to Collapsing Borders is Ankh of Mishra, a card that punishes players for land plays. However, instead of dealing damage based on land types, Ankh of Mishra deals a flat two damage whenever a land enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control – independent from the land’s type. While Ankh of Mishra gives a steadier rate of damage, Collapsing Borders can potentially deal more since it calculates damage each turn per the land diversity.

Given these comparisons, it’s clear that while Collapsing Borders isn’t alone in its ability to manipulate and penalize players through their land plays, it offers a distinct approach in MTG. The card stands out as a potentially potent option in games where opponents rely on a variety of basic lands.

Cards similar to Collapsing Borders by color, type and mana cost

Uncontrollable Anger - MTG Card versions

Purphoros, God of the Forge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Collapsing Borders MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Collapsing Borders and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Collapsing Borders has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-03-19	Domain abilities count the number of basic land types among lands you control, not how many lands you control or how many of any type.
2021-03-19	The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. Land types other than basic land types (such as Desert) don’t contribute to domain abilities.