Jwar Isle Refuge MTG Card


Provides consistent mana for blue and black decks, aiding in effective spellcasting and strategy execution. Its entry tapped presents a potential tempo loss, requiring strategic planning to mitigate this drawback. Strategic inclusion in decks can leverage its life gain benefits, enhancing long-term survivability in games.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand

Text of card

Jwar Isle Refuge enters the battlefield tapped. When Jwar Isle Refuge enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life. : Add or to your mana pool.


Cards like Jwar Isle Refuge

Jwar Isle Refuge is a distinct land card that fortifies a player’s mana base in Magic: The Gathering. Standing next to other dual lands such as Azorius Chancery, which also provides two types of mana, Jwar Isle Refuge brings the added value of gaining life. Unlike Azorius Chancery, Jwar Isle Refuge doesn’t return a land to your hand and can be an easier fit in a deck that wants to avoid bouncing lands back.

Comparing it to Sejiri Refuge, another land that offers life gain and dual mana, Jwar Isle Refuge has a similar functionality. However, it covers different colors in the mana spectrum. The life gain aspect of both cards is an added cushion that can be crucial in close games. Additionally, there’s Dismal Backwater which also gains you life and taps for two colors, but it’s for the blue and black combinations, offering a different strategic bend based on a player’s deck focus.

Overall, while many dual lands exist in Magic: The Gathering, Jwar Isle Refuge aligns itself with those that provide slight life boosts, positioning it as a potentially advantageous choice for decks that benefit from its specific color combination and incremental life gain.

Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Sejiri Refuge - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Sejiri Refuge - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Jwar Isle Refuge by color, type and mana cost

Underground Sea - MTG Card versions
River Delta - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Salt Marsh - MTG Card versions
Dimir Aqueduct - MTG Card versions
Temple of Deceit - MTG Card versions
Watery Grave - MTG Card versions
Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway - MTG Card versions
Darkwater Catacombs - MTG Card versions
Dreadship Reef - MTG Card versions
Secluded Glen - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Darkslick Shores - MTG Card versions
Tainted Isle - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Depths - MTG Card versions
Sunken Hollow - MTG Card versions
Submerged Boneyard - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Choked Estuary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Underground Sea - MTG Card versions
River Delta - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Salt Marsh - MTG Card versions
Dimir Aqueduct - MTG Card versions
Temple of Deceit - MTG Card versions
Watery Grave - MTG Card versions
Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway - MTG Card versions
Darkwater Catacombs - MTG Card versions
Dreadship Reef - MTG Card versions
Secluded Glen - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Darkslick Shores - MTG Card versions
Tainted Isle - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Depths - MTG Card versions
Sunken Hollow - MTG Card versions
Submerged Boneyard - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Choked Estuary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Guildgate - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Jwar Isle Refuge can bolster your strategic position by ensuring land drops are consistent, paving the way for smoother gameplay and the ability to deploy your hand more effectively.

Resource Acceleration: This land taps for two types of mana, which can be crucial for decks that need a diverse mana base to cast a variety of spells early on.

Instant Speed: While Jwar Isle Refuge enters the battlefield tapped and doesn’t have an instant speed ability, its very presence can be considered a form of indirect resource acceleration that maintains momentum, allowing you to keep up with opponents playing at a faster pace.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Jwar Isle Refuge is that it enters the battlefield tapped, which can be equated to a discard requirement in the sense that it’s a tempo loss, delaying immediate use of that mana source when you most need it.

Specific Mana Cost: Built to produce either blue or black mana, Jwar Isle Refuge requires a deck tailored to accommodate these mana specifics, which potentially restricts its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Jwar Isle Refuge doesn’t have a mana cost itself, as land, it has a comparable tempo cost since it enters play tapped. In faster-paced games, having access to mana immediately can be critical, making other untapped land options potentially more attractive.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Jwar Isle Refuge offers a flexible mana base for any deck relying on blue and black mana. Its ability to come into play tapped and provide an immediate life gain is beneficial for stabilizing early game health.

Combo Potential: This dual land is particularly useful in strategies that capitalize on landfall triggers or synergize with life gain mechanics, integrating smoothly into combos that require precise mana fixing.

Meta-Relevance: Within a meta that favors multicolored decks or long, drawn-out matches, the consistent mana supply and slight life boost from Jwar Isle Refuge can provide the edge needed to outlast opponents.


How to beat

Jwar Isle Refuge serves as a dual-land card in Magic: The Gathering, offering mana fixing with an added value of gaining 1 life upon entering the battlefield. This card is useful in multicolored decks for smooth mana curve transitions. However, its entry as a tapped land opens a window for opponents to capitalize on its timing.

To outpace an opponent using Jwar Isle Refuge, ensure to apply pressure early in the game. Aggressive decks can benefit from the one-turn delay, pushing forward with swift creatures or direct damage spells before the Refuge can be utilized. Utilizing land destruction or land bounce cards may also disrupt your opponent’s mana base, especially if they rely heavily on such dual lands. Leverage fast plays and maintain a tempo that outstrips the slow advantage Jwar Isle Refuge provides.

Moreover, consider cards that penalize life gain strategies, which will nullify the incremental advantage gained from Jwar Isle Refuge and similar life-giving lands. By keeping these strategies in mind, you can negate the benefits Jwar Isle Refuge brings to your opponent’s deck and maintain the upper hand throughout the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Jwar Isle Refuge MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Commander 2011, 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 Jwar Isle Refuge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Jwar Isle Refuge Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Cyril Van Der Haegen.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 2152003NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2792003NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
32012-06-01Planechase 2012PC2 1202003NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
42013-11-01Commander 2013C13 3002003NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
52016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 1202015NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
62017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2582015NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
72018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2562015NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
82018-08-09Commander 2018C18 2602015NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen
92020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 1332015NormalBlackCyril Van Der Haegen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Jwar Isle Refuge has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal