Tidal Bore MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Number	109
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Frank Kelly Freas

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage by potentially initiating additional attacks and disrupting opponent strategies.
Acts as resource acceleration by untapping mana-producing creatures for immediate effect.
Instant speed allows for flexible and reactive plays, enhancing strategic depth.

Text of card

You may return an island you control to its owner's hand instead of paying Tidal Bore's mana cost. Tap or untap target creature.

The dry riverbed became a raging torrent, and the Cho-Arrim claimed their prize.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tidal Bore excels at enabling card advantage by allowing a creature to potentially avoid unfavorable blocks or by enabling a second combat phase during your turn. This can lead to drawing extra cards through various means such as attack triggers or can disrupt your opponent’s strategy allowing you to capitalize on their unsettled board state.

Resource Acceleration: In games where timing is critical, Tidal Bore can act as a form of resource acceleration. By untapping a creature that generates mana, you can effectively increase the resources at your disposal, allowing for more flexibility and the ability to cast additional spells or activate abilities within the same turn.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed cannot be overstated with Tidal Bore. This flexibility allows players to adapt to changing game states, react to opponent’s actions, or simply create advantageous scenarios at the most opportune times, such as during the combat phase or at the end of an opponent’s turn, without committing to a specific course of action too early.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Tidal Bore card forces the player to discard a card upon casting. This can carry a downside when hand size is crucial for maintaining your strategic edge and resource availability.

Specific Mana Cost: With Tidal Bore having an Island-specific mana requirement, it dictates that your deck is aligned with blue mana resources, potentially restricting deck diversity or complicating your mana base within a multi-color deck strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its mana value, Tidal Bore may be seen as expensive when assessing the overall impact on the game state. When evaluated against other cards at similar or lower mana values, players may find alternatives that provide comparable or superior effects without the discard condition.

Reasons to Include Tidal Bore in Your Collection

Versatility: Tidal Bore shines in blue-based decks that can maximize instant-speed interaction. Its ability to untap a creature lends itself to numerous strategies, from reactivating tap abilities to enabling surprise blocks.

Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly in setups that capitalize on tapping and untapping creatures for value. Whether it’s combining with cards that have powerful tap abilities or those that benefit from creatures being untapped, Tidal Bore can be a key piece in an intricate combo engine.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where tempo plays a significant role, Tidal Bore provides a cost-effective way to swing the momentum in your favor. Its low casting cost and ability to disrupt opponent’s tactics can make it a crucial inclusion in decks aiming to stay ahead in the current competitive scene.

How to beat

Tidal Bore is a unique card in MTG, offering players the ability to untap a creature and gain control of it until end of turn, if they control an Island. While the potential to hijack an opponent’s creature, even temporarily, can be a game-changer, overcoming Tidal Bore’s influence is about preparedness and strategy. To beat this card, ensure you have instant-speed removal or counter spells ready. Cards like Murder or Counterspell can disrupt the play, leaving your opponent without their intended target and wasting their resources. Additionally, holding back on committing your most valuable creatures until Tidal Bore has been played or thwarted is wise.

Combat tricks such as Giant Growth can also be an effective deterrent, as they can turn a seemingly advantageous steal into a less beneficial or even harmful situation for your opponent. Remember, cards like Tidal Bore rely on timing and surprise, so by predicting your opponent’s moves and having a plan in place, you can turn their tidal wave into a mere ripple in your strategic pool.

In essence, mitigating the effects of Tidal Bore involves a combination of timing, resource management, and contingency planning. By staying one step ahead of the play, you can nullify the advantage it provides and maintain control of the battlefield.

Cards like Tidal Bore

Exploring the depths of blue’s control over the sea, Tidal Bore takes its place within Magic: The Gathering as a manipulative force on the battlefield. With the ability to untap not just one, but multiple creatures, its utility is evident when compared to cards like Twitch. Twitch, while offering the option to either tap or untap a creature, is limited to a single target and also comes with card draw.

Analyzing further, Unwind stands out as a similar card that not only untaps lands but also counters a noncreature spell, offering dual utility. Tidal Bore, while lacking the countering aspect, provides a broader creature untap potential. Moreover, there’s Snap, a two-mana instant that untaps two lands and returns a creature to its owner’s hand. While Tidal Bore doesn’t provide land untapping or creature bounce, it can affect multiple creatures, making it unique.

Ultimately, while Tidal Bore may not include some of the additional benefits found in spells like Unwind or Snap, its capacity to free multiple creatures from summoning sickness or to untap them for defense makes it a card with distinct tactical advantages in MTG, particularly for blue deck players looking to maintain momentum and control.

Cards similar to Tidal Bore by color, type and mana cost

Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions

Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tidal Bore MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Tidal Bore and other MTG cards: