Raffine's Tower MTG Card
2022-04-29 - Number 254s
2022-04-29 - Number 292
2022-04-29 - Number 254
2022-04-29 - Number 254p
2022-04-29 - Number 353
2002-06-24 - Number 99695
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land — Plains Island Swamp |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Key Takeaways
- Offers strategic card advantage for control throughout longer games by improving library utilization.
- Significantly hastens mana generation, paving the way for early, game-changing plays.
- Instant speed action provides unmatched flexibility, allowing for real-time game adaptation.
Text of card
(: Add , , or .) Raffine's Tower enters the battlefield tapped. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
The Obscura's Cloud Spire dominates the skyline, its eye a beacon of progress that sees all.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Raffine’s Tower, players have a unique opportunity to sift through their decks at an efficient rate, bolstering their strategic options. By maximizing their library’s potential, players leverage an ongoing card advantage, crucial for outpacing opponents in longer matches.
Resource Acceleration: The card’s design accelerates resource generation by unlocking additional mana capabilities, vital for executing high-impact plays ahead of schedule. Such acceleration is a cornerstone for decks that aim to overwhelm adversaries through superior board presence.
Instant Speed: Raffine’s Tower operates at instant speed, providing a strategic edge by allowing players to adapt swiftly to the evolving state of play. This flexibility to react and the latitude to make decisions on the fly is integral for maintaining dominance throughout each phase of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Raffine’s Tower demands a player to discard a card to activate its crucial abilities. This prerequisite can backfire when your hand is already depleted, turning this potential asset into a liability, particularly in the late game when maintaining card advantage becomes critical.
Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a mana cost that specifically needs both blue and black mana, Raffine’s Tower has an inherent limitation, tying it exclusively to decks that run these colors. This restriction narrows the scope of its applicability, making it a less flexible addition to a player’s arsenal when compared to more generic, colorless options.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The activation cost attached to the key abilities of Raffine’s Tower sits at a higher spectrum. For decks that aim for optimal efficiency and speed, it might be considered a steep price to pay, especially when measured against other options in the same mana range that could potentially provide more immediate board impact or utility.
Reasons to Include Raffine’s Tower in Your Collection
Versatility: Raffine’s Tower is a land card that provides a mana boost to both Esper colored and shard-focused decks. Its ability to tap for colorless or for one mana of any type within its color identity makes it a flexible choice for mixed manabases.
Combo Potential: This card effortlessly integrates into strategies that revolve around landfall abilities or playing with the top card of your library revealed. Its inclusion can be the linchpin in various combo setups, enhancing the overall synergy of your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where the right mana at the right time is crucial, Raffine’s Tower holds its ground. Its relevance in current metagames that hinge on efficient mana management and deck variances makes it a valuable asset to competitive and casual players alike.
How to beat
Raffine’s Tower is an intriguing new card that has quickly captured the attention of players due to its capability to bolster your mana base while resonating particularly well with decks that thrive on multicolored spells. However, overcoming this powerful land card can be achieved with a thoughtful approach to gameplay. One strategy is to employ land destruction methods to incapacitate its mana generating utility, thus hindering your opponent’s ability to cast those crucial spells.
Artifact removal spells can also be effective, targeting any key mana rocks that your opponent might use to ramp into Raffine’s Tower’s activation cost. Since the card benefits from multicolored spells, running cards that penalize multicolor strategies or that restrict your opponent from gaining advantages from casting such spells could also tilt the match in your favor. Lastly, increasing the pace of your gameplay to pressure and outpace the development of your opponent’s mana base can force them into a defensive position, ultimately limiting the potential impact of Raffine’s Tower.
By integrating these tactics into your deckbuilding and in-game strategy, you can maneuver around the strengths of Raffine’s Tower, potentially securing your position at the forefront of any match where it appears.
Cards like Raffine's Tower
Raffine’s Tower steps into the spotlight as a land card with the distinct ability to produce different types of mana. This trait mirrors the functionality of cards like Command Tower, which also offers the versatility of tapping for any color mana that matches your commander’s identity. What sets Raffine’s Tower apart is its synergy with covenants, allowing players to leverage a variety of multicolored decks.
Another card worth comparing is Reflecting Pool. While Reflecting Pool can give you access to any color of mana, it needs another land with that mana ability already on the field to be effective. Raffine’s Tower, in contrast, isn’t dependent on other lands and can stand alone in generating the mana needed for diverse deck strategies.
Assessing similarities and niche uses among land cards in MTG, Raffine’s Tower proves to be a versatile choice, particularly in decks hoping to capitalize on its covenant-friendly capability and consistent mana accessibility without the stringent requirements posed by other similar cards.
Cards similar to Raffine's Tower by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Raffine's Tower MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Streets of New Capenna Promos, 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 Raffine's Tower and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Raffine's Tower Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 99695 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dominik Mayer | ||
| 2 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna Promos | PSNC | 254s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam White | |
| 3 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna | SNC | 292 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Dominik Mayer | |
| 4 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna | SNC | 254 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam White | |
| 5 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna Promos | PSNC | 254p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam White | |
| 6 | 2022-04-29 | Streets of New Capenna | SNC | 353 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Elektrodeko |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Raffine's Tower has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |