Reach of Branches MTG Card

Reach of Branches excels in creating a steady flow of 2/5 treefolk tokens, enhancing your board presence. Its instant speed allows for strategical plays, offering flexibility and maximizing your turns. However, its higher mana cost and color specificity may limit play in fast-paced or multicolored decks.

Morningtide (MOR)
2008-02-01 - Number 132

Reach of Branches - Modern Masters (MMA)

Modern Masters (MMA)
2013-06-07 - Number 158

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Tribal Instant — Treefolk

Text of card

Put a 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman creature token into play. Whenever a Forest comes into play under your control, you may return Reach of Branches from your graveyard to your hand.

Growth has no limits.

Cards like Reach of Branches

Reach of Branches is a unique card in MTG that offers an ongoing treefolk presence. A similar card in spirit is Verdant Embrace which also conjures a treefolk creature but does so by enchanting a creature, giving it a consistent boost and creating a saproling every turn. Unlike Reach of Branches, it’s not triggered by playing forests nor does it have the potential for immediate board impact.

Another card to examine in this context is Lignify. Both cards embody the treefolk theme but Lignify offers a different angle—transforming any creature into a treefolk with no abilities. While not a creature generator like Reach of Branches, Lignify serves as an effective means of neutralizing threats on the battlefield.

Consequently, Reach of Branches holds a particular niche. Its recursiveness, when forests are played, provides a tactical advantage allowing players to steadily thicken their board state with 2/5 treefolk. For players that focus on leveraging land plays and enjoy a sustained creature presence, Reach of Branches provides enduring value in the treefolk archetype within the MTG universe.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Reach of Branches thrives in providing card advantage by creating a 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman creature token. Every time a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, you can put Reach of Branches back into your hand from your graveyard. This recurring effect ensures a persistent threat and a strong presence on the board, giving you an edge in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: The card can complement decks that focus on ramping up. With each Forest you play, you not only accelerate your mana resources but also utilize the card to get a creature token. This cycle can turn a simple land drop into a momentum boost for both your mana pool and your board state.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed provides a strategic advantage by allowing you to create a Treefolk token at the end of your opponent’s turn. This tactic keeps your mana open for other crucial spells or actions during your own turn, optimizing your responses and resource allocation. The flexibility to cast it during your opponent’s turn also enables surprise blocking, potentially disrupting their attack plans.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Reach of Branches can provide a steady stream of Treefolk tokens, it requires you to hold forest cards in hand to trigger the ability. In a game where every card counts, having to retain forests rather than playing them or utilizing them for other spells can be a tactical setback.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requires a combination of generic and green mana. For decks that aren’t heavily invested in green, or those running multiple colors, fitting Reach of Branches into the mana base can be challenging, potentially causing consistency issues.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana for an initial token creation might not be the most mana-efficient rate, especially considering that MTG offers numerous ways to generate tokens at a lower cost. This can make Reach of Branches less attractive in fast-paced games where board presence and lower costing spells are crucial.

Reasons to Include Reach of Branches in Your Collection

Versatility: Reach of Branches provides dynamic utility in decks that capitalize on forest-related abilities or tribal themes. It can be repeatedly cast from the graveyard whenever a Forest enters the battlefield, offering a consistent stream of treefolk creature tokens.

Combo Potential: This card works seamlessly within engine combos, synergizing well with landfall mechanics or cards that allow you to play multiple lands per turn. Its recurring nature can quickly populate the board with formidable token creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In game formats where control decks are prevalent, Reach of Branches can be a resilient threat. Its ability to generate creatures during both your turn and the opponent’s provides ongoing pressure against slower, more reactive strategies.

How to Beat Reach of Branches

Reach of Branches presents a unique recurring threat in the world of Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to create a 2/5 Treefolk Shaman creature token whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control. This can rapidly clutter the board with tokens and overwhelm opponents who are unprepared. To effectively counter this strategy, it’s essential to restrict the card’s activation.

A key method is targeting the player’s ability to play multiple lands per turn or putting lands onto the battlefield through effects other than land plays. Removal of the card itself with enchantment destruction is also pivotal. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly address the enchantment, eliminating the source of the Treefolk tokens. Additionally, manipulating the graveyard so that Reach of Branches cannot return to the owner’s hand is advantageous, and cards that exile from the graveyard, such as Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze, can play an important role here.

Understand that patience and managing your own resources are equally important in these matchups. Keeping up mana for instant-speed responses allows you to react accordingly, dismantling the deck’s engine before it gains too much momentum. With smart resource allocation and the right disruption, overcoming the challenge that Reach of Branches poses is quite achievable.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reach of Branches MTG card by a specific set like Morningtide and Modern Masters, 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 Reach of Branches and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Reach of Branches Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2008-02-01 and 2013-06-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2008-02-01	Morningtide	MOR		132	2003	Normal	Black	Scott Hampton
2	2013-06-07	Modern Masters	MMA		158	2003	Normal	Black	Zack Stella

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Reach of Branches has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-04-01	If Reach of Branches leaves your graveyard before its triggered ability resolves, the ability will have no effect, even if the card returns to your graveyard before then.
2008-04-01	The triggered ability will trigger whenever any land with the subtype Forest enters the battlefield under your control, not just one named Forest.