Reality Anchor MTG Card
1997-10-14 - Number 246
2015-05-06 - Number 188
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Text of card
Target creature loses shadow until end of turn. Draw a card.
"See how *you* like it." —Ertai, wizard adept
Cards like Reality Anchor
Reality Anchor offers an interesting dynamic in Magic: The Gathering, anchoring itself among protective spells designed to keep key creatures safe. It shares a kinship with cards like Dive Down or Blossoming Defense, which also serve to shield creatures from harm. Unlike Dive Down—which provides hexproof and a slight toughness boost—Reality Anchor grants indestructibility but lacks the hexproof protection.
Staying on the topic of defense, we observe Gods Willing, a card that stands tall with Reality Anchor. Gods Willing not only provides protection from a color of your choice but also allows you to scry, enhancing your strategy by sifting through your deck, an advantage Reality Anchor does not confer. Shifting gears towards proactive plays, Shelter is another relative spell providing creature protection and card draw, a bonus not found in Reality Anchor’s arsenal.
In summary, while Reality Anchor shines in its role for preserving high-value creatures on the battlefield with indestructibility, its counterparts offer different forms of protection and additional abilities that may better fit certain strategies within the diverse world of Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Reality Anchor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Reality Anchor shines in creating card advantage, offering you the versatility to temporarily deal with an opponent’s threats while replacing itself in your hand with another card. This dual functionality can tip the scales in your favor during tight matches.
Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, Reality Anchor interacts favorably with permanents that benefit from casting spells or triggering abilities, effectively ramping your board state’s value and contributing to long-term resource gains.
Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Reality Anchor offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to respond swiftly to opponents’ moves. This instantaneous aspect empowers you to outpace the opposition, keeping your strategies adaptable throughout the game’s most crucial moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Reality Anchor is the need to discard a card to activate its ability. In the middle of a game where every card in hand could potentially turn the tide, losing one to merely keep a creature in play can be costly, making it less favorable in situations where card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Reality Anchor comes with a specific mana cost that includes both generic and colored mana, which can be restrictive for decks that don’t closely align with those colors. This specificity could hinder the card’s versatility in multi-color decks that might struggle with mana consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Reality Anchor requires a significant mana investment to cast. Other cards available in MTG could offer the same or better protection for creatures or even additional benefits at a lower mana cost, making Reality Anchor a less efficient choice in a deck that aims to maximize mana usage and card effects.
Reasons to Include Reality Anchor in Your Collection
Versatility: Reality Anchor earns its place in various decks thanks to its ability to manipulate both permanents and the graveyard. This means it can be integrated into strategies that require flexible responses to different board states or want to capitalize on graveyard play.
Combo Potential: Its interaction with entering and leaving the battlefield effects opens up synergistic opportunities. Players can use Reality Anchor in conjunction with cards that have potent enter-the-battlefield triggers or to recycle key creatures and planeswalkers from the graveyard, setting up powerful plays and potential game-winning combos.
Meta-Relevance: Given that it interacts with common MTG mechanics, Reality Anchor can be a significant addition in a meta filled with graveyard-based strategies or one where control over the board’s permanents is crucial. Its utility in disrupting opponents’ strategies or reviving your own key pieces makes it a card that can adapt to and possibly influence the current meta.
How to beat
Overcoming Reality Anchor can be a defining moment in a MTG matchup. As a card that excels in negating your opponents’ most tactical spells and abilities, disrupting its influence on the game becomes paramount. It works by silencing activated abilities of your opponent’s creatures, making it a thorn in the side for decks that rely on those abilities to pivot their strategy.
To effectively counteract Reality Anchor, consider employing spells that remove enchantments or that can counter it upon cast. Direct enchantment removal such as Naturalize or Disenchant can clear Reality Anchor from the board, releasing the grip on your creatures’ abilities. Including counterspells like Negate in your deck prepares you for intercepting Reality Anchor before it ever anchors down your play. Moreover, opting for creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects rather than activated abilities can nullify the impact of Reality Anchor altogether, allowing your strategy to flow unimpeded.
Adapting your gameplay and deck to include these types of cards ensures that the anchor doesn’t weigh down your chances of victory. Recognize the potential disruption Reality Anchor brings to the table, and prepare your deck to navigate around its constraints.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Reality Anchor MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Tempest Remastered, 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 Reality Anchor and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 Reality Anchor Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Randy Gallegos.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 246 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Randy Gallegos | |
| 2 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 188 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Gallegos |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Reality Anchor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |