Restless Reef MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 282
2023-11-17 - Number 349
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
| Abilities | Mill |
Text of card
Restless Reef enters the battlefield tapped. : Add or . : Until end of turn, Restless Reef becomes a 4/4 blue and black Shark creature with deathtouch. It's still a land. Whenever Restless Reef attacks, target player mills four cards.
Cards like Restless Reef
Exploring the depths of blue mana spells in Magic: The Gathering, Restless Reef emerges as a unique card with its own merits. Its nearest relatives are other land creatures like Faerie Conclave and Blinkmoth Nexus. Like Restless Reef, Faerie Conclave transforms into a creature, to be precise, a flying one, providing additional utility in evading blockers. Without summoning sickness, Blinkmoth Nexus provides immediate board presence but differs as it demands activation cost each turn for its creature ability.
Another family member in this classification is Mutavault which shares the attribute of being a land creature readily transforming without color-specific restriction. While Restless Reef offers flexibility in landing on the battlefield and can later morph into a creature that scales with the game, Mutavault’s strength resides in its simple, colorless nature, fitting into various decks with ease. Each has distinct advantages, but Restless Reef stands out with its potential for growth in prolonged matches.
Ultimately, the adaptability of Restless Reef holds its position within its category in MTG. It not only furtively slips into play but evolves, reflecting its place amidst the subtle power struggle of land creatures. Additionally, its scaling creature ability renders it a formidable presence in the longer fray of Magic: The Gathering matches.
Cards similar to Restless Reef by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Restless Reef. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dimir Midrange | Standard | Dimir Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 (1) |
 | Esper Control | Standard | Esper Control | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 |
| Dimir Control | Standard | Dimir Control | Standard Preliminary 2024-05-17 |
 | UB | Pioneer | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-05-18 (1) | |
 | Sultai Midrange | Standard | Sultai Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 (1) |
 | 5c Legends | Standard | 5c Legends | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 (1) |
 | Esper Midrange | Standard | Esper Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 (1) |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Restless Reef offers strategic depth by enabling you to consistently access more cards through its draw ability, giving you a competitive edge in sustaining your hand size and options as the match unfolds.
Resource Acceleration: This card efficiently ramps up your mana resources, which can be crucial in casting high-cost spells sooner than usual. The ability to accelerate resources is essential in outpacing opponents and executing your game plan more quickly.
Instant Speed: The capability to activate Restless Reef’s abilities at instant speed grants you the flexibility to adapt during complex game states. This reactive play style can keep adversaries on their toes, as you efficiently manage your resources while responding to threats or advancing your board position during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Restless Reef demands discarding a card as part of its activation. This trade-off requires careful hand management, potentially leading to a disadvantage, especially in tight game scenarios where card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Restless Reef is tethered to a specific mana combination, making it less flexible outside of decks that can comfortably produce that mana. For players running a multicolor deck without reliable mana fixing, this can be a stumbling block to including Restless Reef in their strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a noticeable cost to get into play, Restless Reef might not be the go-to option when cheaper alternatives are available that provide similar utility or impact on the game without the hefty mana investment. Efficiency is key in deck building, and the cost might outweigh the benefits in some deck archetypes.
Reasons to Include Restless Reef in Your Collection
Versatility: Restless Reef effortlessly adapts to various deck builds. This card can be a robust addition for strategies that thrive on land-based mechanics or those which may benefit from having a creature that can ebb and flow from being a land to a threat on the board.
Combo Potential: Its ability to become a creature with just a mana investment allows it to synergize with landfall abilities or effects that seek to maximize land untap triggers, thus opening multiple combo avenues for innovative deck builders.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting landscape of the game, having a card that can weave through the meta as both a resilient land and a surprise creature can give players an edge against decks that are not equipped to handle such fluid threats.
How to beat Restless Reef
Restless Reef presents a unique challenge on the battlefield as a land card that can quickly become a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering. This can catch players off guard, especially when they are unprepared for an aggressive land that can turn the tides of combat in your opponent’s favor. Overcoming Restless Reef requires strategic planning and timely disruption.
An effective strategy against Restless Reef is to keep instant-speed removal spells handy, to address the Reef as soon as it animates. Counterspells are also a reliable method to neutralize the threat before it materializes, thereby maintaining control over the game’s pace. Another approach could involve land destruction or cards that specifically hinder activated abilities, thereby nullifying Restless Reef’s conversion into a creature. Focus on maintaining board control and hindering your opponent’s ability to leverage Restless Reef’s transformative nature to secure your path to victory.
While it may be a complex card to navigate around, its predictability can be a setback for your opponent if properly anticipated. Knowing the potential threats and addressing them preemptively can diminish Restless Reef’s impact and ease your way towards a win.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Restless Reef MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Restless Reef 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
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Printings
The Restless Reef Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 282 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Hristo D. Chukov | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 349 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Thomas Stoop |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Restless Reef has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Restless Reef card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | If this becomes a creature because of an effect other than its own ability, its last ability will still trigger whenever it attacks. |
| 2023-11-10 | If this becomes a creature but you haven't controlled it continuously since your most recent turn began, you won't be able to activate its mana ability or attack with it that turn. |