Sacred Foundry MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 280
2013-02-01 - Number 245
2015-10-02 - Number 14
2018-10-05 - Number 254
2018-10-05 - Number 254p
2022-10-07 - Number 536
2022-10-07 - Number 285
2024-01-12 - Number 285
2024-01-12 - Number 297
2024-01-12 - Number 409z
2024-01-12 - Number 409
2024-02-23 - Number 279
2002-06-24 - Number 72309
2019-12-02 - Number 131
| Card sets | Released in 14 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land — Mountain Plains |
Text of card
(: Add or to your mana pool.) As Sacred Foundry comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, Sacred Foundry comes into play tapped instead.
Cards like Sacred Foundry
The Sacred Foundry card stands proud among lands in MTG, providing both a strategic and tactical advantage to any deck. It’s comparable to the powerful Steam Vents, another dual land that supplies both red and blue mana. The two lands are nearly identical with the option to come into play untapped at the expense of 2 life. Yet, Sacred Foundry offers access to red and white mana, a combination that caters to different deck archetypes and strategies.
Further comparison leads us to Stomping Ground. Much like Sacred Foundry, Stomping Ground is a part of the “shock lands” set, offering the choice between an untapped land at a life cost or a tapped land with no penalty. Stomping Ground supports red and green mana, serving a unique sector of the MTG color pie that favors creatures and aggression.
Considering the blend of speed, versatility, and the life cost for immediate mana access, Sacred Foundry holds a prime position within its category. Its worth within MTG decks is affirmed through its ability to foster swift plays and bolster multi-colored decks with a stable mana base.
Cards similar to Sacred Foundry by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Sacred Foundry. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Domain Zoo | Modern | Domain Zoo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Grinding Station | Modern | Grinding Station | Modern League 2024-04-25 |
| Jeskai Prowess | Modern | Jeskai Prowess | Modern League 2024-04-25 |
 | Boros Heroic | Pioneer | Boros Heroic | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-04-24 |
 | 4c Omnath | Modern | 4/5c Omnath | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
| 5c Omnath | Modern | 4/5c Omnath | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Kethis Combo | Modern | Kethis Combo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
| WRG | Legacy | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24 | |
| Boros Burn | Modern | Boros Burn | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Indomitable Creativity | Modern | Indomitable Creativity | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Enhances your strategy by increasing your mana base, allowing for more consistent plays and reducing the chances of being mana-screwed in critical turns.
Resource Acceleration: As a land that taps for two colors of mana, Sacred Foundry can help fix your mana requirements, enabling a smoother curve and faster deployment of multicolored spells.
Instant Speed: While Sacred Foundry itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it enables the casting of powerful instant speed spells by providing the necessary color of mana without the delay of entering the battlefield tapped, if the life payment is made.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sacred Foundry does not have an inherent discard requirement, which is beneficial for maintaining hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: As a dual land card, Sacred Foundry comes with a specific mana cost requirement, entering the battlefield tapped unless you pay 2 life. This payment is essential when immediate mana acceleration is needed, which can be a strategic decision and potential disadvantage for life-sensitive decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not a spell with a mana cost, if considered in terms of land efficiency, Sacred Foundry’s option to come in untapped at the cost of life might be compared unfavorably to basic lands or other dual lands without such a life payment, especially in formats where the life loss is critical.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Sacred Foundry is an all-star land capable of tapping for both red and white mana, seamlessly integrating into Boros-colored decks without slowing down your game plan.
Combo Potential: As a shock land, it enables various multicolor combos and can be fetched with land search cards, enhancing decks that thrive on mixing colors and strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Whether your local meta favors aggressive tactics or a more control-oriented approach, Sacred Foundry fits in by offering stable mana fixing in a variety of competitive standard and modern decks.
How to beat
Sacred Foundry is a powerhouse among dual lands in Magic: The Gathering, combining both Mountain and Plains land types. Its ability to come into play untapped at the cost of 2 life makes it a flexible choice for decks that need both red and white mana. Nevertheless, as with any card, it’s not unbeatable.
Players can leverage land destruction strategies, such as using cards like Field of Ruin or Ghost Quarter, to target and eliminate Sacred Foundry from the battlefield. This can disrupt an opponent’s mana base, especially if they are reliant on this dual land for color fixing. Moreover, running cards that penalize nonbasic lands like Blood Moon can transform Sacred Foundry into a basic Mountain, negating its dual-type advantage. Lastly, life loss from Sacred Foundry’s optional untapped entrance can be exploited in aggressive strategies aimed at reducing the opponent’s life total quickly.
While Sacred Foundry remains a staple in many competitive decks, understanding the dynamics of targeted land destruction and nonbasic land punishment can give players an edge against decks that rely heavily on this versatile dual land.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sacred Foundry MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Sacred Foundry 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 Sacred Foundry Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 8 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 72309 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Ostrowski | ||
| 2 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 280 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 3 | 2013-02-01 | Gatecrash | GTC | 245 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Sam Burley | |
| 4 | 2015-10-02 | Zendikar Expeditions | EXP | 14 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 5 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 254 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 6 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica Promos | PGRN | 254p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 7 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 131 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Magali Villeneuve | ||
| 8 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 536 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Cliff Childs | |
| 9 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 285 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Cliff Childs | |
| 10 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 285 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 11 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 297 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 12 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 409z | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 13 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 409 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 14 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 279 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Alexander Forssberg |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sacred Foundry has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sacred Foundry card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped. |
| 2018-10-05 | Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as District Guide can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set). |