Sacred Ground MTG Card
1998-03-02 - Number 12
2001-04-11 - Number 36
2001-04-11 - Number 36★
2003-07-28 - Number 39
2003-07-28 - Number 39★
2005-07-29 - Number 37★
2005-07-29 - Number 37
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
Whenever an effect controlled by any opponent puts a land into your graveyard from play, put that land into play.
"That which knows itself cannot be shaped to another's will." —Oracle *en*-Vec
Understanding Sacred Ground and Its Counterparts
Sacred Ground stands as a unique enchantment in the vast card pool of Magic: The Gathering. This white enchantment provides a powerful defense mechanism, returning any land card to play that gets destroyed while it’s in action. Its closest counterparts, while not numerous, offer different nuances to land protection strategies.
Cards like Sacred Ground
Sacred Ground carves out a niche for itself in MTG, ensuring lands remain a constant presence on the battlefield. Terramorphic Expanse and Evolving Wilds are two such cards that facilitate land interaction, yet they function differently by allowing a player to search for a basic land and put it into play. In contrast, Sacred Ground deals with restoration, not replacement.
Incorporating Crucible of Worlds into your game presents another alternative to manage land cards from the graveyard, as it permits you to play land cards from there directly. Unlike Sacred Ground which guards against land destruction, Crucible of Worlds emphasizes utility and resilience over outright protection.
No direct equivalent to Sacred Ground exists, making it a prized piece for decks centering on land protection. Its ability to instantly resurrect your lands can be a game-saver, especially against strategies that focus on land destruction. Consequently, Sacred Ground remains a valued asset for those desiring a safeguard against such attrition tactics.
Cards similar to Sacred Ground by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Though it doesn’t directly draw you cards, Sacred Ground has a unique ability that can put you ahead in resources. Every time a spell or ability an opponent controls causes a land you control to be put into your graveyard from play, you get that land back onto the battlefield. This effect can negate potentially devastating land destruction strategies, ensuring your mana base remains intact and securing your long-term position in the game.
Resource Acceleration: While Sacred Ground doesn’t accelerate your mana production in the traditional sense, it preserves your lands against threats, effectively boosting your resilience and maintaining the pace at which you can deploy spells. This passive advantage ensures that your development isn’t hampered, and you pull ahead while others might stumble on resource disruption.
Instant Speed: Sacred Ground provides its benefit as an enchantment that is always ‘on,’ indirectly offering the flexible advantage akin to instant speed interaction. Once in play, it deters opponents from targeting your lands, knowing that any removal will be temporary. This can lead to opponents wasting turns and resources attempting to disrupt your mana base, all to no avail, giving you the upper hand to operate your strategies unhindered.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Sacred Ground doesn’t require you to discard, it’s important to consider this type of cost when assessing overall card strength and deck synergy. Cards necessitating discards can put you at a resource disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Sacred Ground, with its strictly white mana cost, might not seamlessly fit into multi-colored or colorless decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For two mana, Sacred Ground can be an affordable enchantment for protection, though some players might find more aggressive or proactive cards to play at this cost, questioning its immediate impact on the game.
Reasons to Include Sacred Ground in Your Collection
Versatility: Sacred Ground offers a broad applicability for any white color deck. It’s not confined to a single archetype and can provide a solid defensive mechanism against land destruction, which is common in various meta environments.
Combo Potential: Sacred Ground can be a key piece in deck constructions that capitalize on “landfall” triggers or strategies that intentionally target their own lands for beneficial effects, knowing they’ll be returned safely to the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Within the ever-shifting landscape of competitive play, Sacred Ground stands as a bulwark against strategies that aim to set back mana bases by targeting lands. It assures that your crucial lands remain on the field, keeping your play options open and consistent.
How to beat
Sacred Ground presents a unique challenge as an enchantment in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to return non-token permanents a player controls to the battlefield after they’ve been destroyed by spells or abilities an opponent controls can make for a resilient game state. To overcome this card’s protective measure, players should consider utilizing exile effects. Cards that exile, such as Path to Exile or Anguished Unmaking, can be effective tools since Sacred Ground doesn’t trigger when a permanent is exiled rather than destroyed.
Alternative strategies include enchantment removal cards like Disenchant or Oblivion Ring, which can directly remove Sacred Ground from play. Counterspell tactics are also potent; by preventing Sacred Ground from ever hitting the board, you can circumvent its protection altogether. It’s essential to time these plays right, perhaps baiting the opponent into overcommitting resources before sweeping their board without the safety net of Sacred Ground.
Ultimately, while Sacred Ground can fortify an opponent’s position, it’s not unbeatable. By carefully selecting your methods of removal or using the right timing for counterspells, you can effectively neutralize this protective enchantment and push your strategy forward.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sacred Ground MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and Seventh Edition, 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 Ground 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 Ground Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-03-02 | Stronghold | STH | 12 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen | |
| 2 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 36 | 1997 | Normal | White | Gary Ruddell | |
| 3 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 36★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 4 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 39 | 2003 | Normal | White | Gary Ruddell | |
| 5 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 39★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 6 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 37★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 7 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 37 | 2003 | Normal | White | Gary Ruddell |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sacred Ground has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |