Safe Haven MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 118
1995-07-01 - Number 113
1996-05-02 - Number ll118sb
2006-10-06 - Number 121
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
, oc T: Remove target creature you control from game. This ability is played as an interrupt. During your upkeep, sacrifice Safe Haven to return all creatures it has removed from game directly into play. Treat this as if they were just summoned.
Cards like Safe Haven
Safe Haven is an intriguing card that serves a unique role in MTG. It stands out for its ability to protect creatures from various board wipes and removal spells. A card with similar functionality is Endless Sands from the Amonkhet expansion. Both Safe Haven and Endless Sands allow players to temporarily exile creatures but differ in their activation costs and the condition under which the creatures return to the battlefield.
Another similar card is Cold Storage, which exiles multiple creatures at once and returns them with a single activation. However, Safe Haven is more budget-friendly and doesn’t require a lump sum of mana to return the creatures. Celestial Gatekeeper also allows for a return of creatures, yet it focuses on a specific subtype and triggers upon death, offering a narrower range of protection compared to the broad safety net Safe Haven provides.
Appraising these options, Safe Haven offers a blend of versatility and strategic depth as it can be a sanctuary for any creature, supporting various game plans in MTG without restricting to a creature type or immediate return, which can be pivotal in safeguarding key creatures for a game-winning move.
Cards similar to Safe Haven by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Safe Haven from MTG can become a crucial repository for your creatures, effectively safeguarding your assets for future turns. By storing a creature away, you can dodge board wipes or removal, ensuring you maintain card advantage by having a creature to bring back into play when most advantageous.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana acceleration, Safe Haven can be a form of resource acceleration in longer games. It enables you to invest mana and creatures during turns when you have excess resources, which can lead to powerful plays in subsequent turns as you bring back multiple creatures with accumulated abilities or enter-the-battlefield effects.
Instant Speed: The ability to use Safe Haven’s effect at instant speed imbues you with significant strategic flexibility. You can respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, protecting your most valuable creatures unexpectedly. This capability makes Safe Haven a utility card that can pivot your strategy even during the most constrained situations.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When utilizing Safe Haven, you need to be aware of its requirement to exile a creature before tapping it. This can lead to a suboptimal play if you’re forced to exile a valuable creature to make use of the card’s ability.
Specific Mana Cost: Safe Haven requires a specific mix of colorless mana for activation which can sometimes be difficult to generate in a multicolored deck that might be mana strained or reliant on other color sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to activate Safe Haven’s ability is not only specific but also on the higher side compared to some alternative cards. This can be particularly challenging during the early game or in situations where mana efficiency is crucial.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Safe Haven offers a unique protection capability in the world of MTG. It can safeguard creatures from board wipes and removal spells by setting them aside for later use, allowing players to maintain presence on the board regardless of the situation.
Combo Potential: With Safe Haven, synergy arises when you pair it with creatures that have enter the battlefield or leave the battlefield effects. This opens up possibilities for complex combos that can be game-changing.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where control decks and sweepers are common, Safe Haven has the potential to render such strategies less effective. By protecting key creatures, you maintain threats and momentum in the face of adversity.
How to beat
Safe Haven is a unique MTG card known for its temporary creature exile ability. This card allows players to protect their creatures from board wipes or removal spells by sending them into exile, only to return them to the battlefield under their owner’s control at a later stage. While Safe Haven can disrupt your strategy when your opponent uses it effectively, there are methods to counteract its advantages.
One approach to overcome the Safe Haven strategy is to use cards that can directly destroy or exile enchantments, thereby removing the Safe Haven from play before the exiled creatures can return. Cards like Disenchant, Naturalize, or Krosan Grip provide quick and efficient answers to enchantments like Safe Haven. Alternatively, you might employ graveyard manipulation tactics that can exile cards from an opponent’s graveyard, preventing the return of creatures that Safe Haven aims to protect.
Finally, maintaining pressure and a clock on your opponent can force them into a situation where they must use Safe Haven prematurely or ineffectively. By meticulously planning your plays and holding onto enchantment removal or graveyard hate cards, you can negate the benefits of Safe Haven, turning the tide of the match in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Safe Haven MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Chronicles, 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 Safe Haven 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 Safe Haven Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Christopher Rush.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 118 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 2 | 1995-07-01 | Chronicles | CHR | 113 | 1993 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 3 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | ll118sb | 1993 | Normal | Gold | Christopher Rush | |
| 4 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral Timeshifted | TSB | 121 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Safe Haven has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Safe Haven card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | All cards in the Haven stay there even if they cease to be creatures. When the Haven is sacrificed, the cards come back onto the battlefield whether or not they are creatures. |
| 2004-10-04 | Auras on creatures are put into the graveyard and counters on creatures are removed when the creatures are sent to the Haven. |
| 2004-10-04 | Creatures return to the battlefield simultaneously. |
| 2004-10-04 | Creatures return to the control of their owners, regardless of who controls the Haven when it is sacrificed. |
| 2004-10-04 | If changed to another land type, the creature cards are not lost but can’t be released until the land reverts to normal. |
| 2004-10-04 | Token creatures cease to exist when they leave the battlefield, so this effect just exiles them with no chance to bring them back like you can with cards. |
| 2004-10-04 | When creatures return to the battlefield, they are put onto the battlefield as if just cast. Creatures with X in the mana cost are treated as X is zero. Creatures which can pay costs when put onto the battlefield to determine abilities must have those costs paid at this time. |
| 2004-10-04 | When the creature leaves the battlefield any damage or “will be destroyed at some future time” effects are removed from the creature. |