Shattered Sanctum MTG Card
2021-11-19 - Number 264
2021-11-19 - Number 283
2022-01-28 - Number 531
2002-06-24 - Number 95453
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Shattered Sanctum enters the battlefield tapped unless you control two or more other lands. : Add or .
The Quietus Cult holds their grim ceremonies in the dark places where unburied dead litter the ground.
Cards like Shattered Sanctum
Shattered Sanctum enters the varied landscape of dual lands in Magic: The Gathering, bringing versatility to mana bases across multiple formats. Its closest relatives are the Pathway lands, such as Clearwater Pathway and Brightclimb Pathway. These cards allow players to choose between two colors of mana, providing flexible options depending on the game state. What makes Shattered Sanctum stand out is its “slowland” nature—coming into play untapped if you control two or more other lands, negating the typical drawback of entering tapped at critical moments in the game.
Compared to the Checklands like Dragonskull Summit, which also enter the battlefield untapped under certain conditions, Shattered Sanctum does not require you to have a specific land type present, just a simple count of any lands. This flexibility can be incredibly beneficial in decks that might not have the land types to assure an untapped Checkland. On the other hand, the Shocklands, such as Blood Crypt, offer instant speed with the trade-off of paying life. While they remain a staple for many players, Shattered Sanctum provides a no-pain alternative for meeting your mana needs later in the game.
Therefore, in a game where timing and resource management are crucial, Shattered Sanctum proves to be a competitive choice among dual lands, offering players a strategic advantage with minimal drawbacks.
Cards similar to Shattered Sanctum by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Shattered Sanctum. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Esper Midrange | Standard | Esper Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 |
| Orzhov Midrange | Standard | Orzhov Midrange | Standard Challenge 64 2024-05-19 |
 | Esper Control | Standard | Esper Control | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 |
 | WB | Standard | Standard League 2024-05-18 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shattered Sanctum offers the subtle benefit of smoothing out your draws due to its dual land nature, ensuring you have the right colors of mana to play your spells efficiently. This prevents stumbling on colors and maintains a steady flow of actions each turn, crucial for card advantage over the course of a match.
Resource Acceleration: As a land that taps for two different kinds of mana, Shattered Sanctum can be considered a form of resource acceleration. It can help cast multi-color spells sooner than usual by providing both colors in one land drop, giving you a leg up on deploying your threats or answers ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: While a land itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the ability to play Shattered Sanctum untapped if you control two or more other lands allows for instant speed interaction. By entering the battlefield ready to use, it keeps mana open for crucial instant speed spells in your hand, ensuring that your pace isn’t slowed down even as you develop your mana base.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shattered Sanctum requires you to discard a card to enable its untapped play. This can be problematic when your hand is already depleted, forcing tough decisions about resource management.
Specific Mana Cost: Utilizing Shattered Sanctum effectively means weaving both black and white mana into your strategy. This necessity may constrain deck building, particularly in formats favoring flexible mana bases.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Coming into play tapped unless you satisfy the discard condition makes Shattered Sanctum a slower option. In fast-paced games, every turn counts, and there might be alternative lands that provide immediate impact without such costs.
Reasons to Include Shattered Sanctum in Your Collection
Versatility: Shattered Sanctum offers flexibly tapped or untapped mana, making it a seamless fit for multi-color decks craving consistent mana access without sacrificing tempo.
Combo Potential: Its ability to reliably provide two colors of mana fuels various combo decks, ensuring that critical spells are castable when the right moment strikes during a game.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that prizes land efficiency and fluid mana bases, Shattered Sanctum’s dual-color utility keeps decks competitive in an environment where speed and precision are key to victory.
How to beat
Shattered Sanctum is a rare land card in Magic: The Gathering that stands out for its flexibility in mana generation and utility within multicolor decks, particularly those of black and white. Its capacity to come into play untapped if you control two or more other lands gives it an edge over similar conditional dual lands that often enter the battlefield tapped, hindering your ability to respond swiftly.
One effective strategy to counter this card is to limit your opponent’s number of lands, potentially through land destruction or cards that restrict land plays. This could delay Shattered Sanctum’s untapped potential and buy you crucial time. Decks incorporating cards like Ghost Quarter can remove target lands, forcing the Sanctum’s user to either find another or remain at a disadvantage. Another approach involves cards that change land types or properties, such as Blood Moon, which can nullify the Sanctum’s benefits by turning it into a basic Mountain with no special abilities, thus restricting your opponent’s mana base and strategic plays.
Considering these tactics and your deck’s strengths can put you in a superior position against decks reliant on Shattered Sanctum, ensuring that their advantage doesn’t dictate the pace of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shattered Sanctum MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Shattered Sanctum 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 Shattered Sanctum Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 95453 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola | ||
| 2 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 264 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Muhammad Firdaus | |
| 3 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 283 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Donato Giancola | |
| 4 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 531 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Muhammad Firdaus |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shattered Sanctum has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |