Shimmer MTG Card


Shimmer provides card advantage, enabling more strategic plays and responses. Resource acceleration from Shimmer can hasten threat deployment in games. Instant speed allows for flexible, timely reactions to opponents’ moves.
Shimmer - Mirage
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set nameMirage
Set codeMIR
Number92
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDavid A. Cherry

Text of card

When you play Shimmer, choose a land type. All lands of the chosen type gain phasing.

To buy unseen land, pay in unseen coin. —Suq'Ata maxim


Cards like Shimmer

Shimmer from Magic: The Gathering weaves an interesting niche within the realm of enchantments. It shares the stage with cards like Frozen Aether, which also impacts the flow of the game by controlling the untap step of opponents. Shimmer, though uniquely targets a specific land type to create a resource denial strategy. While Frozen Aether delays all opponents’ lands, artifacts, and creatures indiscriminately.

Kismet is another spell that mirrors this control strategy. Like Shimmer, Kismet forces all opponents’ artifacts, creatures, and lands to enter the battlefield tapped. However, it doesn’t have the land phasing attribute that defines Shimmer, creating different tactical applications. There’s also Root Maze, which causes all lands and artifacts to enter the battlefield tapped. Root Maze is less discriminating and applies evenly to all players, unlike Shimmer that narrows its focus to the land of your choice.

Ultimately, when comparing the tactical advantages and functions of similar magic cards, Shimmer offers a strategic edge in games where pinpoint land disruption can create significant leverage, distinguishing it from other control spells in the MTG universe.

Frozen Aether - MTG Card versions
Kismet - MTG Card versions
Root Maze - MTG Card versions
Frozen Aether - MTG Card versions
Kismet - MTG Card versions
Root Maze - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shimmer by color, type and mana cost

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Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Animate Artifact - MTG Card versions
Merseine - MTG Card versions
Zur's Weirding - MTG Card versions
Abduction - MTG Card versions
Zephid's Embrace - MTG Card versions
Browse - MTG Card versions
Opposition - MTG Card versions
Collective Restraint - MTG Card versions
Delusions of Mediocrity - MTG Card versions
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling - MTG Card versions
Necroduality - MTG Card versions
Bident of Thassa - MTG Card versions
Coastal Piracy - MTG Card versions
Treasure Trove - MTG Card versions
Mystic Restraints - MTG Card versions
Ambiguity - MTG Card versions
Annex - MTG Card versions
Leyline of Singularity - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shimmer is a tool that can crucially shift the balance in your favor by providing consistent card draw. This enables you to access more options and responses, keeping you a step ahead in the duel.

Resource Acceleration: By generating extra resources, Shimmer can significantly propel your game plan forward. It enables quicker deployment of threats or defenses, ensuring you make the most impactful plays quicker than your opponents.

Instant Speed: The versatility of an instant speed spell like Shimmer can’t be overstated. It allows you to adapt to the ever-changing battlefield, reacting to your opponent’s moves or capitalizing on a window of opportunity at the end of their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable drawback of Shimmer as an MTG card is its discard requirement, which necessitates players to relinquish another card from their hand to cast it. This aspect could be detrimental when a player’s hand is already thin, potentially causing a strategic setback by limiting the available options during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Shimmer calls for a unique blend of mana to cast, which may not align seamlessly with all deck types. Players must have access to both blue and another color of mana, making it less flexible and harder to incorporate into monocolored decks or decks that don’t support blue mana fluidly.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost positioned on the higher end of the spectrum for its effect category, Shimmer contemplates an investment of precious mana resources that could otherwise be allocated to more impactful spells or creatures. There are alternative cards available that may provide similar utility at a lower mana cost, offering more efficiency and leaving mana available for other strategic plays within a turn.


Reasons to Include Shimmer in Your Collection

Versatility: Shimmer offers flexibility in gameplay as it can be a pivotal card in decks that aim to manipulate land types and create mana discrepancies. Its ability to affect all lands with a chosen name broadens its impact across various deck builds.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that change land types or cards that have benefits for having certain land types, Shimmer’s potential is unlocked. It can weave into many combo lines, disrupting opponent’s land plays or facilitating your own land-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where land-based strategies are prevalent, Shimmer can serve as a countermeasure, temporarily neutralizing opposing utility lands or even turning off an opponent’s mana. Its effect can swing matches, especially in the right meta context.


How to beat

Shimmer is an enchantment that has the capacity to shake up the battlefield by making specific lands phase out each turn. Understanding the rhythm of this phasing mechanic is key to overcoming its disruptive effect. To maintain your momentum against a card like Shimmer, land management becomes vital. Ensure you have a diverse array of land types to avoid being completely hamstrung by the phasing effect. Artifacts that produce mana can also be a lifeline, providing you with a stable source of resources independent of your lands.

Direct enchantment removal is another clear path, with cards like Disenchant and Naturalize offering straightforward solutions. These cards are essential inclusions in your deck’s sideboard, allowing you to swiftly deal with Shimmer when it surfaces. Another strategy involves using instant speed spells and abilities to utilize your lands before they phase out. Tasigur’s Gambit and Alchemist’s Refuge can provide the necessary flexibility to respond aptly. Finally, playing defensively and planning your moves to coincide with the phasing turns can mitigate the temporary loss of lands, enabling you to stay in control and ultimately outmaneuver Shimmer.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shimmer MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Shimmer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shimmer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shimmer 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 Can affect basic or non-basic types, but it must be for a specific type. The chosen type must be an existing land type. See the glossary of the comprehensive rulebook for more details on existing land types.