Shipwreck Moray MTG Card
2017-01-20 - Number 45
2020-11-12 - Number 65
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Fish |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Text of card
When Shipwreck Moray enters the battlefield, you get (four energy counters). Pay : Shipwreck Moray gets +2/-2 until end of turn.
Shipwrecks do wonders for the local fauna, providing both shelter and aether.
Cards like Shipwreck Moray
Exploring the depths of Magic: The Gathering, Shipwreck Moray is a unique creature card that brings a versatile edge to your game. Its kinship is seen with other sea-dwelling creatures like Man-o’-War. The Man-o’-War similarly provides control over the board by returning target creatures to their owner’s hand when it enters the battlefield. Unlike Shipwreck Moray, however, it does not offer flexibility with energy counters.
Another comparable creature is Aethersquall Ancient. While this leviathan demands a heftier energy counter investment, it can be a game-changer with its ability to wipe the board clean, something the Moray lacks. Yet, the Moray’s lower casting cost gives it an edge in early game scenarios. Tide Drifter is also often considered in these discussions. Although not directly impacting the board on entry, its toughness-boosting ability is valuable in decks that favor defense over invasive tactics.
Each card has its niche within the watery realms of MTG, but Shipwreck Moray, with its energy counter potential and defensive capability, offers a strategic versatility that can adapt fluidly to the ever-changing tides of gameplay.
Cards similar to Shipwreck Moray by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shipwreck Moray can provide strategic depth to your game, enabling you to manipulate your life total which can translate to card advantage with the right synergies on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: While it’s not a direct source of mana, the flexibility offered by the Moray can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by smoothing your plays, setting up defensive measures or facilitating combos with life-modifying cards.
Instant Speed: This creature’s ability functions at instant speed, offering a surprise element, whether it’s buffing its toughness to thwart an enemy attack or adjusting your life for card interactions that benefit from life changes at critical moments during the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shipwreck Moray may pressure players into decisions that lead to card disadvantage. Discarding a card to power up Shipwreck Moray can be costly, especially if you’re already behind in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a single blue mana to cast, which might restrict it to a specific archetype or theme within a player’s deck. This necessity could detract from its versatility in decks that are not centered around blue mana or water creatures.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature with base stats of 0/5, the four mana cost of Shipwreck Moray can be steep. Its activated ability does give it temporary power, but it could be argued that there are other creatures that give a better power-to-mana cost ratio right from the start without additional costs.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Shipwreck Moray boasts flexibility in deck construction, making for a useful tool in various strategies. Whether you’re playing a blue-based control or a combo deck, its ability to regulate its power and toughness is advantageous.
Combo Potential: Its energy counter interaction can be a significant advantage, synchronizing with cards that benefit from, or contribute to, the energy mechanic. This can lead to unexpected and powerful synergies within your gameplay.
Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability and capability to manage energy resources, Shipwreck Moray can hold its own in meta environments that favor incremental advantages or where manipulating blockers and attackers is key to victory.
How to beat
Shipwreck Moray might not be the flashiest creature in Magic: The Gathering, but it can be deceptively tough to manage in a game due to its flexible energy counters mechanism. To gain the upper hand against this card, one effective strategy involves limiting or removing the opponent’s energy counter resources. Cards that deny energy generation or usage will impair their ability to utilize Shipwreck Moray’s abilities to its full extent.
Another tactic is to employ removal spells or abilities that bypass this creature’s toughness, which can be periodically increased using those very energy counters. Targeted removal or spells that cause creatures to be sacrificed can be excellent tools in these situations. Board wipes are also an effective response as they can clear the creature from the battlefield regardless of any temporary toughness boost it has received.
Lastly, leveraging creatures with abilities such as flying or high power levels can overwhelm a defense that relies on Shipwreck Moray as a primary blocker. Taking control of the match tempo and applying pressure on other fronts can often circumvent the need to deal directly with this creature, leading to a strategic win.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shipwreck Moray MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Shipwreck Moray 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
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Printings
The Shipwreck Moray Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Mike Bierek.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt | AER | 45 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mike Bierek | |
| 2 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 65 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mike Bierek |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shipwreck Moray has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shipwreck Moray card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They’re not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren’t mana. They don’t go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can’t give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can’t pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |