Shivan Reef MTG Card
2001-06-04 - Number 142
2001-08-08 - Number ar142
2002-08-14 - Number shh142
2005-07-29 - Number 324★
2005-07-29 - Number 324
2007-07-13 - Number 357
2014-07-18 - Number 246
2015-07-17 - Number 251
2020-04-17 - Number 310
2021-04-23 - Number 316
2022-09-09 - Number 255s
2022-09-09 - Number 255p
2022-09-09 - Number 380
2022-09-09 - Number 255
2024-04-19 - Number 320
2024-06-14 - Number 375
2002-06-24 - Number 103484
2020-09-26 - Number C21-316
| Card sets | Released in 18 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
oc T: Add one colorless mana to your mana pool. oc T: Add o U or o R to your mana pool. Shivan Reef deals 1 damage to you.
Cards like Shivan Reef
Shivan Reef has been a staple in decks requiring both blue and red mana in Magic: The Gathering. It mirrors the efficiency of cards like Yavimaya Coast and Battlefield Forge, which provide similar versatility for other color combinations. Shivan Reef, however, has the distinction of serving the traditionally aggressive and spell-focused blue-red archetype, allowing smooth casting of multicolored spells without entering the battlefield tapped.
Adarkar Wastes also belongs to this cycle of pain lands that offer two types of mana at the cost of life, pivotal for certain deck strategies where speed outpaces the need for life conservation. However, Shivan Reef is specifically tailored for the dynamic nature of blue-red decks, granting instant access to both colors, crucial for responding to opponents’ moves on the fly. Cavern of Souls is another land offering mana fixing but it leans towards aiding tribal decks and countering control strategies by making creatures uncounterable, a fundamentally different utility compared to Shivan Reef’s straightforward mana access.
Delineating the advantages of Shivan Reef within the realm of dual lands, its immediate mana availability without a tap-down penalty, is essential for tempo and combo decks, underlining its value in MTG’s manifold card interactions and deck designs.
Cards similar to Shivan Reef by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Shivan Reef. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Izzet Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer | Izzet Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-03 |
 | Izzet Phoenix | Pioneer | Izzet Phoenix | Pioneer Super Qualifier 2024-05-04 |
 | Izzet Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer | Izzet Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-05-04 |
 | Temur Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer | Temur Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-03 (1) |
 | Jeskai Control | Pioneer | Jeskai Control | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-03 (1) |
 | Grixis Midrange | Standard | Grixis Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-04 (1) |
| Jeskai Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer | Jeskai Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer Super Qualifier 2024-05-04 |
| 4c Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer | 4c Indomitable Creativity | Pioneer Super Qualifier 2024-05-04 |
 | Izzet Artifact Aggro | Standard | Izzet Artifact Aggro | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-04 |
| Izzet Transmogrify | Pioneer | Izzet Transmogrify | Pioneer League 2024-05-03 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shivan Reef might not draw cards directly, but it provides consistent mana access to cast those crucial spells that will keep your hand full. It supports strategies that hinge on playing multiple spells a turn, indirectly contributing to card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: This land is an asset for any deck that values speed and efficiency. By offering both blue and red mana on demand, it allows for a faster implementation of your game plan, giving an edge in races against other aggressive decks or when trying to outpace control archetypes.
Instant Speed: While the land itself isn’t an instant, it guarantees that you can respond at instant speed by providing the necessary mana without entering the battlefield tapped. This is essential for decks that need to keep mana open for counterspells, instant removal, or end-of-turn effects to maintain tempo and control over the game’s flow.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Shivan Reef provides flexible mana, it doesn’t require a discard, but it does ask for a painful choice — each use potentially costs you life. This can be a critical disadvantage during tight matches where every life point matters.
Specific Mana Cost: Shivan Reef taps for colorless mana with no strings attached, yet to generate blue or red mana, it inflicts damage to you. This specificity may be restrictive for decks not seeking this particular color pair or when trying to manage life totals carefully.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a game where efficiency is key, the absence of a mana cost to play Shivan Reef is offset by the life points you may pay over time. When compared to other land options that offer painless mana, the cumulative cost might outweigh the benefits for a cautious or life-total conscious strategy.
Reasons to Include Shivan Reef in Your Collection
Versatility: Shivan Reef is an adaptable land card that can tap for colorless mana or provide either blue or red mana, with a slight downside. This flexibility makes it a strong asset in two-color decks and beyond, as it ensures you’re able to cast your spells efficiently.
Combo Potential: This card is a boon for players looking to execute multicolored combos. The ability to produce both blue and red mana on demand can be crucial in casting game-winning combinations at the perfect moment.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-changing landscape of competitive play, having a land that can adapt to various mana requirements is critical. Shivan Reef maintains its relevance due to the consistent demand for efficient multicolored mana bases in various formats.
How to beat
Shivan Reef is a standout land card from the world of Magic: The Gathering, presenting a dual mana resource for deck-builders. Like the adaptable lands of its cycle, it offers the ability to tap for colorless mana or choose between two colors at the cost of one life. This versatility in mana generation is a significant advantage, accelerating the pace and expanding the reach of multicolored decks.
Overcoming the benefits of Shivan Reef requires a strategic approach. Targeted land destruction can disrupt a player’s mana base and set back their strategy, particularly if they rely heavily on the dual-color capabilities of Shivan Reef. Cards like Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin allow a player to remove this threat from the board while advancing their own land count. Alternatively, applying pressure with aggressive creature plays can capitalize on the life point loss incurred by the opponent when utilizing Shivan Reef’s dual mana ability, turning its strength into a potential liability under sustained attack.
Understanding the nuances of your opponent’s mana base and recognizing the right moment to strike can transform cards like Shivan Reef from a resourceful asset into a precarious choice. With the right balance of threat management and resource control, players can find ways to counteract the influence of this powerful land card in their matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shivan Reef MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse and World Championship Decks 2001, 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 Shivan Reef and other MTG cards:
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Shivan Reef Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 2001-06-04 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001-06-04 | Apocalypse | APC | 142 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 2 | 2001-08-08 | World Championship Decks 2001 | WC01 | ar142 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Rob Alexander | |
| 3 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 103484 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Donato Giancola | ||
| 4 | 2002-08-14 | World Championship Decks 2002 | WC02 | shh142 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Rob Alexander | |
| 5 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 324★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 6 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 324 | 2003 | Normal | White | Rob Alexander | |
| 7 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 357 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 8 | 2014-07-18 | Magic 2015 | M15 | 246 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 9 | 2015-07-17 | Magic Origins | ORI | 251 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 10 | 2020-04-17 | Commander 2020 | C20 | 310 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 11 | The List | PLST | C21-316 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | ||
| 12 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 316 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 13 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 255s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Mar | |
| 14 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Promos | PDMU | 255p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Mar | |
| 15 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 380 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Donato Giancola | |
| 16 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 255 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Mar | |
| 17 | 2024-04-19 | Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander | OTC | 320 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Mar | |
| 18 | 2024-06-14 | Modern Horizons 3 Commander | M3C | 375 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Mar |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shivan Reef has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shivan Reef card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-22 | Like most lands, each land in this cycle is colorless. The damage dealt to you is dealt by a colorless source. |
| 2015-06-22 | The damage dealt to you is part of the second mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. |