Shortcut to Mushrooms MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 187
2023-06-23 - Number 638
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
When Shortcut to Mushrooms enters the battlefield, the Ring tempts you. At the beginning of your end step, if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Cards like Shortcut to Mushrooms
Shortcut to Mushrooms stands out in the pantheon of utility spells for Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts. It’s akin to cards like Crop Rotation, which facilitate land retrieval. However, Shortcut to Mushrooms weaves its magic by allowing a player to sacrifice a creature in lieu of a land, adding a layer of strategic depth. Crop Rotation, by contrast, swaps a land outright without involving creatures in the transaction.
Exploring the realms of creature-centric spells brings Crop Sigil into the frame. This enchantment similarly interacts with the graveyard, but emphasizes incremental advantage rather than an immediate boost. While Crop Sigil requires setup and time to bear fruit, Shortcut to Mushrooms delivers an immediate land grab, crucial in fast-paced games.
Moreover, joining the list of notable parallels is Harrow, a spell offering land acceleration by sacrificing a land, a different resource compared to Shortcut to Mushrooms’ creature-based trade. Harrow is instant speed, providing flexibility, but doesn’t align with creature strategies as seamlessly as Shortcut to Mushrooms might in a deck designed to exploit such synergies.
Ultimately, Shortcut to Mushrooms emerges as a compelling choice for players looking to creatively optimize their battlefield while leveraging creature sacrifice for tactical advancement.
Cards similar to Shortcut to Mushrooms by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shortcut to Mushrooms provides a distinct benefit by enabling the retrieval of a key creature card from the graveyard to your hand. This action not only enlarges your hand but also gives you strategic access to creatures that can influence the battlefield once replayed.
Resource Acceleration: By putting a land card onto the battlefield tapped, the card offers a subtle but effective form of resource acceleration. This can be pivotal for ramping up to larger spells or threats ahead of your opponent’s curve, setting you up for a stronger mid to late game.
Instant Speed: The fact that Shortcut to Mushrooms can be cast at instant speed is a major tactical advantage, allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment. This keeps your opponents guessing and allows for more flexible responses to their actions, fitting seamlessly into the flow of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shortcut to Mushrooms necessitates tossing another key card from your grip into the graveyard. This could put you at a disadvantage, particularly if you’re trying to maintain card advantage or your hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: This card asks for a specific combination of mana types that could be a stretch for multi-color decks, potentially causing delays or making it a dead card when you can’t meet the cost.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for using Shortcut to Mushrooms can be quite steep when compared with other cards with similar effects. In high-speed games, it might lag behind more affordable options, affecting the tempo of your gameplay.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Shortcut to Mushrooms integrates seamlessly into decks that thrive on moving quickly. Its ability to search for a specific land can be pivotal for strategies that require a certain type of mana or need to assemble a land combo.
Combo Potential: With the right setup, this card can become a powerful component in land-based combo decks. Its ability not only fetches the required piece for the combo but can also serve as a catalyst for landfall abilities or other land-related synergies.
Meta-Relevance: As the competitive scene evolves, the significance of having fast, reliable land plays can’t be overstated. Shortcut to Mushrooms keeps pace with the current fast tempo of play, ensuring you’re not left behind in crucial matches.
How to beat
Shortcut to Mushrooms is an intriguing card that weaves its way into Magic: The Gathering’s vast library of spells. Its potency comes from diverting attacks to archetype-specific creatures, making it a key asset in decks that synergize with fungi and saprolings. This capability makes it a card that requires a strategic approach to overcome.
To counter this card effectively, strategic removal of key creature targets before engaging in attacks is crucial. You could employ targeted removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile to handle creatures that would benefit from Shortcut to Mushrooms. Alternatively, implementing board wipes like Wrath of God can reset the field, negating the advantages provided by Shortcut to Mushrooms and disrupting your opponent’s plans.
It is also beneficial to include cards that can grant your creatures trample or provide unblockable abilities, ensuring that your attacks can bypass the redirection effect Shortcut to Mushrooms introduces. In essence, when confronting a deck featuring Shortcut to Mushrooms, prioritizing the removal of enabling creatures and adjusting your attack strategies can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shortcut to Mushrooms MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Shortcut to Mushrooms and other MTG cards:
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- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Shortcut to Mushrooms Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Jonas De Ro.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 187 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 638 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shortcut to Mushrooms has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shortcut to Mushrooms card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer. |
| 2023-06-16 | Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time. |
| 2023-06-16 | Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one. |
| 2023-06-16 | If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer. |
| 2023-06-16 | Shortcut to Mushrooms doesn't need to have been on the battlefield when the permanent you controlled left the battlefield. For example, if a creature dies during combat on your turn and you cast Shortcut to Mushrooms during your second main phase, its last ability will trigger at the beginning of your end step. |
| 2023-06-16 | Shortcut to Mushrooms's last ability will trigger only once during your end step, no matter how many permanents you controlled left the battlefield this turn. However, if no permanents you control have left the battlefield so far this turn as your end step begins, the ability won't trigger at all. It's not possible to cause a permanent you control to leave the battlefield during the end step in time to have the ability trigger. |
| 2023-06-16 | Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you. |
| 2023-06-16 | The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger. |
| 2023-06-16 | The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game. |