High Ground MTG Card
1998-06-15 - Number 7
2007-07-13 - Number 20
2020-09-26 - Number 10E-20
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- High Ground enchants the battlefield, giving creatures a notable advantage in every combat phase.
- This card indirectly accelerates resources by protecting key creatures, extending their utility.
- Its continuous effect, akin to instant speed, adds an element of surprise, altering combat dynamics.
Text of card
Each creature you control may block one additional creature. (All defense must be legal.)
In war, as in society, position is everything.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: High Ground is a valuable asset when it comes to maintaining supremacy in the battlefield. When this enchantment is in play, the ability to consistently have a power boost in each combat phase can pressure your opponent into unfavorable blocks or deter attacks, which can result in preserving your creatures and maintaining card advantage on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or Treasure tokens, High Ground supports your resource acceleration indirectly by protecting your valuable creatures in combat. Efficient combat trades, thanks to its effect, can keep your key creatures in play longer, thus potentially allowing for more mana generation or other value-accumulating activities over the course of a game.
Instant Speed: Although High Ground operates at sorcery speed, its continuous effect can unexpectedly turn the tide during combat on your turn, similar to how an instant would. The ability to adjust strategies mid-combat without warning enhances its utility, allowing for more dynamic play and causing opponents to second-guess their decisions during critical phases of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although High Ground can bolster your battlefield stance by boosting your defenders, it mandates that you discard another card to utilize its full potential. This requirement may create a predicament when your hand is running low on cards, potentially forcing you to relinquish valuable plays or momentum.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting of High Ground demands a precise mana setup, needing both white mana and additional generic mana. This specificity narrows its seamless integration, catering more towards mono-white or two-color decks, while potentially complicating the mana base in more diverse, multi-color deck strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When playing High Ground, the investment is not insubstantial. Clocking in at a total of three mana, this enchantment may compete with other impactful three-cost cards that could offer immediate effects like removal, acceleration, or card advantage, making it a considered choice when building your deck for optimized performance.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: High Ground supports a variety of deck archetypes that prioritize defense. It enhances creatures’ ability to block, turning even the smallest creatures into effective deterrents against attackers.
Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with cards that profit from fortified defenses. It works exceptionally with strategies that incentivize opponents to attack elsewhere or when combined with cards that tap creatures to prevent them from attacking altogether.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based aggression is prevalent, High Ground can give a player the tactical edge they need. It’s especially potent in multiplayer formats where board states can become complex, and maintaining a strong defensive line is crucial.
How to beat
Overcoming the challenge posed by High Ground in Magic: The Gathering can be pivotal to turn the tide of battle in your favor. This enchantment card, giving all creatures the advantages of the high ground, allows them to block additional creatures – a strategic defensive boon that could protect your opponent significantly. To navigate this, removal spells that specifically target enchantments become essential tools in your arsenal.
Cards like Disenchant, that can destroy target artifact or enchantment, offer a direct and cost-efficient way to deal with High Ground and similar game-changing cards. It’s also wise to consider cards like Naturalize or Return to Nature, which provide similar effects while giving you flexibility within your deck. Keeping an eye out for moments when your opponent is stretched on resources could also create opportunities to remove High Ground without them having the means to counteract.
Equally, employing strategies that bypass creatures entirely, such as with direct damage spells or effects that provide unblockable capabilities to your creatures, can diminish the impact of High Ground. Ultimately, an adaptable strategy paired with the right removal cards in your deck will keep you well-prepared to dismantle any advantage gained by your opponent through this enchantment.
Cards like High Ground
High Ground stands as a valuable enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, offering a unique advantage in combat by boosting the defensive capabilities of one’s creatures. Similar to Glorious Anthem, which confers a +1/+1 boost to all creatures, High Ground too seeks to tip the scales. However, High Ground shines in its more nuanced approach — it solely enhances the defense during blocking by allowing all creatures to block an additional attacker.
Comparatively, Brave the Sands is another card that shares features with High Ground. It not only allows creatures you control to block an additional attacker like High Ground, but also grants them vigilance, allowing them to remain untapped after attacking. This means while Brave the Sands may offer more flexibility, High Ground comes at a lower mana cost and may fit better in a deck emphasizing heavy defense tactics.
In terms of strategic value within the game, High Ground presents a decent option for creature-based decks focusing on fortifying their lines and maximizing defensive potential. This enchantment can synergize with strategies that aim to create impenetrable defenses, nudging out opponents by maintaining a robust battlefield presence.
Cards similar to High Ground by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase High Ground MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Tenth Edition, 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 High Ground and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The High Ground Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by rk post.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-06-15 | Exodus | EXO | 7 | 1997 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 2 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 20 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | 10E-20 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where High Ground has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering High Ground card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-07-15 | High Ground allows you to make some complicated blocks. For example, if you’re being attacked by three creatures (call them A, B, and C) and you control three creatures (X, Y, and Z), you can have X block A and B, Y block B and C, and Z block just C, among many other possible options. The defending player chooses how each blocking creature’s combat damage will be divided among the creatures it’s blocking. |
| 2007-07-15 | High Ground’s effect is cumulative. If you have a creature that can already block an additional creature, now it can block three creatures. |
