Expedition Map MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. The map secures strategic mana access, crucial for optimized and resourceful gameplay.
  2. Ability to fetch any land ensures flexibility and adaptability across multiple formats.
  3. Instant-speed activation of the map keeps opponents guessing, enhancing tactical depth.

Text of card

, , Sacrifice Expedition Map: Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

"I use maps to find out where explorers have already been. Then I go the other way." —Javad Nasrin, Ondu relic hunter


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Expedition Map offers a strategic edge by reliably fetching any land card from your deck, directly ensuring you access to critical resources each game. This can be a pivotal move to outpace your opponent by always having the right mana or utility land at your fingertips.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling you to search for a specific land, Expedition Map can significantly speed up your game plan. Whether it’s by obtaining a Tron land to quickly assemble the powerful Urza land trio or grabbing a utility land to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, this card aids in accelerating your resource development effectively.

Instant Speed: While the Expedition Map itself is an artifact, it can be activated at instant speed. This allows you to play it early and delay the search until the last possible moment, keeping up the element of surprise and maximizing your mana usage each turn. It fits seamlessly into your strategy, letting you respond to the evolving game board with the perfect land choice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Expedition Map’s utility in a deck doesn’t come with a discard penalty, but its setup requirement can feel somewhat similar. Securing the map early on is key to its optimal use, and losing a draw or an early play to get it on the field might delay other strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Although the initial investment is colorless and therefore accessible to any deck, the activation cost requires two generic mana. This can be a hurdle in fast-paced matches where mana efficiency is critical, particularly in early game scenarios where you might need to prioritize your mana allocation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Actually, Expedition Map has a relatively low cost to play and activate. However, in the grander scheme of things, sacrificing a turn to tutor for a land is an indirect cost. In the same mana bracket, players could be developing their board or handling threats, so using the map might lead to lost momentum in some instances, especially in highly competitive formats where speed is of the essence.


Reasons to Include Expedition Map in Your Collection

Versatility: Expedition Map serves both fledgling and seasoned decks by fetching vital lands. Whether it’s sourcing Tron lands in Modern or grabbing a crucial utility land in Commander, its ability to secure your mana base or complete a land combo makes it a worthy addition.

Combo Potential: In decks that revolve around land synergies, Expedition Map can be the linchpin. It not only helps assemble powerful land combinations but also works with recursion tactics to be used multiple times, thereby enabling and enhancing complex plays.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve, having a consistent way to access key lands becomes paramount. Expedition Map remains relevant as it adapts to various metagames, ensuring that your deck is never hindered by mana issues and keeping your strategies on track.


How to beat Expedition Map

Expedition Map is a key card in multiple Magic: The Gathering decks known for its ability to search for any land card in your deck, ensuring land drops or finding pivotal utility lands. Though it may seem daunting, there are ways to disrupt Expedition Map’s utility. One method is to apply artifact removal such as Nature’s Claim or Abrade, directly targeting the Map before it can be activated. Counterplay also comes in the form of Stony Silence or Karn, the Great Creator which restrict or prevent artifact activation, rendering the Map a mere paperweight on the battlefield.

Moreover, employing hand disruption techniques is another effective strategy. Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek can pluck Expedition Map from an opponent’s hand before they have a chance to use it, disrupting their game plan early. Lastly, exerting pressure with a fast-paced, aggressive deck may leave the opponent with insufficient time to effectively utilize their searched-for land, thereby negating the advantage they sought with Expedition Map.

It’s worth noting that understanding your opponent’s goals with Expedition Map can significantly aid in deciding the most fitting method to counter it, whether that’s through pre-emptive removal, disruption, or racing to a quick victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re aiming to optimize your MTG tactics, Expedition Map is a must-have in your arsenal. This versatile card is a game-changer, empowering you to unlock the full potential of your deck by guaranteeing access to any land at the right moment. Whether you’re assembling Tron lands in Modern or seeking vital utility lands in Commander, Expedition Map can redefine your game play. Understand its unique instant-speed advantage and incorporate it to stay ahead in the match. Ready to take your strategy to the next level? Dive deeper with us and transform your game with the power of Expedition Map.


Cards like Expedition Map

Expedition Map is a widely recognized utility card in Magic: The Gathering, sharing similarities with a range of artifact cards designed to enhance land mechanics. Just like Wayfarer’s Bauble, Expedition Map allows players to search their deck for a specific land and put it into their hand or onto the battlefield, forging a path toward mana stability or setting up powerful land combos. However, the Map trumps the Bauble by not limiting the search to basic lands, enabling the fetching of any pivotal land in a deck.

Another relative in this category is Sylvan Scrying. Although not an artifact, this sorcery spell serves a comparable purpose by allowing a player to search for any land card. The advantage of Sylvan Scrying is its direct interaction, skipping the battlefield and placing the land right into the hand, minus the activation cost required by Expedition Map. Yet, the Map’s artifact status allows it to be more versatile, able to be played and activated at different times, ensuring strategic flexibility.

In evaluating these options, Expedition Map stands out for its utility, playing a vital role in decks that hinge on interacting with specific lands. Its ease of use and flexibility in land retrieval make it an exemplary choice for discerning players of Magic: The Gathering seeking to optimize their land base.

Wayfarer's Bauble - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Scrying - MTG Card versions
Wayfarer's Bauble - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Sylvan Scrying - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Expedition Map by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Library of Leng - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Helm of Chatzuk - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Crystal Rod - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Expedition Map MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar, 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 Expedition Map and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Expedition Map Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 828002015normalblackScott Murphy
22009-10-02ZendikarZEN 2012003normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
32015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 2132015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
42020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2552015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 3592015normalborderlessScott Murphy
62020-09-26The ListPLST 2XM-2552015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 7652015normalblackFranz Vohwinkel
82023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1122015normalborderlessJulian Kok Joon Wen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Expedition Map has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Expedition Map card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2009-10-01 You may find any land card, not just a basic land card.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks