Shivan Harvest MTG Card

Invasion (INV)
2000-10-02 - Number 167

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number INV-167

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment

Key Takeaways

Land destruction fuels strategic advantage by limiting opponent resources with Shivan Harvest.
Instant speed activation allows crucial timing control during opponent turns.
Demands creature sacrifice, weighing versatility against deck composition costs.

Text of card

o1o R, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target nonbasic land.

"The blood of your ancestors ran heavy on this soil. Now it's your turn to sacrifice for the glory of Shiv." —Viashino heretic

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Shivan Harvest, you have the power to disrupt your opponent’s board presence by destroying their lands. This can translate to a significant card advantage as you systematically limit their resources and potential plays.

Resource Acceleration: Requiring only a red mana and one other to activate, this enchantment can repeatedly hinder your opponent’s mana base. The ability to sacrifice creatures you control, especially tokens or expendable ones, makes it a potent form of acceleration in strategies that benefit from permanents entering the graveyard.

Instant Speed: The true strength of Shivan Harvest lies in its activation at instant speed. This grants you the leverage of decision-making during the critical moments of your opponent’s turn, forcing them to play around the constant threat of land destruction. With the right timing, you can strategically dismantle their plans without missing a beat in your own game progression.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Shivan Harvest has the potential to control opponents’ lands, it comes with the demanding requirement of sacrificing a creature. This can be a significant setback, especially if your board presence is already weak or if you need to preserve creatures for defense or offensive strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Shivan Harvest’s activation cost is restrictive, requiring one red and one generic mana. This makes it less flexible for multicolored decks that may not reliably produce the necessary red mana when needed to utilize the land destruction ability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost of 1 red and 1 generic mana, followed by an activation cost that also involves sacrificing a creature, the total investment for Shivan Harvest’s effect could be considered high. In many MTG environments where speed is essential, there are other land disruption options that might provide a faster or more cost-efficient impact on the game.

Reasons to Include Shivan Harvest in Your Collection

Versatility: Shivan Harvest offers an incredible advantage in a variety of red-focused decks that prioritize land control. Its ability to repeatedly destroy an opponent’s land resources makes it a strategic card in numerous play styles.

Combo Potential: Shivan Harvest works wonderfully in conjunction with strategies that produce a lot of creature tokens. Sacrificing these tokens to trigger Shivan Harvest’s ability can decimate your opponent’s mana base, disrupting their plays significantly.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where players consistently seek to establish powerful land bases, Shivan Harvest has become more relevant. Its presence in your deck can deter opponents from deploying strategies that rely heavily on specific lands, making it a timely inclusion in any collection.

How to beat

In the dynamic world of MTG, Shivan Harvest presents a unique challenge with its ability to disrupt land-based strategies. To effectively navigate against this red enchantment, prioritizing land protection is crucial. Cards like Terra Eternal or Sacred Ground can provide an invaluable shield against Shivan Harvest’s ability to sacrifice a creature and demolish a nonbasic land. Ensuring a steady supply of basic lands in your deck composition can also nullify the potency of Shivan Harvest’s ability since it focuses on nonbasic lands.

Another tactical approach is to limit the user’s creature count, dampening the fuel for Shivan Harvest’s ability. Efficient creature removal spells such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade can keep the board clear, thereby minimizing the chances for your opponent to capitalize on the sacrifice mechanic. Additionally, focusing on instant-speed interactions allows you to respond to Shivan Harvest activations, potentially saving your valuable lands from destruction.

Ultimately, adapting your playstyle to incorporate strategies that specifically address and mitigate Shivan Harvest’s threats will enhance your control over the game and diminish the impact this card can have on your pathway to victory.

Cards like Shivan Harvest

Shivan Harvest is a unique offering in the Magic: The Gathering repertoire, especially when you delve into the realm of land destruction. This card has a distinct niche, offering red deck players a repeatable way to remove their opponents’ lands. It’s often measured against other land disruption spells like Stone Rain and Pillage. While both Stone Rain and Pillage destroy lands outright for a one-time cost, Shivan Harvest presents an intriguing alternative with its potential for continuous use, albeit at the cost of sacrificing a creature.

Another card worth mentioning in this comparison is Avalanche Riders, which also focuses on the strategy of land destruction. However, Avalanche Riders is a creature with an echo cost, providing a more temporary presence. Unlike Shivan Harvest, which can be used multiple times as long as you have creatures to sacrifice, Avalanche Riders offers a one-and-done deal, unless you’re willing to pay its echo cost to maintain its presence on the field.

The strategic advantage of Shivan Harvest becomes clear when considering its synergy with decks that capitalize on token generation. With a reliable source of creatures to sacrifice, Shivan Harvest can rigorously pressure an opponent’s land base, making it a potential game-changer in decks designed around this tactic.

Cards similar to Shivan Harvest by color, type and mana cost

Emblem of the Warmind - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shivan Harvest MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and The List, 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 Harvest and other MTG cards: