Unknown Shores MTG Card

Mana flexibility is key for multicolored decks, making Unknown Shores valuable for diverse spell casting. Costlier than some lands, its activation can slow gameplay, requiring strategic mana management. Effective counters include land destruction and faster mana bases to outpace its usage.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
RarityCommon
TypeLand

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool. , : Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

Philosophers speak of a place where myths wash like tides upon the shores of the real.

Cards like Unknown Shores

In the rich tapestry of land cards within Magic: The Gathering, Unknown Shores presents itself as a versatile mana fixer. Its closest kin includes Mana Confluence and City of Brass, both of which also offer a way to generate any color of mana. However, unlike its contemporaries, Unknown Shores requires an extra mana to activate this ability, but it doesn’t inflict any pain on the player, an advantageous distinction when health totals are critical.

Additionally, Evolving Wilds offers a different approach to mana fixing by allowing a player to search their library for a basic land. While not providing immediate mana generation like Unknown Shores, it can help streamline a deck’s mana base without costing any life or additional mana to use. Then there is the case of Aether Hub, which generates energy counters and taps for any color of mana once. Unlike Unknown Shores, Aether Hub’s usage is limited but can be more beneficial in energy-themed decks where synergies can be maximized.

Each land card holds unique benefits and trade-offs, shaping the strategies of players across the game. Unknown Shores shines where players seek flexible mana without the drawback of life loss, providing a conservative yet resourceful option in multi-color decks.

Mana Confluence - MTG Card versions
City of Brass - MTG Card versions
Evolving Wilds - MTG Card versions
Aether Hub - MTG Card versions
Mana Confluence - MTG Card versions
City of Brass - MTG Card versions
Evolving Wilds - MTG Card versions
Aether Hub - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unknown Shores isn’t typically known for providing card advantage in the traditional sense, it shines in its ability to offer color flexibility. This becomes especially advantageous when you need access to multiple colors of mana to cast spells from your hand without being constrained by your base land colors.

Resource Acceleration: While Unknown Shores may not directly accelerate your resources like other mana rocks or ramp, it does allow for smoother gameplay by fixing your mana. This can be crucial in ensuring you always have the right color of mana available when you need it to play your spells efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although Unknown Shores functions at sorcery speed because it’s a land, its ability can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to make decisions with more information at a later point in the turn cycle, potentially during an opponent’s turn, which can lead to more informed and advantageous plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unknown Shores requires the player to sacrifice flexibility by potentially needing to discard other utility cards in hand to utilize its mana-fixing ability. This can leave players at a disadvantage, especially in the early game when resources are critical.

Specific Mana Cost: While providing any color of mana, Unknown Shores itself requires a generic and an additional mana to activate. This cost is not always feasible in fast-paced games where tempo is key, thereby restricting its inclusion in various deck types that can’t afford the slowdown.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other mana-fixing options available, Unknown Shores has a higher operational cost. Using one mana to activate might seem minor, but it adds up and can put the player at a crucial setback in terms of board presence and mana efficiency over the course of a match.

Reasons to Include Unknown Shores in Your Collection

Versatility: Unknown Shores is a nonbasic land card that can tap for colorless mana, or for mana of any color at a small additional cost. This flexibility makes it an adaptable choice for multicolored decks needing consistent mana fixing.

Combo Potential: The ability to provide any color of mana can be key in activating abilities of creatures, spells, or supporting multicolored combos without stressing your mana base too much.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players may be experimenting with three or more colors in their deck, Unknown Shores can prove to be a practical inclusion, offering a way to smoothly operate a diverse set of spells.

How to Beat Unknown Shores

Unknown Shores is a fairly common land card that gives players the flexibility to generate mana of any color for an additional cost. It’s a practical inclusion for decks that rely on diverse manabases, especially in limited formats like draft or sealed. However, this versatility comes with the price of efficiency, as utilizing Unknown Shores for colored mana is less optimal than using basic lands or more efficient mana-fixing alternatives.

To effectively counteract Unknown Shores, focus on land destruction strategies or cards that restrict land abilities, like Damping Sphere. By limiting your opponent’s ability to generate multiple colors of mana, you reduce the efficacy of their deck, especially if it hinges on casting spells with demanding mana requirements. Moreover, applying pressure with a faster and more efficient manabase would put you at an advantage, as your opponent spends extra mana to filter through Unknown Shores. Keep in mind that in competitive play, the presence of Unknown Shores often suggests a more vulnerable manabase susceptible to disruption.

In essence, by leveraging superior land strategies and incorporating disruption, you can outpace and hinder the advantage Unknown Shores may provide, turning the tide in your favor during gameplay.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unknown Shores MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Oath of the Gatewatch, 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 Unknown Shores and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Unknown Shores Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-09-27TherosTHS 2292003NormalBlackSeb McKinnon
22016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 1812015NormalBlackJung Park
32017-09-29IxalanXLN 2592015NormalBlackRob Alexander
42020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2492015NormalBlackAdam Paquette

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Unknown Shores has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal