Interplanar Beacon MTG Card
2019-05-03 - Number 247
2023-08-04 - Number 1004
2020-09-26 - Number WAR-247
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Key Takeaways
- Boosts card advantage and accelerates resource availability when casting planeswalker spells in MTG.
- Offers specific mana for planeswalker abilities, although it may deplete your hand quicker.
- Essential for multi-planeswalker decks, increasing versatility and meta relevance in MTG.
Text of card
Whenever you cast a planeswalker spell, you gain 1 life. : Add . , : Add two mana of different colors. Spend this mana only to cast planeswalker spells.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Interplanar Beacon is a land card, which on its own doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards. However, its ability to filter mana for planeswalker spells can indirectly lead to card advantage as it helps you cast planeswalkers that can draw cards or provide you with additional resources.
Resource Acceleration: This card has the unique ability to add colorless mana to your mana pool or two mana of different colors specifically for casting planeswalker spells. This can significantly accelerate your ability to play high-impact planeswalker cards earlier in the game, potentially swinging the match in your favor.
Instant Speed: While Interplanar Beacon itself is a land card and doesn’t operate at instant speed, it provides mana that can be used to cast planeswalkers at any time you could play a sorcery. However, if your planeswalkers have instant-speed abilities, this land ensures that you always have the right mana to use them as soon as they come into play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Interplanar Beacon doesn’t ask players to discard, it has a unique cost that can affect your gameplay similarly. Casting multiple planeswalkers to benefit from its ability could deplete your hand, leaving you with fewer options as the game progresses.
Specific Mana Cost: The Beacon produces colorless mana under regular circumstances which doesn’t align with decks that are highly dependent on colored mana. Its main ability also requires colored mana, which can be a downside for mono-color or colorless-focused decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Beacon itself is not costly to play, the cost of casting multiple planeswalkers to maximize its effect can lead to a high curve in your deck’s mana. This may slow down your game plan, especially in the early turns when speed is crucial.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Interplanar Beacon is a unique land card that can slot into any multicolored deck, providing both mana fixing and a little bit of life gain. The ability to access any color of mana when casting planeswalker spells makes it highly adaptable. Its inclusion can be crucial for decks that revolve around planeswalker synergies.
Combo Potential: This card works wonders in a superfriends deck, where you might be casting multiple planeswalkers in one turn. The additional life gained each time can help buffer against aggressive strategies while setting up powerful planeswalker combos.
Meta-Relevance: As planeswalkers continue to play a big role in various formats, having Interplanar Beacon in your collection ensures you’re prepared. Its relevance in a shifting meta can’t be understated, especially with decks trying to maximize the impact of their planeswalker contingent.
How to beat
The Interplanar Beacon shines in decks that are rich with planeswalkers, providing both mana fixing and life gain as players cast their walker spells. To navigate through the radiant glow of this mana fixer, understanding the environments where it thrives is key. The Beacon does not affect the board state directly, which means it leaves an opening for aggressive strategies to take advantage and apply pressure. Counter the Beacon’s influence by keeping a quick pace and making every creature count. Being able to close out the game before planeswalkers can dominate is crucial.
Spot removal spells and direct damage to planeswalkers are also important tools. Fast, efficient spells like Lightning Bolt or Heartless Act allow you to manage the planeswalkers while they are still few. Moreover, if you are aware your opponent relies on the Interplanar Beacon, sideboard in land destruction cards or specific hate spells like Damping Sphere to disrupt their strategy. Adapting your game plan to counteract this card can significantly increase your chances of coming out ahead in the battle.
Ultimately, staying proactive and aiming for an optimal curve will help ensure that the Interplanar Beacon’s advantages are minimized, keeping your opponent on the back foot and paving the way for your victory.
Cards like Interplanar Beacon
Interplanar Beacon holds a unique position within Magic: The Gathering’s vast array of mana-fixing lands. Its closest competitors include Command Tower, which also supplies mana for multicolor decks but lacks the life-gaining ability that makes Interplanar Beacon stand out in multi-planeswalker strategies.
Another card worth mentioning is Aether Hub, which provides energy counters and one mana of any color, but its singularity pertains to energy-focused decks and does not have the same planeswalker synergy. Mana Confluence is a stronger parallel in terms of mana diversity, yielding any color, but at the cost of life rather than gaining it.
Each of these lands serves a different purpose, complementing various deck archetypes. However, for players who build around planeswalkers, Interplanar Beacon’s niche appeal is unrivaled, granting both domain over mana color and incremental life gains essential for withstanding longer games.
Cards similar to Interplanar Beacon by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Interplanar Beacon MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark 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 Interplanar Beacon 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 Interplanar Beacon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Adam Paquette.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-05-03 | War of the Spark | WAR | 247 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | WAR-247 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | ||
| 3 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 1004 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Interplanar Beacon has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Interplanar Beacon card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-05-03 | Both mana produced by Interplanar Beacon’s last ability may be spent on the same planeswalker spell, or each may be spent on different planeswalker spells. |
| 2019-05-03 | Interplanar Beacon’s first ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
