Sheltered Thicket MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand — Mountain Forest
Abilities Cycling

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers flexibility as land or card draw, vital for optimizing deck performance.
  2. Crucial for acceleration in red or green-based strategies to maintain momentum.
  3. Instant speed cycling allows players to adapt to game changes strategically.

Text of card

(: Add or to your mana pool.) Sheltered Thicket enters the battlefield tapped. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sheltered Thicket provides the flexibility of a land card that can also function as a source of card draw when cycled, offering an option to dig deeper into your deck when a land isn’t needed.

Resource Acceleration: As part of the cycle lands, it taps for one green or red mana, assisting in resource acceleration by contributing to your mana base’s diversity and smoothness.

Instant Speed: The cycling ability can be used at instant speed, giving you the freedom to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to decide whether you need a new card, thus keeping your options open and maintaining strategic flexibility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Card cycling often requires discarding the card itself, which might not be a profitable move when you’re pressed for options or looking to keep land cards in hand for later plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Sheltered Thicket’s mana ability is color-specific, catering primarily to red and green mana decks, potentially limiting its versatility in multicolor strategies that don’t emphasize those colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield tapped unless cycled makes Sheltered Thicket slower compared to basic lands or other dual-lands that don’t enter tapped, potentially delaying your game plan.


Reasons to Include Sheltered Thicket in Your Collection

Versatility: Sheltered Thicket offers a dual function as both a land and a cycling card. This makes it an adaptable choice for land-heavy draws, allowing players to exchange it for a new card.

Combo Potential: As part of the cycle-land series, it can be utilized in strategies that profit from cycling mechanics or landfall triggers, opening up potential synergies within various deck archetypes.

Meta-Relevance: Its presence in the metagame is noted particularly in decks that demand consistent land drops while maintaining momentum. Moreover, its dual land nature supports multicolored decks in staying on curve.


How to Beat Sheltered Thicket

Sheltered Thicket plays a versatile role in Magic the Gathering as a dual-function land card. It’s at once a source of both red and green mana, and a cycling option for deck-thinning and draw flexibility. Engaging a strategy against Sheltered Thicket revolves around understanding its place within a deck that values land synergy and cycling abilities.

Primarily, Sheltered Thicket often finds a home in decks honing the lands-matter theme, like ‘Gitrog Monster’ or ‘Omnath, Locus of Rage’ builds. Thwarting strategies based on these commanders or similar ones may include employing land destruction or graveyard disruption. By directly targeting lands with cards that destroy or exile, you can keep the benefits of Sheltered Thicket at bay. Additionally, graveyard play can be an Achilles heel for cycling strategies, making cards like ‘Scavenging Ooze’ or ‘Rest in Peace’ potent countermeasures.

Ultimately, pacing is key. If you can outpace the land and draw advantages that Sheltered Thicket provides, harnessing efficient removal or setting up a quicker win condition, you can effectively counteract the reach and resource resilience that this card brings to the table.


Cards like Sheltered Thicket

Sheltered Thicket is a dual-function land card from Magic: The Gathering that offers both mana fixing and card cycling. An apt comparison would be to the card Cinder Glade, as both enter the battlefield tapped unless certain conditions are met. Sheltered Thicket, however, includes the additional ability to cycle for two mana, providing late-game flexibility by potentially drawing a more useful card.

Another comparable card is Botanical Sanctum, which also provides two types of mana. It enters the battlefield untapped if you control fewer than two other lands. While Botanical Sanctum lacks the cycling ability, its early game advantage can sometimes outweigh the long-term versatility provided by Sheltered Thicket’s cycling option. The cycle lands like Irrigated Farmland also share similarities due to their dual mana and cycling abilities, but they cater to different color combinations within the game.

Overall, Sheltered Thicket stands out for its cycling ability among MTG lands offering a strategic edge by smoothing out draws and maintaining mana consistency. This blend of utility makes it a unique and valued card in decks that can make use of the red and green mana it provides.

Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Botanical Sanctum - MTG Card versions
Irrigated Farmland - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - BFZ Standard Series (PSS1)
Botanical Sanctum - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Irrigated Farmland - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Sheltered Thicket by color, type and mana cost

Taiga - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Mogg Hollows - MTG Card versions
Shivan Oasis - MTG Card versions
Mossfire Valley - MTG Card versions
Rockfall Vale - MTG Card versions
Contested Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - MTG Card versions
Stomping Ground - MTG Card versions
Highland Weald - MTG Card versions
Fungal Reaches - MTG Card versions
Fire-Lit Thicket - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Kazandu Refuge - MTG Card versions
Rootbound Crag - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolf Run - MTG Card versions
Gruul Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Cinder Glade - MTG Card versions
Timber Gorge - MTG Card versions
Game Trail - MTG Card versions
Taiga - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Karplusan Forest - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Mogg Hollows - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Shivan Oasis - Invasion (INV)
Mossfire Valley - Fallout (PIP)
Rockfall Vale - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos (PMID)
Contested Cliffs - Commander 2013 (C13)
Skarrg, the Rage Pits - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stomping Ground - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Highland Weald - Coldsnap (CSP)
Fungal Reaches - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Fire-Lit Thicket - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Gruul Turf - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Kazandu Refuge - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
Rootbound Crag - Doctor Who (WHO)
Kessig Wolf Run - Commander 2020 (C20)
Gruul Guildgate - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Cinder Glade - Fallout (PIP)
Timber Gorge - Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)
Game Trail - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sheltered Thicket MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Promos, 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 Sheltered Thicket and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sheltered Thicket Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 2482015normalblackSung Choi
22017-04-29Amonkhet PromosPAKH 248s2015normalblackSung Choi
32020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 3302015normalblackSung Choi
42020-09-26The ListPLST AKH-2482015normalblackSung Choi
52023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 842015normalblackSung Choi
62023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 10322015normalblackSung Choi
72023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 8952015normalblackDrew Tucker
82023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 3042015normalblackDrew Tucker
92023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 5142015normalblackDrew Tucker
102023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 11052015normalblackDrew Tucker
112024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2912015normalblackSung Choi
122024-03-08FalloutPIP 5082015normalblackConstantin Marin
132024-03-08FalloutPIP 2892015normalblackConstantin Marin
142024-03-08FalloutPIP 10362015normalblackConstantin Marin
152024-03-08FalloutPIP 8172015normalblackConstantin Marin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sheltered Thicket has restrictions

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

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