Traverse the Outlands MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Traverse the Outlands can significantly increase mana resources tied to creature power.
  2. Works best with decks having creatures with high power stats for maximum ramp.
  3. Despite a sizeable mana cost, it can be a game-changer in ramp-focused strategies.

Text of card

Search your library for up to X basic land cards, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control. Put those cards onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

With such great footsteps, everything is within walking distance.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Traverse the Outlands offers a substantial boost in card advantage by potentially searching for numerous basic lands and putting them onto the battlefield. This massive land acquisition increases your options while putting you ahead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card excellently propels your resource gathering, as it directly scales with the power of your creatures. With a mighty creature on the field, you can dramatically fast-track your mana availability and secure a leading position.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Traverse the Outlands’ effect can be seamlessly integrated into strategies as if it were, especially given the plethora of ways to flash it in with other cards. It sets the stage for explosive turns, where you ramp up and cast significant threats in swift succession.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Whilst Traverse the Outlands doesn’t specifically ask you to discard, it necessitates that you have a creature with power great enough to maximize its potential, which can sometimes leave you in a precarious position if that creature is removed from the battlefield before you cast this spell.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s green-centric mana cost can be restrictive. It requires predominantly green mana sources which could be a challenge to muster in multi-color decks, particularly in the early game when mana resources are crucial.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The five mana required to cast Traverse the Outlands is significant. In the fast-paced games of Magic, allocating five mana to potentially ramp can be a gamble, and there are numerous lower-cost ramp options that may not be as explosive but are more consistent and less risky investments for your deck’s curve.


Reasons to Include Traverse the Outlands in Your Collection

Versatility: Traverse the Outlands is a powerful addition for decks revolving around big creatures. The capacity to search your library for basic lands equal to a creature’s power gives you instant access to vital mana. This ramps up your game, whether you’re wielding green behemoths or multicolor giants.

Combo Potential: Pairing Traverse the Outlands with high-power creatures or ones that double landfall effects turns this card into a combo enabler. This could help you deploy game-winning tactics in a single turn as you flood the board with lands and leverage their synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games drag out or ramp is king, Traverse the Outlands gives you the upper hand. Ensuring you have the resources to cast high-cost spells consistently can prove to be a decisive advantage against control-based or slower, grindy decks.


How to beat Traverse the Outlands

Traverse the Outlands is a potent ramp spell in Magic the Gathering that can significantly bolster a player’s mana base, especially in decks that center around large creatures. When faced with this card, timing your land destruction or counter spells is key. Prioritize cards that can disrupt the opponent’s ability to search for lands or take advantage of cards that can stifle triggered abilities. Graveyard manipulation tactics can also be effective in some cases, as they can target the card once it has been played and prevent further recurring from the graveyard. Moreover, employing instant speed removal to deal with the creature in response to the casting of Traverse the Outlands can leave the opponent’s strategy without a pivotal piece.

Control decks can lean into their counter spell suite, with options like Negate or Essence Scatter, to prevent Traverse the Outlands from resolving in the first place. Additionally, consideration should be given to resource denial strategies using cards such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin to diminish the value gained from massive land searching effects. As MTG matches unfold, maintaining board awareness and managing resources efficiently can turn the tables against the ramping capabilities of Traverse the Outlands.


BurnMana Recommendations

Summing up our analysis, Traverse the Outlands is a card that can serve as the cornerstone of a powerful ramp strategy, especially when combined with creatures of significant strength. As you sculpt your collection and develop your gameplay, embrace the potential of what a well-timed casting of this card can do for your board presence. Enhance your deck’s ability to overpower opponents through mana acceleration and consider the strategic benefits this card holds. For those seeking to optimize their play and gain an edge through resource superiority, Traverse the Outlands may very well be your next tactical addition. Dive deeper into strategies and MTG discussions with us for a more enriched player experience.


Cards like Traverse the Outlands

Traverse the Outlands stands out in the realm of land ramp spells in Magic: The Gathering. Drawing a parallel to cards like Cultivate or Kodama’s Reach, which enable players to search their library for basic lands, Traverse the Outlands has a unique twist. It directly ties the number of lands you can search for to the power of one of your creatures, potentially fetching a massive number of lands at once. In contrast, Cultivate and Kodama’s Reach always fetch the same modest amount of lands.

Another relative in the land ramp family is Boundless Realms, which scales the land ramping effect to the number of lands already controlled. While this provides a late-game advantage, Traverse the Outlands can pivot the game much earlier depending on your creatures’ power. Then there is Harrow, a land ramp spell that also serves to fix your mana but comes with the cost of sacrificing a land, whereas Traverse the Outlands simply adds to your land base without any such sacrifice.

Deciding on which card to use depends highly on your deck’s strategy and creature strength. Traverse the Outlands blends well with decks featuring creatures with high power, making it a game-changing play when set up correctly.

Cultivate - MTG Card versions
Kodama's Reach - MTG Card versions
Boundless Realms - MTG Card versions
Harrow - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - Magic 2011 (M11)
Kodama's Reach - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Boundless Realms - Magic 2013 (M13)
Harrow - Tempest (TMP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Traverse the Outlands MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2017, 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 Traverse the Outlands and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Traverse the Outlands Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 656712015normalblackDaarken
22017-08-25Commander 2017C17 342015normalblackDaarken
32020-09-26The ListPLST C17-342015normalblackDaarken
42022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 5932015normalblackChuck Lukacs
52022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 2582015normalblackChuck Lukacs
62022-06-10Battle for Baldur's Gate PromosPCLB 258s2015normalblackChuck Lukacs
72022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 2252015normalblackChuck Lukacs

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Traverse the Outlands has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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