Map the Wastes MTG Card
2015-01-23 - Number 134
2019-11-07 - Number 1268
2020-09-26 - Number FRF-134
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Bolster |
Key Takeaways
- Map the Wastes provides dual benefits—mana ramp and bolstering creatures, setting a foundation for stronger plays.
- The card favors decks using green mana, but is less flexible for multicolored or colorless builds.
- In the right deck, its ability to support creature growth and mana acceleration can substantially sway games.
Text of card
Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Bolster 1. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Map the Wastes shines by giving you a bolster effect in addition to a land onto the battlefield, effectively offering a two-for-one deal in one card. This type of advantage can tilt the scales in your favor, as it works to both develop your board and enhance your creatures.
Resource Acceleration: The simple act of placing an additional land ensures that your mana resources grow more quickly, paving the way for bigger plays ahead of schedule. This can be crucial in ramp strategies that aim to outpace the opponent with more powerful spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: Although this spell operates at sorcery speed, it stimulates strategic planning on when to best deploy your resources, ensuring you use your mana efficiently each turn. While not an instant, understanding when to cast Map the Wastes can be just as crucial as the benefits provided by instant-speed spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Map the Wastes does not specifically require a discard, its play may force a strategic discard later due to its mana commitment, which could be detrimental when needing to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Map the Wastes requires a green mana and two colorless, making it exclusive to decks that can produce green mana, potentially limiting its versatility in multi-color or colorless decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana to ramp and bolster may seem reasonable, but when considering the curve of many decks, this card competes with more impactful three-cost spells or creatures that could immediately affect the board state.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Map the Wastes can easily find its place in numerous deck builds, giving a crucial mana ramp and bolstering your creature’s strength all in one go. This flexibility makes it a useful card for various situations, helping players accelerate their game plan.
Combo Potential: This card not only increases your mana pool but also synergizes well with strategies that rely on +1/+1 counters. It can be a key component in enhancing combos that pivot around strengthening creatures and enables more powerful moves as the game progresses.
Meta-Relevance: With a shift towards decks that aim for a strong late game, Map the Wastes adds value by allowing players to reach their critical game-changing spells faster. Its relevance can be seen most in environments where developing your board quickly is essential to outpace your opponents.
How to beat
Map the Wastes is a known spell in Magic: The Gathering that aids players in ramping up their mana resources by searching for a basic land card and putting it onto the battlefield tapped. It also bolsters your creatures with a +1/+1 counter, nurturing the growth of your forces. To outmaneuver this strategy, it’s essential to have land destruction or counter spells at the ready. Field of Ruin or Ghost Quarter, can disrupt your opponent’s mana base, while Negate can thwart Map the Wastes when it’s cast.
Additionally, managing the board presence of creatures that benefit from the +1/+1 counter is vital. Spells like Languish or Pyroclasm can sweep the battlefield clean before the creatures become too imposing. By staying a step ahead with these approaches, you can efficiently circumnavigate the advantages granted by Map the Wastes and maintain control of the game.
It’s about planning, anticipating the deployment of Map the Wastes, and holding onto essential spells that can counteract and diminish its influence on the game. When these tactics are executed correctly, the setback that Map the Wastes provides to your opponents can be cleverly inverted to become an advantage in your favor.
Cards like Map the Wastes
Map the Wastes is a nuanced card in the vast landscape of ramp spells in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other cards that allow players to search their library for a basic land card and place it onto the battlefield tapped, like Rampant Growth. Yet Map the Wastes steps out with its bolster mechanic, providing additional value by giving a creature a permanent power boost, making this card versatile in decks focused on creature growth.
Another comparable card is Nissa’s Pilgrimage, which can potentially grab two lands, increasing the land drop efficiency but without the bolster bonus. Where Nissa’s Pilgrimage shines in land quantity, Map the Wastes gives creature decks an extra edge in combat scenarios. Cultivate and Kodama’s Reach also fall in this category, offering land acceleration but distributing their impact between battlefield and hand, rather than focusing on creature enhancement.
Ultimately, Map the Wastes holds a unique space within MTG ramp spells. By combining mana development and creature augmentation, it provides an interesting option for players looking to meld ramp strategies with creature-based tactics.
Cards similar to Map the Wastes by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Map the Wastes MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged and Mystery Booster, 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 Map the Wastes 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 Map the Wastes Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-01-23 | Fate Reforged | FRF | 134 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1268 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | FRF-134 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Map the Wastes has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Map the Wastes card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | Bolster itself doesn’t target any creature, though some spells and abilities that bolster may have other effects that target creatures. For example, you could put counters on a creature with protection from white with Abzan Skycaptain’s bolster ability. |
| 2014-11-24 | You determine which creature to put counters on as the spell or ability that instructs you to bolster resolves. |
