Salt Marsh MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Salt Marsh ensures smooth early play, offering untapped land under specific conditions.
  2. Discarding a card is the trade-off for Salt Marsh’s untapped advantage, affecting hand strategy.
  3. Salt Marsh’s dual mana supports flexible deck-building, crucial for blue-black combos.

Text of card

Salt Marsh comes into play tapped. oc T: Add o U or o B to your mana pool.

Only death breeds in stagnant water. —Urborg saying


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Salt Marsh enters untapped if you control two or fewer other lands, ensuring a smooth early game play while advancing your board state without losing momentum.

Resource Acceleration: As a dual land capable of tapping for either blue or black mana, Salt Marsh contributes to resource acceleration by providing crucial color fixing, enabling a more consistent and versatile mana base for multicolored decks.

Instant Speed: While Salt Marsh itself isn’t an instant, its ability to enter the battlefield untapped under certain conditions allows players to keep mana available for instant-speed interactions on crucial turns, effectively supporting a strategy that includes holding up counterspells and other instant-speed responses.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Salt Marsh enters the battlefield with a demand that could set you back. If you elect to play it untapped, it comes at the price of discarding another card. This trade-off may not always align with your hand management strategy, especially in critical moments where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Although Salt Marsh offers flexibility in mana generation by providing both blue and black mana, it requires a very specific mana combination to include in your deck. This can make it less desirable for multicolored decks that don’t run these colors or for players looking to maintain a streamlined mana base with basic lands or other types of dual lands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Within the realm of lands that provide dual-color mana, Salt Marsh may not rank as the most efficient choice. Considering it comes into play tapped unless you fulfill the discard condition, other lands in the game could serve a similar purpose without a downside or for a lower cost, making Salt Marsh a less attractive option when building a mana base that aims for speed and consistency.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Salt Marsh enters untapped if you control a Swamp or an Island, making it an excellent addition to multicolor decks particularly in blue-black (UB) combinations, ensuring you have access to the mana you need without skipping a beat.

Combo Potential: This land is a crucial component for setting up combos, as having the right color mana can be the difference between executing a game-winning play or not. It works seamlessly with cards that play off land types or require specific mana combinations.

Meta-Relevance: With the evolving landscape of MTG, adaptable mana bases are essential. Salt Marsh provides stability in a deck’s mana system, which is increasingly critical in formats where speed and efficiency reign supreme.


How to beat

Salt Marsh enters the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering as a dual land card with a twist—it comes into play tapped unless you control two or fewer other lands. This mechanic makes it a strategic piece in decks that value long-term mana flexibility over immediate speed. To outmaneuver an opponent utilizing Salt Marsh, it’s essential to apply early game pressure. By advancing quickly in the initial turns and deploying threats that need immediate answers, you can capitalize on the momentary lapse in your opponent’s mana development.

Oftentimes, fast aggro decks that are built to curve out and inflict substantial damage during the first few turns can effectively overwhelm a player relying on Salt Marsh. This can hinder them from stabilizing their board state or deploying key spells in time. Moreover, cards that disrupt the opponent’s lands, such as Field of Ruin, can also strip away the advantages provided by Salt Marsh, by targeting their versatile mana base and setting their strategy back. Ensuring your strategy can thrive under different circumstances will prove vital when facing decks that include cards like Salt Marsh.


Cards like Salt Marsh

Salt Marsh enters the realm of dual lands in Magic: The Gathering as an often sought-out piece for multi-color decks. Similar to the classic Coastal Tower, it gives players access to both blue and black mana. In contrast to the untapped nature of Coastal Tower, Salt Marsh comes into play tapped, delaying immediate use but retaining the mana versatility.

Comparing it to Underground River, another land that taps for blue or black mana, we see a trade-off. While Underground River is ready for use upon entering, there’s the downside of taking 1 life damage if you’re using it for colored mana. Salt Marsh, forgoing the life cost, bides its time by entering the battlefield tapped. Then there is Dismal Backwater, which not only arrives tapped but provides a small life gain as a bonus. This subtle cushion can be especially meaningful in games where life margins are thin.

In analyzing these contenders, we note that each land has its strategic place depending on the deck’s demands. Salt Marsh is a reliable inclusion, particularly in a less aggressive landscape where one can afford the initial waiting period for a stable mana base.

Coastal Tower - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Coastal Tower - Invasion (INV)
Underground River - Ice Age (ICE)
Dismal Backwater - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Cards similar to Salt Marsh by color, type and mana cost

Underground Sea - MTG Card versions
River Delta - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Dimir Aqueduct - MTG Card versions
Temple of Deceit - MTG Card versions
Watery Grave - MTG Card versions
Darkwater Catacombs - MTG Card versions
Dreadship Reef - MTG Card versions
Secluded Glen - MTG Card versions
Jwar Isle Refuge - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Darkslick Shores - MTG Card versions
Tainted Isle - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Depths - MTG Card versions
Sunken Hollow - MTG Card versions
Submerged Boneyard - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Choked Estuary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Fetid Pools - MTG Card versions
Underground Sea - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
River Delta - Ice Age (ICE)
Underground River - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Dimir Aqueduct - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Temple of Deceit - Doctor Who (WHO)
Watery Grave - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Darkwater Catacombs - Fallout (PIP)
Dreadship Reef - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Secluded Glen - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Jwar Isle Refuge - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Drowned Catacomb - Fallout (PIP)
Darkslick Shores - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos (PONE)
Tainted Isle - Fallout (PIP)
Rootwater Depths - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Sunken Hollow - Commander Masters (CMM)
Submerged Boneyard - Commander 2018 (C18)
Dismal Backwater - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Choked Estuary - Doctor Who (WHO)
Dimir Guildgate - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Fetid Pools - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Salt Marsh MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and World Championship Decks 2001, 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 Salt Marsh and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Salt Marsh Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2003-07-28. Illustrated by Jerry Tiritilli.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12000-10-02InvasionINV 3261997normalblackJerry Tiritilli
22001-08-08World Championship Decks 2001WC01 ar3261997normalgoldJerry Tiritilli
32002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 cr3261997normalgoldJerry Tiritilli
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 3252003normalwhiteJerry Tiritilli
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 325★2003normalblackJerry Tiritilli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Salt Marsh has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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