Run Ashore MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Run Ashore offers dual card bounce back, providing a critical advantage by disrupting opponent’s board setup.
  2. Utilizing instant speed, it presents flexibility to counteract threats or obstacles in a timely manner.
  3. Though costly in mana, its strategic value in controlling game tempo makes it a noteworthy pick.

Text of card

Choose one or both — • The owner of target nonland permanent puts it on the top or bottom of their library. • Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.

"Which one of you slug-brained milksops forgot to make an offering to Cosima?" —Jolkur, navigator


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Run Ashore provides the strategic edge of bouncing not one, but two opposing cards back to the owner’s hand. This can disrupt your opponent’s board development significantly, giving you an upper hand during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or acceleration, Run Ashore can set your opponent’s resources behind by returning expensive or pivotal permanents. This indirect resource manipulation allows you extra time to develop your strategy and advance your board position without expending additional resources.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of instant speed is a hallmark of Run Ashore, allowing you to adapt to the battlefield dynamically. This unexpected play can be particularly disruptive during an opponent’s combat phase or end step, maintaining the element of surprise and giving you the ability to respond aptly to threats.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Run Ashore doesn’t directly ask for a card to be discarded, it can effectively force a discard if used in a manner that returns an opponent’s card to a full hand, thereby leading them to discard due to hand size limits.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific mana arrangement with two blue mana in its casting cost, which can be challenging to achieve in multicolored decks that might not focus on blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a six mana investment needed to play Run Ashore, it’s important to consider the cost-to-benefit ratio. There are other cards that might provide more immediate board control or disruption for a lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Run Ashore in Your Collection

Versatility: Run Ashore offers a flexible response to many situations on the battlefield. Its ability to bounce two target nonland permanents to their owner’s hand makes it a useful inclusion in decks looking to control the pace of the game or save their own critical pieces at a crucial moment.

Combo Potential: This card can create openings for powerful plays, allowing you to disrupt opponent strategies or reclaim your permanents for repeatable effects. It works well with cards that benefit from being recast or have enter-the-battlefield triggers, making it a handy tool for combo-centric decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where permanents with significant board presence dominate, Run Ashore can shift the momentum in your favor. Whether clearing the way for a decisive attack or staving off defeat, its presence can be pivotal against decks that aim to win through establishing a resilient board state.


How to beat

Run Ashore is a unique control tool in the MTG universe that can disrupt opponents by returning their nonland permanents to their hand. However, just as with any compelling card, there are strategies to counter it. Firstly, instant-speed removal spells are highly effective since they can eliminate a targeted permanent before Run Ashore resolves. This minimizes its impact by reducing the number of targets available.

Additionally, having a robust array of low-cost creatures or permanents ensures that even if some are returned to your hand, you can replay them without significant loss of tempo. Playing around Run Ashore by holding back some threats in your hand can also prevent your opponent from capitalizing on the tempo swing the card generally provides. Cards with enter-the-battlefield effects or creatures that can be flashed in response offer an alternative approach, turning a seeming setback into an opportunity.

Remember, decks built with diversity in response tools and a strategic mindset will often manage to outmaneuver the disruption created by Run Ashore, maintaining the upper hand in the duel.


Cards like Run Ashore

Run Ashore is a captivating tactical play within the realm of blue control cards in MTG. It draws parallels to other bounce spells such as Disperse and Into the Roil, each providing players the ability to return nonland permanents to their owner’s hand. Run Ashore, however, elevates this concept by allowing the simultaneous return of two different targets, a potential game swing not seen with the likes of Disperse.

Engulf the Shore is another close relative in this category, capable of bouncing multiple creatures based on the number of Islands controlled; although not as targeted as Run Ashore, it can affect the board on a larger scale. Whelming Wave represents a more sweeping option, sending all creatures except for Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents back to the hands from which they came – quite thematic but not as surgical as Run Ashore’s dual-targeted mechanism.

In drawing these comparisons, it becomes evident that Run Ashore stands out for precise control and the obstruction of an opponent’s next turn. Its unique power to influence the immediate state of play affirms its spot as a hefty contributor in blue’s arsenal of delaying tactics and control strategies in MTG.

Disperse - MTG Card versions
Into the Roil - MTG Card versions
Engulf the Shore - MTG Card versions
Whelming Wave - MTG Card versions
Disperse - Morningtide (MOR)
Into the Roil - Zendikar (ZEN)
Engulf the Shore - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Whelming Wave - Born of the Gods (BNG)

Cards similar to Run Ashore by color, type and mana cost

Opportunity - MTG Card versions
Spelljack - MTG Card versions
Sublime Epiphany - MTG Card versions
Supplant Form - MTG Card versions
True Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Discontinuity - MTG Card versions
Into Thin Air - MTG Card versions
Reweave - MTG Card versions
Time Stop - MTG Card versions
Overwhelming Intellect - MTG Card versions
Gather Specimens - MTG Card versions
Counterlash - MTG Card versions
Chronostutter - MTG Card versions
Waterwhirl - MTG Card versions
Will of the Naga - MTG Card versions
Dragonlord's Prerogative - MTG Card versions
Mirror Match - MTG Card versions
Aethersnatch - MTG Card versions
Synthetic Destiny - MTG Card versions
Scour the Laboratory - MTG Card versions
Opportunity - The List (PLST)
Spelljack - Judgment (JUD)
Sublime Epiphany - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Supplant Form - Fate Reforged (FRF)
True Polymorph - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Discontinuity - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Into Thin Air - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Reweave - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Time Stop - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Overwhelming Intellect - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Gather Specimens - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Counterlash - The List (PLST)
Chronostutter - The List (PLST)
Waterwhirl - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Will of the Naga - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Dragonlord's Prerogative - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)
Mirror Match - Legendary Cube Prize Pack (PZ1)
Aethersnatch - Legendary Cube Prize Pack (PZ1)
Synthetic Destiny - Kaldheim Commander (KHC)
Scour the Laboratory - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Run Ashore MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Kaldheim Art Series, 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 Run Ashore and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Run Ashore Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-02-05KaldheimKHM 742015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
22021-02-05Kaldheim Art SeriesAKHM 192015art_seriesborderlessSvetlin Velinov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Run Ashore has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Run Ashore card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-02-05 For the first mode, the owner of the card chooses whether it goes on the top or bottom of that library.
2021-02-05 If you choose both modes, they happen in the listed order and nothing happens in between them. Notably, if the second mode targets an Aura currently enchanting the target of the first mode, that Aura will be returned to its owner’s hand. (It wouldn’t be put into a graveyard as a state-based action until after Run Ashore is done resolving.)

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks