High Seas MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Number	83
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Massimilano Frezzato

Key Takeaways

High Seas enables strategic depth by gaining card advantage, crucial for crafting winning plays.
Resource acceleration with High Seas can outpace opponents, critical in tight matches.
Instant-speed play allows for flexible responses to opponents’ actions, keeping you in control.

Text of card

Red creature spells and green creature spells cost o1 more to play.

Bend as the wave breaks or it will break you as well. —Saprazzan saying

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Empowers players to delve deeper into their deck, providing critical options for strategic plays. In the case of the High Seas MTG card, it allows sailors and marauders alike to harness the relentless tides to reclaim assets from the depths of their library.

Resource Acceleration: A gust of economic wind, High Seas can speed up your gameplay significantly. Similar to capturing a rival’s treasury ship, this card might afford you the resources needed to outmaneuver and outpace the competition on the board.

Instant Speed: With the agility of a nimble frigate, the High Seas card can be deployed at the most opportune moments. Much like responding to the sudden shift of winds, the instant nature of this card ensures you can adapt quickly to the ebb and flow of battle without sacrificing the element of surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: High Seas necessitates a discard from your hand, which might diminish your tactical options, particularly in the early game where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a stringent combination of blue and black mana, making it less flexible for multicolored decks that might not always have the right mana at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While High Seas can disrupt opponents effectively, its higher mana cost could slow down your gameplay, as there are other cards that can offer similar control effects with a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: High Seas offers broad usability across multiple deck archetypes, particularly in formats where land disruption can provide a significant edge. The ability to hinder your opponent’s mana base while developing your own strategy makes it a flexible card in numerous situations.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on your opponents being mana-strapped. Coupled with land destruction or bounce effects, High Seas can shift the momentum of the game in your favor, paving the way for powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where many decks rely on a stable and diverse mana base to cast multi-colored spells efficiently, High Seas can serve as a potent tool to disrupt such plans. As the meta fluctuates, this card could become increasingly significant in controlling the pace of gameplay.

How to beat

Navigating the treacherous waters of the High Seas card in Magic: The Gathering requires strategic foresight and clever deck construction. It’s crucial to understand that High Seas can significantly disrupt certain decks by incrementing the cost of creature spells. To circumvent this effect, consider leveraging spells that aren’t creature-based, such as noncreature artifacts or enchantments that can still assert your presence on the battlefield without the additional tax.

Another effective strategy is to utilize low-cost creatures or those with alternate casting methods like unearth or evoke. This can help maintain a board presence without paying the additional cost. Additionally, have a plan for direct removal or bounce spells that can eliminate or return High Seas to the opponent’s hand, thus temporarily relieving you of its taxing grip on your game plan. If possible, including enchantment destruction or counterspells in your sideboard can give you the edge you need to disarm this troublesome card and sail your way to victory.

Always keep in mind that MTG is a game of adaptability. By anticipating High Seas and adjusting your strategy accordingly, you’ll stand a better chance against opponents who aim to slow you down with this potent control card.

Cards like High Seas

High Seas brings an intriguing dynamic to the table in the realm of creature control within Magic: The Gathering, operating in a similar space to cards like Spell Pierce and Mana Leak. While these cards are known for their mana-cost efficiency when countering spells, High Seas targets creatures directly, making it a targeted hindrance to opponents relying on powerful creatures to dominate the game.

Another comparable card is Frost Breath, which, instead of increasing casting cost, taps creatures and keeps them from untapping in their next untap step. This is a temporary solution but can be just what is needed for that tactical advantage. Propaganda also shares the theme of making opponents pay more to attack, yet it affects the combat phase specifically rather than influencing the casting process.

Assessing its role in control strategies, High Seas has a distinct appeal for decks that aim to disrupt creature-heavy opponents early in the game. It’s a more preemptive measure that can shape the flow of the match, offering a strategic edge to players who favor long-term play over immediate impact.

Cards similar to High Seas by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase High Seas MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 High Seas and other MTG cards: