Solar Tide MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Entwine
Released	2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin
Set code	MRD
Number	24
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Dorman

Key Takeaways

Solar Tide excels in shifting card advantage and resetting the battlefield to your favor.
The card’s specific mana cost and discard requirement present strategic deck-building challenges.
Its versatility and meta-relevance can pivot games, especially against creature-heavy decks.

Text of card

Choose one Destroy all creatures with power 2 or less; or destroy all creatures with power 3 or greater. Entwine— Sacrifice two lands. (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Solar Tide provides a sweeping effect that can potentially clear multiple threats from the board in one fell swoop, tipping the scales of card advantage in your favor by dealing with several of an opponent’s creatures while you maintain your own nonwhite army.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Solar Tide can be a strategic play to reset the board, especially if you’re ahead on land drops or have key creatures that survive the selective wipe, allowing you to utilize your resources more effectively post-sweep.

Instant Speed: Although Solar Tide is a sorcery, its ability to shape the battlefield during your turn can create a pseudo-instant advantage—anticipating your opponent’s next move and disrupting their combat strategies before they have a chance to swing the momentum their way.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Solar Tide obliges players to sacrifice a creature unless they discard a white card from their hand, which can be a steep price to pay in tight situations or when the hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is heavily weighted towards white mana, this card demands a substantial commitment to white mana sources within a deck, potentially limiting its inclusion in multi-color or color-flexible strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At six mana to cast, Solar Tide sits at a higher echelon on the mana curve, which might present challenges in faster-paced games where quicker board control solutions are paramount.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Solar Tide offers a dynamic approach to control, with its unique sweeper effect that can either target creatures with power three or less or power four or greater. Its flexibility allows it to be a valuable tool in decks that need to stabilize against various board states.

Combo Potential: Its distinct cleansing power enables savvy players to craft board states to their advantage. By pairing it with creatures that dodge its criteria, or with indestructible permanents, it becomes possible to orchestrate one-sided board wipes that leave your position unscathed and dominant.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with creature-based strategies, Solar Tide rises as a decisive answer. Its capability to adapt to different kinds of threats makes it a potent sideboard card or even a main deck option, offering tactical superiority against the most common creature sizes in the game.

How to beat Solar Tide

Solar Tide is a distinctive sweep spell in Magic: The Gathering that can either target nontoken creatures with power three or less or creatures with power four or greater, depending on the mana payment. This selective board wipe can present a tough challenge, but its potency is also its vulnerability. To outmaneuver Solar Tide, a balanced field of creatures covering a spectrum of power levels is your first line of defense.

Flexibility in your creature base is key. Implementing creatures that can modify their power, such as those with “{X}” in their mana cost, offer adaptability that can evade Solar Tide’s conditional sweep. Creatures with indestructible abilities or those that provide protection from white spells also stand tall against this wave of solar force. Moreover, instant-speed spells that can either buff your creatures beyond the target power threshold or reduce their power temporarily can be your saving grace when facing this conditional board clear.

Ultimately, versatility and predictability play major roles in countering Solar Tide. By carefully curating your deck with a mix of resilient creatures and timely spells, you can protect your board state and maintain a commanding presence against this powerful MTG card.

Cards like Solar Tide

Solar Tide is a unique spell in the vast arsenal of Magic: The Gathering, and stands out in the sphere of mass removal effects. A card with a similar function is Wrath of God, which is a classic when it comes to sweeping the board clean of creatures. The difference lies in Solar Tide’s flexibility, offering the choice to eradicate creatures based on their power or whether they are untapped. This can be more advantageous in situations where selective removal is critical.

Another related card is Day of Judgment, which does not discriminate – it destroys all creatures outright. Solar Tide, in contrast, can be fine-tuned to preserve your sizable forces while dealing with opponents’ threats. Then there’s Fumigate which also clears the battlefield the same as Day of Judgment, but Fumigate offers life gain for each destroyed creature, adding a layer of benefit post-wipe.

Overall, while Solar Tide may not be the most straightforward board wipe, it shines in its ability to manipulate the outcome to the caster’s favor. In a game where control is king, having options opens a myriad of strategic doors, making Solar Tide a spell with a potentially game-changing tide of its own.

Cards similar to Solar Tide by color, type and mana cost

Guan Yu's 1,000-Li March - MTG Card versions

Sudden Disappearance - MTG Card versions

Descend upon the Sinful - MTG Card versions

Deploy the Gatewatch - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Solar Tide MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Solar Tide and other MTG cards: