I suppose you could enchant an island with this, and just use it as a U1 card draw. Or MAYBE, under ideal circumstances, you could screw up your opponents mana base, but still. there are better cards.
ninetailedfox
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
you can use this with any islandwalk card and hit to the face!
Vinifera7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(5 votes)
There was Convincing Mirage, which didn't cantrip. Then there was this, which cantrips, but still isn't really worth a card slot.
Sir_dwar, there is no point in a card that only draws another card.
Edit: FogRaider, read sir_dwar's comment. He's talking about wasting the effect just to get the single card draw - ridiculous. I am well aware that both this and manamorphose, and any other cantrip, have viable uses.
Magasul
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(8 votes)
You guys aren't getting the point... not at all. Who cares if a 7/11 trample leviathan has landwalk or no... in fact landwalk is out of the question.
What really matters in this card is the early land control it provides with Convincing Mirage. It really screws up multi color decks and makes them unplayable (haha take that Jund dorks!) Second of all it makes for an early start in land demo deck with Demolish and other sweat things.
I think it is a great great card because it locks down the opponent in the early game and makes 90% of their hand unplayable and provides easy cover for your costy land demolishon cards to be played and totally mess them up! 5/5
StreamHopper
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
I couldn't ask for a better supporter card. 1) Makes one of your opponents' lands unusable. 2) Gives any islandwalk creatures you have an advantage (serpent of the endless seas anyone?) 3)Nice little card draw so you don't feel like it's a wasted slot in your deck.
I know that I'm gonna have four of these little buggers in my deck ^^
Conical
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
I play 4 of these in my cruel control, wouldn't take them out for anything. Early-mid game disruption, screws over emeria, valakut, magosi and other nonbasics as well as replacing itself.
.Fighter.
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm running 4 in my Mono-Blue with 4 Spreading Seas...
henz90
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@FogRaider: Manamorphose can be very effective if you cascade into it, you get 2 more mana and a card. Excellent for those seemingly tight spots!
PaladinOfSunhome
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great for slowing down your opponent by givin them an island they don't need as well as helping your creatures with Islandwalk.
3.5
Dingo777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
you can use this on your reliquery tower (or any other nonbasic land) to make your tower an island, and keep an infinate hand size, and you get to draw
edit: no where near as nice as I thought it was, all it is good for now is a small disruption of mana bases, over all I am saying no to it, if it made an island and left the prined abilities, I would say yes to it, even without the cantrip
TheSuperbloop
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(19 votes)
Q: "Why does it only enchant lands, and not humans?"
A: "Because no man is an island!"
LOL. Anyways, not bad. Not OMG amazing, but good enough.
thezanet
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Say hello to a little manland control. And you get a card on top of taking out a raging Ravine. Nice.
Stray_Dog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Excellent against non-basic lands, even if they are blue like Magosi, the Waterveil.
Chosen_of_the_Dark_Sun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I run 4x this in my U/B deck, and it's perhaps one of the most efficient cards in the deck. I cannot over-emphasize the number of games I've one simply by mana-screwing my opponent in the early game, or even the entire time. Seriously, I've had a lot of games where my opponent's entire hand is backed up and unplayable because I screw him out of one kind of mana; Jund especially gets hosed by this thing. The fact that it replaces itself is just icing on the cake.
Also, it's hilarious when your opponent is so happy to get a man-land...only for it to turn into an island.
NinjaJeff
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Your man-land is now an Island and it only cost me {1}{U}. I don't even lose the card.
Gaussgoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not as flexible as convincing mirage, but the card draw at the same cost would seem to be a bigger benefit. You also get to hose your opponent's mana base and provide landwalking lanes for your many islandwalking creatures.
4/5
Sorin__Markov
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Guys, comeon. This is crazy fantastic. Really. Think about it a cantrip and mana screw up. Play it on Jund's precious Savage Lands, and now all it can produce it U. Comeon guys!
Pwnsaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Surprising popular tech, good against alara block cards, and man lands. This card will lose effectiveness when alara and popular triple color decks rotate out, but cantrip shenagins cards are never worthless.
Unless you want to drop islandwalk fatties, this card isn't useful. When you do decide to make a deck around inkwell and stormtide leviathan and the like, this card suddenly becomes tremendously useful. You have a guarantee that your fatties can attack, the screwing up your opponents' mana base and another card, all for only 2 mana.
Of course, outside of that scenario it is not that good a card.
cloneffect
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
For several months, this was widely agreed to be be the best blue card in standard. Better than Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Simply because two spreading seas in hand was a complete death draw for the powerhouse known as Jund, whereas Jace doesn't actually do that much in that matchup. It will still be good once Alara rotates, never fear- the worldwake manlands have seen to that. The cantrip also makes two-mana hands you would normally mulligan much more keepable, too.
AXER
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
The art is cool, I got it in foil, you screw up a land, allow for Islandwalk, it's a Common, it only costs {1}{U}, and then you draw a card!
Salohkin
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
The fact that right now any serious deck in constructed with U has four of these speaks for its self. It's not any of the abilities individually, but the combined effect, and for the cost. Not to mention that a large number of constructed decks right now run 3 or more colors makes them particularly prone to the effects of this card. Absolutely love it.
kolomeha
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
This card rocks! Take that Valakut!
Nighthawk42
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
With the prevalence of Valakut Ramp this is an amazing sideboard card for any deck playing blue. This is by far the cheapest and easiest way in standard to stop a special land.
Whether it is maindeck playable depends on the metagame. While it does cantrip, that still slows you down by 2 mana for an effect which against mono or blue/x decks seems marginal. However, it can often shut down a secondary color.
6 Top 8 standard decks at Worlds 2010 played blue. 5 of the 6 these played 4x main-deck. That puts it just behind Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Preordain, and Mana Leak which were 4x in all 6.
The Stormtide Leviathan others have mentioned doesn't need this since it makes its own islands.
stagchest
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(6 votes)
EDH material here
thegatekeeper
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
damn valakut take this
http404error
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Excuse me? BLUE land destruction for 2 that cantrips? If that isn't powercreep, I don't know what is. (unless your opponent is playing solid blue)
And achieves Islandwalk. Welcome back, pirates!
JFM2796
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love hearing the groans whenever I play this. It is obviously a sideboard card against multicolor decks. Drawing the card is a nice added effect too.
Ferlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not exactly effective when it comes to Mono-coloured decks, but who really plays mono-coloured standard? (excluding myself, of course)
As listed by StreamHopper, this card gives you many good bonuses without any drawbacks.
Although, it doesn't make for amazing late-game material (since they can still use that land for colourless mana)
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This used to be a 4-of when jund was running rampant. In zendikar-som standard it kinda died
Pulsatrix
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(9 votes)
They should make a green version that changes the type to Forest, and call it Spreading Trees XD
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(6 votes)
Da Seaweed is always Greenah- In somebody else's lake You dream abowt going up dare- But dat is a big mistake! Just look at the world around you; Right here on the ocean flar! Such wonderful things surround you; What more is you lookin' FAR?
Undah the Sea! Undah the Sea! Darling it's better! Down where it's wetter! Take it from me! Up on the shore they work all day, Owt in the sun they slave away While we devotin', Full time to floatin' Undah the Sea!
Down here all da fish is happy, As off through de waves dey roll De fish on de land ain't happy, Dey sad 'cause dey in their bowl, But fish in the bowl is lucky- Dey in far a worser fate! One day when the boss get hungry: Guess who's gon' be on de plate!
Undah dah Sea! Undah dah Sea! Nobody beat us! Fry us and eat us! In fricassee! We what de land folks loves to cook, Undah dah Sea we off the hook! We got no troubles! Life is the bubbles! Undah de Sea! Undah de Sea! Since life is sweet here, We got the beat here Naturally! Even the sturgeon an' the ray-They get the urge 'n' start to play, We got the spirit, You got to hear it Undah da Sea!
The newt play the flute The carp play the harp The plaice play the bass And they soundin' sharp The bass play the brass The chub play the tub The fluke is the duke of SOUL! (Yeah) The ray he can play The lings on the strings The trout rockin' out The blackfish she sings The smelt and the sprat They know where it's at An' oh that blowfish BLOW!
Undah da Sea! Undah da Sea! When the sardine Begin the beguine It's music to me! What do they got? A lot of SAND We got a Hot Crustacean Band(TM)! Each little clam here, Know how to jam here Undah de Sea! Each little slug here, Cuttin' a rug here Undah de Sea! Each little snail here, Know how to wail here That's why it's hotter, Under the water Ya we in luck here, Down in the muck here UNDAH DE SEA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chaka-K-Rock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love it in most blue-black decks but it is a little slow. However, against valakut, kessig-wolf run and weenie decks it can basically win you the game.
IUHoosier
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Kor Cartographer hasn't given up on the idea of an accurate map.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is an all-star. Non-basic killer, can screw multicolor, and cycles itself. Elegant. 5/5 reprint this please.
FrankieGeah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I really hate when my friend use this card. Because then I am aware that in the next turn will come Cold-Eyed Selkie and unless i have a removal in my hand, I'm going to have a bad time.
doombladez
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Nice Maze of Ith you've got there. It'd be a pity if something were to happen to it...
Hashbeth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This was printed in Zendikar so as to keep hammerhead shark from being too OP.
It would be awesome if this were true...
Earthdawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@TheSuperbloop: Target human with Artificial Evolution and name Saproling, then cast Life and Limb. Spreading Seas their human :D
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@mike_stubbs1: Try looking up the Storm mechanic. Many decks find reason to cast Gitaxian Probe without particularly needing to see the opposing hand (and may cast more than one per turn!), and Street Wraith sure as hell isn't played for the cool body :p
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yeah, this is pretty annoying.
4/5
Stinga
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@mike_stubbs1 Its called cycling. They made a whole block around 2 mana cycling. If you can just replace a card for free (0 mana-draw a card would be fantastic. Combo decks, here I come) it is wonderful. At two mana it is certainly not good but not an awful idea, if just for the versatility of it.
Shiizu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A poster child for versatile support cards. Though this one is a metagaming card. A few years ago this was the card that defined the strategies used to beat Jund. At the very worst you're just drawing a card. At its best this is turning off a Dark Depths or another dangerous land. Even in draft this card was very decent and definitely screwed up my manabase and thus my opening a couple of times.
OstravaBoletaria
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
mike_stubbs1 Essentially free cantrips that dont do anything can be good. Gitaxian Probe is excellent, and not just because it gives you information. Same with Street Wraith.
Comments (48)
Edit: FogRaider, read sir_dwar's comment. He's talking about wasting the effect just to get the single card draw - ridiculous. I am well aware that both this and manamorphose, and any other cantrip, have viable uses.
Who cares if a 7/11 trample leviathan has landwalk or no... in fact landwalk is out of the question.
What really matters in this card is the early land control it provides with Convincing Mirage. It really screws up multi color decks and makes them unplayable (haha take that Jund dorks!)
Second of all it makes for an early start in land demo deck with Demolish and other sweat things.
I think it is a great great card because it locks down the opponent in the early game and makes 90% of their hand unplayable and provides easy cover for your costy land demolishon cards to be played and totally mess them up!
5/5
1) Makes one of your opponents' lands unusable.
2) Gives any islandwalk creatures you have an advantage (serpent of the endless seas anyone?)
3)Nice little card draw so you don't feel like it's a wasted slot in your deck.
I know that I'm gonna have four of these little buggers in my deck ^^
3.5
edit: no where near as nice as I thought it was, all it is good for now is a small disruption of mana bases, over all I am saying no to it, if it made an island and left the prined abilities, I would say yes to it, even without the cantrip
A: "Because no man is an island!"
LOL. Anyways, not bad. Not OMG amazing, but good enough.
Also, it's hilarious when your opponent is so happy to get a man-land...only for it to turn into an island.
4/5
Of course, outside of that scenario it is not that good a card.
Absolutely love it.
Whether it is maindeck playable depends on the metagame. While it does cantrip, that still slows you down by 2 mana for an effect which against mono or blue/x decks seems marginal. However, it can often shut down a secondary color.
6 Top 8 standard decks at Worlds 2010 played blue. 5 of the 6 these played 4x main-deck. That puts it just behind Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Preordain, and Mana Leak which were 4x in all 6.
The Stormtide Leviathan others have mentioned doesn't need this since it makes its own islands.
And achieves Islandwalk. Welcome back, pirates!
As listed by StreamHopper, this card gives you many good bonuses without any drawbacks.
Although, it doesn't make for amazing late-game material (since they can still use that land for colourless mana)
You dream abowt going up dare- But dat is a big mistake!
Just look at the world around you; Right here on the ocean flar!
Such wonderful things surround you; What more is you lookin' FAR?
Undah the Sea! Undah the Sea!
Darling it's better! Down where it's wetter!
Take it from me!
Up on the shore they work all day, Owt in the sun they slave away
While we devotin', Full time to floatin'
Undah the Sea!
Down here all da fish is happy, As off through de waves dey roll
De fish on de land ain't happy, Dey sad 'cause dey in their bowl,
But fish in the bowl is lucky- Dey in far a worser fate!
One day when the boss get hungry: Guess who's gon' be on de plate!
Undah dah Sea! Undah dah Sea!
Nobody beat us! Fry us and eat us! In fricassee!
We what de land folks loves to cook,
Undah dah Sea we off the hook!
We got no troubles! Life is the bubbles! Undah de Sea!
Undah de Sea!
Since life is sweet here, We got the beat here
Naturally!
Even the sturgeon an' the ray-They get the urge 'n' start to play,
We got the spirit, You got to hear it
Undah da Sea!
The newt play the flute
The carp play the harp
The plaice play the bass
And they soundin' sharp
The bass play the brass
The chub play the tub
The fluke is the duke of SOUL!
(Yeah)
The ray he can play
The lings on the strings
The trout rockin' out
The blackfish she sings
The smelt and the sprat
They know where it's at
An' oh that blowfish BLOW!
Undah da Sea!
Undah da Sea!
When the sardine Begin the beguine
It's music to me!
What do they got? A lot of SAND
We got a Hot Crustacean Band(TM)!
Each little clam here, Know how to jam here
Undah de Sea!
Each little slug here, Cuttin' a rug here
Undah de Sea!
Each little snail here, Know how to wail here
That's why it's hotter, Under the water
Ya we in luck here, Down in the muck here
UNDAH DE SEA!!!!!!!!!!!!
5/5 reprint this please.
It would be awesome if this were true...
4/5
Its called cycling. They made a whole block around 2 mana cycling. If you can just replace a card for free (0 mana-draw a card would be fantastic. Combo decks, here I come) it is wonderful. At two mana it is certainly not good but not an awful idea, if just for the versatility of it.
Though this one is a metagaming card. A few years ago this was the card that defined the strategies used to beat Jund.
At the very worst you're just drawing a card. At its best this is turning off a Dark Depths or another dangerous land. Even in draft this card was very decent and definitely screwed up my manabase and thus my opening a couple of times.