Felidar Retreat MTG Card


Landfall triggers offer choice of token creation or bolstering creatures, enhancing board control effectively. The enchantment thrives in ramp decks, multiplying creature presence and complementing massive spells. Instant-speed land plays synergize with Felidar Retreat, enabling unexpected and potent board changes.
Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Landfall

Text of card

Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, choose one — • Create a 2/2 white Cat Beast creature token. • Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn.


Cards like Felidar Retreat

Felidar Retreat is an influential card in MTG that provides both board presence and an aggressive strategy. It’s often compared to Retreat to Emeria, as they both belong to the Retreat series and share the landfall mechanic, triggering powerful effects when a land enters the battlefield. However, Felidar Retreat offers a unique versatility allowing players to choose between creating a creature token or placing a +1/+1 counter on each creature they control.

Another close comparison is with Archangel Avacyn, which also provides an immediate impact on creature-based strategies, transforming to offer an additional protective effect. Yet, Felidar Retreat’s consistent incremental advantages can lead to overwhelming board states over time. Cards like Nissa, Who Shakes the World hold a similar enchantment flavor, amplifying the potency of lands and providing creature tokens. While Nissa has direct synergy with forests and offers a ramping ability, Felidar Retreat’s flexibility to affect the entire battlefield sets it apart.

When deciding on cards to enhance your MTG deck, Felidar Retreat stands out within the pantheon of enchantments. Its ability to shape the game’s flow through repeated landfall activations allows it to make an indelible mark in games, especially in formats where the ramp is prevalent.

Retreat to Emeria - MTG Card versions
Nissa, Who Shakes the World - MTG Card versions
Retreat to Emeria - MTG Card versions
Nissa, Who Shakes the World - MTG Card versions

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Decks using this card

MTG decks using Felidar Retreat. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Five-color LandsFive-color Lands GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 09 2024
Four-color LandsFour-color Lands GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 14 2024
Boros AggroBoros Aggro GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 12 2024
Five-color RampFive-color Ramp GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back
Four-color ZooFour-color Zoo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 08 2024
Selesnya Generic Prime TimeSelesnya Generic Prime Time ModernSelesnya Generic Prime TimeModern Challenge 64 2024-01-28
Abzan LandsAbzan Lands GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Felidar Retreat shines at offering more than just a single benefit upon landing on the battlefield or triggering its landfall. Each time you play a land, you get to choose between creating a 2/2 white Cat Beast creature token—bolstering your board presence—or placing a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control, which could turn the tide of the game by boosting an entire army in one swoop.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly producing mana, the card plays a pivotal role in ramp decks. By offering a consistent way to generate creature tokens with each land drop, Felidar Retreat can accelerate your resources in terms of creatures on the board. This can be incredibly valuable for strategies that benefit from numerous creatures or require fodder for convoking massive game-ending spells.

Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, Felidar Retreat synergizes well with instant-speed land drops from effects like fetch lands or instant-speed ramp spells. This interaction allows for surprising end-of-turn plays that can instantly enhance your board state, catching opponents off guard and maximizing the impact of your untapped mana.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Felidar Retreat doesn’t require a discard upon casting, it can be undermined by strategies necessitating discards, thereby reducing its effectiveness and leaving you at a disadvantage if you’re unable to capitalize on its landfall triggers.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment demands a precise mana arrangement with both generic and white mana, which can be restrictive. Decks not focused on white mana may find it difficult to accommodate Felidar Retreat, leading to potential issues in mana fixing to ensure it can be played consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana to bring Felidar Retreat into play, it competes with other impactful four-drop spells and permanents. Considering the investment, players must evaluate if the potentially delayed value from its landfall ability outweighs immediate benefits from other cards at a similar cost.


Reasons to Include Felidar Retreat in Your Collection

Versatility: Felidar Retreat offers a unique dynamic to decks that capitalize on land plays. Its ability to create creature tokens or bolster your battlefield with counters makes it adaptable for various deck strategies.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with cards that allow multiple land drops per turn, creating opportunities for explosive plays. It can serve as a key piece in landfall-centric combos, leading to swift victories.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where value and board presence matter, Felidar Retreat shines. It adjusts well to the ebb and flow of slower, more strategic matches, providing continual value as the game progresses.


How to beat

Felidar Retreat is a potent engine in Magic: The Gathering, capable of creating a sizeable board presence and boosting creatures with each land played. This value-generating enchantment from the set Zendikar Rising can rapidly tip the scales in a player’s favor, elevating simple land drops to impactful game moments. To effectively counter Felidar Retreat, players should consider strategies that can dismantle enchantments.

Removal spells like Disenchant or Nature’s Claim offer direct and cost-effective ways to dispatch Felidar Retreat from the battlefield. Additionally, keeping pressure on the enchantment’s controller may force them to play defensively, hence not fully utilizing the Retreat’s landfall trigger. For those in blue, countering the Felidar Retreat upon cast with spells like Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent it from ever affecting the board state. It’s also useful to remember that without a steady flow of land plays, Felidar Retreat loses much of its power, thus land disruption can also be a valid tactic.

Ultimately, beating Felidar Retreat requires preparedness and the ability to interrupt the synergy it creates with lands. By efficiently handling this enchantment, players can level the playing field and mitigate its otherwise considerable influence on the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Embarking on the MTG journey with Felidar Retreat in your arsenal signifies a step towards strategic mastery. Understanding the card’s pros and cons is crucial, from card advantage to its mana requirements. Introducing this enchantment into your deck can transform ordinary land plays into powerful game mechanics. As you cultivate your collection and refine your deck strategies, consider the enchantment’s versatility and combo potential to create impactful synergies. For those eager to optimize their game and embrace the tactical depth of MTG, dive in with us and make Felidar Retreat a cornerstone of victory. Discover more strategies and begin weaving this card into your path to triumph.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Felidar Retreat MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising Promos, 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 Felidar Retreat and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Felidar Retreat Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 836802015NormalBlackTyler Smith
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 16p2015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
32020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 16s2015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 2922015NormalBlackTyler Smith
52020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 162015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
62020-09-26The ListPLST ZNR-162015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
72022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 1992015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
82022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 1842015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
92023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 662015NormalBlackRalph Horsley
102023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8212015NormalBlackRalph Horsley

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Felidar Retreat has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-09-25 A landfall ability doesn't trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land.
2020-09-25 A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control.
2020-09-25 Felidar Retreat's second mode affects only creatures you control at the time the ability resolves, including creatures you control but that for some reason didn't get a +1/+1 counter. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain vigilance or get a +1/+1 counter.
2020-09-25 Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.