Glacial Fortress MTG Card


Enters untapped with a Plains or Island, making it a smooth play for mana fixing. While ideal for Azorius decks, its utility could be limited in non-blue/white builds. Combines well with check land logic and cards caring about specific land types.
Card setsReleased in 17 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Text of card

Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island. : Add or to your mana pool.


Cards like Glacial Fortress

Glacial Fortress is an iconic land card that shines within the Magic: The Gathering landscape. It finds its closest parallels in a suite of dual lands that also enter the battlefield untapped under specific conditions. Cards like Sunpetal Grove and Drowned Catacomb, echo the functionality of Glacial Fortress, requiring you to control a Plains or an Island (or Swamp in the case of Drowned Catacomb), respectively, to gain the untapped benefit. These lands offer a smooth mana curve in the crucial early to mid-game.

Another related card is Hallowed Fountain, which enters untapped at the cost of 2 life. While this may seem a steep price, the immediate availability of both blue and white mana can be game-changing. The life payment is often a worthy trade-off for the speed it contributes to a deck’s pacing. Conversely, the advantage of Glacial Fortress lies in its ability to enter the battlefield untapped with no life penalty, granted the simple condition of controlling an Island or Plains is met.

These comparisons underscore the value of Glacial Fortress in any MTG deck that needs reliable mana optimization without the downside of life loss or additional costs. Its ease of integration into various deck types makes it a consistent and strategic choice for players.

Sunpetal Grove - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Fountain - MTG Card versions
Sunpetal Grove - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Fountain - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Glacial Fortress by color, type and mana cost

Tundra - MTG Card versions
Adarkar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Thalakos Lowlands - MTG Card versions
Coastal Tower - MTG Card versions
Port Town - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Fountain - MTG Card versions
Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway - MTG Card versions
Celestial Colonnade - MTG Card versions
Prahv, Spires of Order - MTG Card versions
Calciform Pools - MTG Card versions
Wanderwine Hub - MTG Card versions
Mystic Gate - MTG Card versions
Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Moorland Haunt - MTG Card versions
Sejiri Refuge - MTG Card versions
Temple of Enlightenment - MTG Card versions
Prairie Stream - MTG Card versions
Meandering River - MTG Card versions
Azorius Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Irrigated Farmland - MTG Card versions
Tundra - MTG Card versions
Adarkar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Thalakos Lowlands - MTG Card versions
Coastal Tower - MTG Card versions
Port Town - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Fountain - MTG Card versions
Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway - MTG Card versions
Celestial Colonnade - MTG Card versions
Prahv, Spires of Order - MTG Card versions
Calciform Pools - MTG Card versions
Wanderwine Hub - MTG Card versions
Mystic Gate - MTG Card versions
Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Moorland Haunt - MTG Card versions
Sejiri Refuge - MTG Card versions
Temple of Enlightenment - MTG Card versions
Prairie Stream - MTG Card versions
Meandering River - MTG Card versions
Azorius Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Irrigated Farmland - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Azorius ControlAzorius Control PioneerAzorius ControlPioneer Preliminary 2024-04-23 (1)
Niv to LightNiv to Light PioneerNiv to LightPioneer Challenge 32 2024-04-22

Card Pros

Card Advantage: As a land, Glacial Fortress doesn’t draw cards directly, but its ability to consistently provide the correct colors of mana can help you cast spells more efficiently, ultimately leading to an advantage in the cards you’re able to play.

Resource Acceleration: Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield untapped if you control a Plains or an Island, allowing for swift mana availability. This can speed up your game by letting you deploy threats or answers ahead of curve.

Instant Speed: While lands themselves don’t operate at instant speed, having a mana source that’s reliably untapped ensures that you can react to opponents’ moves at a moment’s notice with your instant spells, keeping you one step ahead in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Glacial Fortress, as a land card, doesn’t exactly require a discard, but it does have an entry condition which might set you back. It enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island. If your deck isn’t built with a mana base that can support this condition, you might be delayed in your plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Glacial Fortress tap for either white or blue mana, which naturally slots it into Azorius decks or others that share these colors. However, for decks that don’t operate with white or blue, this card becomes less useful, locking it out of color flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Glacial Fortress doesn’t have a mana cost to play it directly, its condition for coming in untapped is an indirect cost. Early in the game, it can be an inconvenient draw compared with other dual lands that do not have such prerequisites or with basic lands that are always untapped when played.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Glacial Fortress is highly adaptable, seamlessly fitting into two-color and multicolor decks that include white and blue mana. Its ability to come into play untapped, if you already control an Island or a Plains, makes it an excellent choice for mana bases aiming for consistency and speed.

Combo Potential: This land is highly synergistic with cards that benefit from land types, such as check land logic or cards that care about the number of lands you control with specific names. Its presence can enable smoother execution of your deck’s strategies by providing reliable color-fixing.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where non-basic lands are prevalent, Glacial Fortress offers a competitive edge by entering the battlefield untapped more often than not. Its relevance in control and midrange blue-white archetypes makes it a mainstay in formats where these strategies are prevalent.


How to Beat

Glacial Fortress, known for its presence in control decks across Magic: The Gathering, emerges as a reliable mana source that enters untapped when the conditions are right. This land card shines when you’re already established in the game with either a Plains or an Island. However, its very strength can be turned into a weakness early on, especially if you’re relying on it within your opening hand without other land types in sight.

One effective strategy against decks utilizing Glacial Fortress is to disrupt the player’s mana base. Land destruction spells or effects that force shuffling can unsettle the balance, causing the Fortress to enter the battlefield tapped at crucial moments. Aggressive decks that outpace control strategies, denying the setup of a stable mana base, can also prove potent. Streamlining your strategy to address the potential early-game vulnerability this card presents can help tilt the scales in your favor and dismantle the serene stability that Glacial Fortress provides to your opponent.

Overall, understanding your opponent’s deck and proactively countering their mana strategy can go a long way toward victory over a deck that includes Glacial Fortress. Monitoring the battlefield and keeping tempo high will pressure your adversary, potentially overthrowing their game plan and securing your win.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Glacial Fortress MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Magic 2011, 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 Glacial Fortress and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Glacial Fortress Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-07-17Magic 2010M10 2262003NormalBlackFranz Vohwinkel
22010-07-16Magic 2011M11 2252003NormalBlackFranz Vohwinkel
32011-07-15Magic 2012M12 2272003NormalBlackFranz Vohwinkel
42012-07-13Magic 2013M13 2252003NormalBlackFranz Vohwinkel
52017-09-29IxalanXLN 2552015NormalBlackJames Paick
62017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 255p2015NormalBlackJames Paick
72017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 255s2015NormalBlackJames Paick
82019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 4562015NormalBorderlessMatt Jukes
92023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 3152015NormalBlackAndrea Piparo
102023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 8762015NormalBlackNestor Ossandon Leal
112023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 10922015NormalBlackNestor Ossandon Leal
122023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 5012015NormalBlackNestor Ossandon Leal
132023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 2852015NormalBlackNestor Ossandon Leal
142024-03-08FalloutPIP 10252015NormalBlackErikas Perl
152024-03-08FalloutPIP 4972015NormalBlackErikas Perl
162024-03-08FalloutPIP 2662015NormalBlackErikas Perl
172024-03-08FalloutPIP 7942015NormalBlackErikas Perl

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Glacial Fortress has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2009-10-01 As this is entering the battlefield, it checks for lands that are already on the battlefield. It won't see lands that are entering the battlefield at the same time (due to Warp World, for example).
2009-10-01 This checks for lands you control with the land type Plains or Island, not for lands named Plains or Island. The lands it checks for don't have to be basic lands. For example, if you control Watery Grave (a nonbasic land with the land types Island and Swamp), Glacial Fortress will enter the battlefield untapped.