Shelter MTG Card


Provides both creature protection and card replacement, enhancing strategic play and resource management. Its instant speed allows for surprise defensive plays, disrupting opponent’s strategies efficiently. Demands careful mana planning due to its specific mana cost and potential discard requirement.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Text of card

Target creature you control gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. Draw a card.

Good strategists seize opportunities. Great strategists make their own.


Cards like Shelter

Shelter is a notable instant in Magic: The Gathering that enables creatures to not only dodge removal but also to draw a card, adding a slight card advantage to its defensive characteristics. It shares similarities with cards like Gods Willing, which also provides protection to a creature. However, Shelter allows the choice of any color, unlike Gods Willing which is limited to granting protection from a single color and thus shines in more versatile situations.

Comparatively, we find the card Emerge Unscathed. It too is designed to protect creatures, but it reincorporates itself with the Rebound mechanic, potentially offering protection for two turns. Despite this upside, Emerge Unscathed doesn’t offer card draw, which is where Shelter gains an edge for those looking to maintain hand size. Additionally, we see cards like Valorous Stance offering dual utility in either protecting a creature or destroying a tough one, yet it sacrifices the draw component found in Shelter.

Therefore, when evaluating similar spells, Shelter holds a solid position in MTG as a card providing both creature protection and an opportunity to keep the hand fueled, balancing defense with an incremental advantage.

Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Emerge Unscathed - MTG Card versions
Valorous Stance - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Emerge Unscathed - MTG Card versions
Valorous Stance - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shelter by color, type and mana cost

Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Divine Offering - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Potion - MTG Card versions
Invulnerability - MTG Card versions
Remedy - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Shield - MTG Card versions
Samite Ministration - MTG Card versions
Shield Wall - MTG Card versions
Life Burst - MTG Card versions
Equal Treatment - MTG Card versions
Aura Extraction - MTG Card versions
Raise the Alarm - MTG Card versions
Test of Faith - MTG Card versions
Echoing Calm - MTG Card versions
Dawn Charm - MTG Card versions
Graceful Reprieve - MTG Card versions
Last Breath - MTG Card versions
Angelsong - MTG Card versions
Rest for the Weary - MTG Card versions
Puncturing Light - MTG Card versions
Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Divine Offering - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Potion - MTG Card versions
Invulnerability - MTG Card versions
Remedy - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Shield - MTG Card versions
Samite Ministration - MTG Card versions
Shield Wall - MTG Card versions
Life Burst - MTG Card versions
Equal Treatment - MTG Card versions
Aura Extraction - MTG Card versions
Raise the Alarm - MTG Card versions
Test of Faith - MTG Card versions
Echoing Calm - MTG Card versions
Dawn Charm - MTG Card versions
Graceful Reprieve - MTG Card versions
Last Breath - MTG Card versions
Angelsong - MTG Card versions
Rest for the Weary - MTG Card versions
Puncturing Light - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drawing cards is at the heart of staying ahead in MTG. Shelter provides an edge by replacing itself in your hand, ensuring you don’t lose out on card count when protecting your creatures from harm.

Resource Acceleration: While Shelter doesn’t directly generate additional resources, it does enable you to effectively use your mana by protecting your key creatures. This strategic defense can be seen as an indirect form of maintaining your pace and advancing your board state.

Instant Speed: The real power of Shelter lies in its instant speed. This means you can respond to threats at a moment’s notice, catching opponents off-guard and tipping the scales in your favor when they least expect it. It’s a valuable tactical tool that adds a layer of unpredictability to your gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shelter necessitates discarding a card, which can hinder your hand, particularly when your options are already limited.

Specific Mana Cost: Needing both white mana and generic mana restricts its integration into multi-colored decks, as it can clash with a deck’s mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the protection and card draw are valuable, its combined mana cost is steep compared to other options within Magic the Gathering, potentially making it less attractive in fast-paced or mana-efficient strategies.


Reasons to Include Shelter in Your Collection

Versatility: Shelter provides an array of uses, functioning as both protection for your creatures and a card draw mechanism. It’s perfect for decks that need to safeguard their key creatures while maintaining card advantage.

Combo Potential: As an instant that can target any creature, Shelter has immense combo potential. It pairs well with cards that benefit from being targeted, like heroic creatures or those that trigger upon casting a spell.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with targeted removal or in games that pivot on creature combat, Shelter can be a game-changer. It allows creatures to dodge removal and come out on top in battles, which can be crucial for maintaining board presence.


How to beat

Shelter is a versatile instant in MTG that offers players both protection and card draw, allowing them to keep a key creature safe from harm while replenishing their hand with options. To effectively overcome Shelter, one should anticipate the use of such protection spells. Timing is crucial; casting removal spells when the opponent is low on mana or after they’ve committed to the board can reduce their ability to respond with Shelter.

Tactics such as waiting for the opponent to tap out or using spells that can’t be countered play a significant role in outmaneuvering Shelter’s defenses. Additionally, incorporating cards that force multiple threats simultaneously can tax the opponent’s resources, making it more challenging to protect their creatures. Utilizing board wipes can also be an effective strategy, as Shelter only targets a single creature, leaving others exposed to more comprehensive removal strategies.

Staying mindful of Shelter and playing around it by applying pressure and forcing disadvantageous uses of the card will help you maintain control of the game. Recognizing the critical moments and strategically navigating around this protective spell are key to overcoming its influence on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

The dynamics of MTG evolve with each card played, and Shelter is one piece that can turn the tides of battle in your favor. Its utility extends beyond simple protection, bolstering your hand and flexing tactical muscle at instant speed. Now that you’ve grasped the strengths and fragilities of Shelter, along with its potential for synergy and its standing among similar cards, we encourage you to weave it into your deck strategies. Reflect on its place within the current meta and how you might outmaneuver its defenses to claim victory. For an even deeper understanding and sharper deck-building insights, join us as we continue to decode the intricacies of MTG and arm you with the knowledge to excel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shelter MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Vintage Masters, 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 Shelter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shelter Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 461997NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 442015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
32016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 292015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
42019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 282015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
52021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 1332015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
62023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 562015NormalBlackAlayna Danner
72023-08-04Commander Masters Art SeriesACMM 32015Art seriesBorderlessAlayna Danner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shelter has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-06-14 A permanent gaining protection may cause a spell or ability on the stack to have an illegal target. As a spell or ability tries to resolve, if all its targets are illegal, that spell or ability doesn’t resolve. None of its effects happen, including effects unrelated to the target. If at least one target is still legal, the spell or ability does as much as it can to the remaining legal targets, and its other effects still happen.
2019-06-14 Protection from a color means that the target creature can’t be blocked by creatures of that color, can’t be the target of spells of that color or abilities from sources of that color, can’t be enchanted or equipped by Auras or Equipment of that color, and all damage that sources of that color would deal to it is prevented. Nothing other than these events is prevented or illegal.
2019-06-14 The legality of a spell’s targets is checked only as that spell begins to resolve. If Shelter gives the targeted creature protection from white, you’ll still draw a card.
2019-06-14 You can’t choose “artifact” or “colorless” as Shelter asks you to choose a color, since those are not colors.