Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand. This land enters tapped.: Add
.
Complete guide
Bala Ged Recovery is a versatile modal double-faced card from Zendikar Rising that solves the classic problem of drawing the wrong half of your deck. Whether you need to reclaim a powerful spell from your graveyard or simply need to hit your land drop for the turn, this card has you covered. By offering both a Regrowth effect and a mana source, it provides incredible utility in any Green deck.
One Card, Two Faces
Bala Ged Recovery is a Modal Double-Faced Card (MDFC). While it is in your hand, you can choose to cast the front face, Bala Ged Recovery, for two generic and one green mana, or play the back face, Bala Ged Sanctuary, as your land for the turn. Note that the land face enters the battlefield tapped and produces green mana. Because it is a land on the back, you cannot cast the back face; you simply play it during your main phase if you have a land play available.
Zone Transitions and Mana Value
In every zone except the stack or the battlefield, only the front face (Bala Ged Recovery) exists for the game's rules. This means in your library, graveyard, or exile, the card is always a green Sorcery with a mana value of 3. You cannot search for the back face with effects that look for lands in your library unless they specifically look for a 'card' that meets a criteria the front face also satisfies. If an effect puts this card onto the battlefield without you playing it, it must enter as the front face; however, since the front face is a sorcery, it cannot enter the battlefield and stays in its current zone.
Interaction with Search Effects
A common mistake involves trying to find Bala Ged Sanctuary with cards that search for specific land types. Because the front face is a Sorcery and the back face is a non-basic land without any land types (like Forest), most land-ramp spells will ignore it. Always check if a search effect specifies 'basic land' or a specific subtype like 'Plains' or 'Mountain' before attempting to find this card.
Strategic Timing
Early in the game, Bala Ged Sanctuary is an excellent way to ensure you don't miss land drops, even though it enters tapped. As the game progresses, the front face, Bala Ged Recovery, becomes significantly more valuable, allowing you to rebuy your best threat or a crucial removal spell. This flexibility makes it a 'free' inclusion in many mana bases, replacing a basic Forest for increased late-game density.
Interaction examples
CultivateIf you cast Cultivate, you search your library for up to two basic land cards. Even though the back face of this card is a land, it is not a 'basic' land, and in the library, the card is only viewed as the front face (a Sorcery). Therefore, you cannot find Bala Ged Recovery with Cultivate.
FarseekFarseek allows you to search for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain. Bala Ged Sanctuary does not have any of these subtypes; it is simply a non-basic land. Additionally, while in the library, the card is a Sorcery. Consequently, Farseek cannot be used to put Bala Ged Sanctuary onto the battlefield.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
The mana value of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the mana value of a transforming double-faced card is determined.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Wort, the Raidmother + Storm-Kiln Artist + Chatterstorm + Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
- 1Cast Chatterstorm by paying
. - 2Chatterstorm's storm ability triggers, creating a copy of Chatterstorm for each spell you've cast previously this turn.
- 3Storm-Kiln Artist triggers for each Chatterstorm, creating that many Treasure tokens.
- 4Resolve each Chatterstorm, creating that many 1/1 Squirrel creature tokens.
- 5Activate two Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
- 6Cast Regrowth by paying and tapping two Squirrel tokens, targeting Chatterstorm.
- 7Regrowth's conspire ability triggers, creating a copy of Regrowth targeting Bala Ged Recovery.
- 8Storm-Kiln Artist triggers twice, creating two Treasure tokens.
Crucible of Worlds + Trade Routes + Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary + Time Warp
- 1Cast Time Warp targeting yourself.
- 2Cast Bala Ged Recovery targeting Time Warp.
- 3Play Bala Ged Santuary from your graveyard.
- 4Return Bala Ged Sanctuary to your hand with Trade Routes.
- 5Pass the turn to yourself.
- 6Repeat.
Wort, the Raidmother + Brass's Bounty + Regrowth + Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
- 1Cast Brass's Bounty by paying
and tapping two red creatures you control, causing it to be copied due to its conspire ability, creating at least 20 Treasure tokens. - 2Activate sixteen Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding
- 3Cast Revel of the Fallen God by paying
and tapping two red and/or green creatures you control, causing it to be copied due to its conspire ability, creating eight 2/2 Satyr creature tokens with haste. - 4Cast Regrowth by paying and tapping two Satyrs, causing it to be copied due to its conspire ability, returning Brass's Bounty and Bala-Ged Recovery from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Cast Brass's Bounty by paying and tapping two Satyrs, causing it to be copied due to its conspire ability, creating at least 20 Treasure tokens.
- 6Activate nineteen Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding
. - 7Cast Bala-Ged Recovery by paying
and tapping two Satyrs, causing it to be copied due to its conspire ability, returning Regrowth and Revel of the Fallen God from your graveyard to your hand. - 8Repeat from step 3.
Legal formats
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