Hallowed Fountain 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
(: Add
or
.) As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.
Complete guide
Hallowed Fountain is a powerful pillar of mana bases in many formats, offering both flexibility and speed. As one of the iconic 'shock lands' from the Ravnica sets, it provides both White and Blue mana while maintaining the ability to enter the battlefield untapped for a small price. Understanding how its land types interact with your deck is key to mastering competitive play.
What It Does
Hallowed Fountain is a nonbasic land with the subtypes Plains and Island. This means it naturally taps for either {W} or {U}. Because it possesses these basic land types, it can be searched for by cards that specifically look for a 'Plains' or 'Island', even if they don't specify 'basic'. Its defining characteristic is its replacement effect: as it enters the battlefield, you choose whether to pay 2 life. If you pay, it enters untapped; otherwise, it enters tapped and cannot be used for mana immediately.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you play Hallowed Fountain, or when an effect puts it into play, you make the decision to pay life before it actually touches the battlefield. First, you check if any other effects force the land to enter tapped. If an effect says it enters tapped, paying 2 life will not override that; it will remain tapped. If no such effect exists, you choose to pay 2 life. If you do, the land enters the battlefield ready to be tapped for mana. This choice does not use the stack and cannot be responded to by opponents.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming that Hallowed Fountain is a 'Basic Land'. While it has the subtypes Plains and Island, it is a nonbasic land. You cannot search for it with an Evolving Wilds or similar effects that specify 'Basic Land card'. Another mistake involves external 'tapped' effects. If a spell or ability says a land enters the battlefield tapped, you can still choose to pay 2 life, but the land will still be tapped regardless of your payment.
When to Play It
You should play Hallowed Fountain when you need access to both Blue and White mana early in the game. In aggressive matchups, you might choose not to pay the 2 life if you don't need the mana immediately, preserving your health. In control or combo decks, paying the life is often worth the trade-off to ensure you have the mana available to counter a spell or progress your board state on curve.
Interaction examples
Command TowerIf you are playing a Commander deck with a Blue and White identity, Hallowed Fountain and Command Tower provide excellent redundancy. While Command Tower enters untapped for free, Hallowed Fountain allows you to have a land that counts as an 'Island' for other synergies while still providing the same color options as Command Tower.
Exotic OrchardIf your opponent controls Hallowed Fountain, your Exotic Orchard can tap for either {W} or {U}. Even if your opponent didn't pay the 2 life and their Hallowed Fountain is currently tapped, Exotic Orchard checks what colors the land 'could' produce, granting you access to both colors regardless of the Fountain's current state.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Hallowed Fountain
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
This land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as Tend the Sprigs can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Kishla Village (from the Tarkir: Dragonstorm release).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as District Guide can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set).
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Hallowed Fountain
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.