Restless Anchorage 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
This land enters tapped.: Add
or
.
Complete guide
Restless Anchorage is a versatile utility land from the Lost Caverns of Ixalan that provides both mana fixing and offensive pressure. It serves as a dual land for White and Blue decks that can transform into a mobile threat and generate value through Map tokens. This land is particularly effective in grindy matches where every resource counts.
Taking to the Skies
Restless Anchorage enters the battlefield tapped, but once active, it can tap for either White or Blue mana. By paying one generic, one White, and one Blue mana, it transforms into a 2/3 Bird creature with flying until the end of the turn. Crucially, it remains a land while it is a creature, meaning it can still be tapped for mana, though it becomes vulnerable to both creature and land destruction.
Mapping the Battlefield
Whenever Restless Anchorage attacks, its triggered ability goes on the stack to create a Map token. A Map is a colorless artifact that you can sacrifice for one mana at sorcery speed to make a creature you control explore. This allows you to either draw a land from the top of your library or give your creature a +1/+1 counter and filter your next draw.
Common Pitfalls and Timing
A common mistake is forgetting about 'summoning sickness.' If you play Restless Anchorage and animate it on the same turn, you cannot attack with it or tap it for mana unless you have a way to give it haste. Additionally, because the Map token's ability is a sorcery-speed action, you cannot use a Map generated during combat to buff your Bird before blockers are declared or damage is dealt.
Interaction examples
Command Tower
Exotic OrchardIn a Commander game, you might have Command Tower and Exotic Orchard ready for mana. You play Restless Anchorage as your land for turn, and it enters tapped. On your next turn, you can use Command Tower and Exotic Orchard to pay the activation cost of Restless Anchorage, turning it into a Bird, and still have its own mana ability available if needed.
MapYou animate Restless Anchorage and declare it as an attacker. The trigger resolves, and you create a Map token. During your second main phase, you spend one mana and sacrifice the Map, targeting the Restless Anchorage (which is still a creature). It explores, either putting a land into your hand or becoming a 3/4 Bird with a +1/+1 counter for future turns.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Restless Anchorage
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If this becomes a creature but you haven't controlled it continuously since your most recent turn began, you won't be able to activate its mana ability or attack with it that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If this becomes a creature because of an effect other than its own ability, its last ability will still trigger whenever it attacks.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Map tokens are a kind of predefined token. Each one is a colorless artifact with the artifact subtype Map and the ability "
, , Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery."Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Restless Anchorage
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.