River of Tears 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
. If you played a land this turn, add
instead.
Complete guide
River of Tears is a unique nonbasic land that challenges players to manage their timing to access the right colors. Unlike most dual lands, its mana output changes dynamically based on whether you have already taken your land action for the turn. Mastering this card requires careful planning of your pre-combat and post-combat main phases.
What It Does
River of Tears provides either Blue or Black mana, but the color it produces is determined by a specific condition: whether you have 'played a land' this turn. By default, it taps for Blue mana. However, if you have utilized your land play for the turn, it shifts its production to Black mana instead.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you activate the mana ability of River of Tears, the game checks your turn history. First, the game looks to see if you have performed a 'play a land' action this turn. If the answer is no, the ability resolves and adds one Blue mana to your mana pool. If the answer is yes, the 'instead' replacement effect applies, and the ability adds one Black mana. Crucially, this check happens at the moment the ability is activated, meaning the same land can produce different colors at different points in the same turn.
Common Mistakes
The most frequent error involves confusing 'playing' a land with 'putting' a land onto the battlefield. Effects from cards like Evolving Wilds or Rampant Growth do not count as playing a land. If you use a spell to put a land into play and then tap River of Tears, it will still produce Blue mana. Additionally, remember that playing River of Tears itself counts as playing a land; therefore, on the turn it enters the battlefield from your hand, it will immediately produce Black mana.
When to Play It
You should play River of Tears when your deck needs flexible access to Blue and Black but can afford the restriction of timing. It is excellent in control decks that want Blue mana available on their opponent's turn for counterspells, but need Black mana on their own turn to cast removal or threats after playing a land.
Interaction examples
At the start of your turn, before playing any lands, you tap River of Tears. The game sees you have not played a land yet, so it adds {U} to your mana pool. You can then use this Blue mana to cast a spell, and afterwards, you may still play a land from your hand.
You play River of Tears from your hand as your land play for the turn. If you tap it for mana immediately after it enters, the game checks and sees you have played a land this turn (River of Tears itself). Consequently, it produces {B} instead of {U}.
Suppose an effect allows you to put a land onto the battlefield without 'playing' it. Even though a new land has entered the battlefield, if you haven't used your official land play for the turn, River of Tears will still produce {U} when tapped.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : River of Tears
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The turn you play River of Tears, it will produce
when tapped for mana.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
River of Tears produces
only after you've played a land, not after you've put a land onto the battlefield (such as with Evolving Wilds).No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with River of Tears
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.