Tidal WarriorHow it works & interactions with other cards

Changing Land Types

When you tap Tidal Warrior to target a land, that land loses all its existing land types and any abilities granted by those types, becoming a basic Island instead. It retains its name and its supertypes, such as Legendary or Snow, but it can now only be tapped for blue mana. This effect lasts until the end of the turn, at which point the land reverts to its original state.

Resolution Step-by-Step

First, you activate the ability by tapping Tidal Warrior and choosing a legal target land. Once the ability resolves, the targeted land becomes an Island. It gains the subtype 'Island' and the intrinsic ability '{T}: Add {U}.' Crucially, if the land had other subtypes like 'Mountain' or 'Desert,' it loses them and their associated mana abilities for the duration of the effect.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is assuming Tidal Warrior removes the 'Legendary' status or the 'Artifact' type from a land; it does not. It only changes the land type. Additionally, if you use this on a land that is already a creature, it remains a creature while also becoming an Island. Remember that this ability does not prevent a land from being tapped in response, so your opponent can still use their land before the transformation takes place.

Strategic Timing

The best time to use Tidal Warrior is usually during your opponent's upkeep. By turning their only source of a specific color into an Island before they enter their main phase, you can prevent them from casting key spells. Alternatively, you can use it on your own turn to grant islandwalk to your attacking creatures if your opponent doesn't already control an Island.

Interaction examples

Disrupting Mana Fixing

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your opponent relies on a land that produces multiple colors to cast Ornithopter of Paradise, you can tap Tidal Warrior during their upkeep to turn that land into an Island. This forces them to produce only blue mana, potentially leaving them unable to pay for the generic mana requirements if they were counting on a different color from that specific land.

Denying Utility Abilities

Faerie Mastermind

Suppose an opponent has a special land with a powerful activated ability. By using Tidal Warrior to turn that land into an Island, the land loses its printed abilities. This can prevent an opponent from using their land to draw cards or interact with your Faerie Mastermind, as the land now only functions as a source of blue mana.

Solo Land Manipulation

In a simple scenario, you can target your own Evolving Wilds with Tidal Warrior. The Evolving Wilds becomes an Island, allowing you to tap it for blue mana immediately instead of sacrificing it. This is a useful way to get immediate mana value out of a utility land that would otherwise not produce mana the turn it enters the battlefield.