Gather Specimens
Shards of Alara 45 • rare
- Set
- Shards of Alara
- Collector number
- 45
- Rarity
- Rare
- Mana cost
- 3 generic mana blue mana blue mana blue mana
- Type
- Instant
- Colors
- Blue
- Artist
- Michael Bruinsma
- Market price
- $1.47
What it does
If a creature would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control this turn, it enters under your control instead.
"It's free to do whatever it wants. I've merely told it what that is."— Xorin, Architect of Will
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperNot legal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Gather Specimens was released in 2008 as part of the Shards of Alara expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set introduced the concept of the five shards, each representing a world defined by the absence of two colors of mana, with this specific card appearing in the Bant shard. It was designed as a blue rare, reflecting the complex, reactive mechanics that were central to the identity of the set's Esper and Bant-aligned cards.
The card’s illustration was crafted by artist Chippy, a frequent contributor to the game known for his surreal and atmospheric aesthetic. The design depicts a wizard-like figure gathering magical entities, visually capturing the mechanical essence of stealing an opponent's creatures. Upon its release, it was noted by players for its high mana cost and niche, situational utility, fitting into the experimental design space characteristic of the Alara block's larger, multi-colored focus.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Gather Specimens
Gather Specimens is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Shards of Alara 45 • rare. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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