Back to Rivals of Ixalan

Enter the Unknown

{G}

Sorcery

RIXRivals of Ixalan#128uncommon
Foil
Border
black
Frame
2015
Pull rate
about 1 per booster–1 in 1067
Illustrator
Howard Lyon
Found in
Rivals of Ixalan MTGO Redemption · Rivals of Ixalan MTGO Redemption Foil · Rivals of Ixalan Booster Pack
Printings1CombosIn 16
CommanderLegalModernLegalStandardNot legal
Format legality
AlchemyNot legal
BrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
Competitive BrawlLegal
DuelLegal
Future StandardNot legal
GladiatorLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Old SchoolNot legal
PauperNot legal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
PennyLegal
PioneerLegal
PreDHNot legal
PremodernNot legal
StandardNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
TimelessLegal
Tiny LeadersLegal
VintageLegal
Target creature you control explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on the creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.) You may play an additional land this turn.

Plays as: Counter Placer · Extra Land Drop

Market · per finishspark updated 10h ago · prices as of 2026-07-12
Nonfoil+0.0%
$0.38
$0.20 low$0.17 gap
Foil+0.0%
$1.14
$0.43 low-$0.80 gap
Cheapest playable copy$0.38· across 1 printing

Rulings

10 · latest Jan 19, 2018 · one tap opens all
  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    Enter the Unknown's effect allows you to play an additional land during your main phase. Doing so follows the normal timing rules for playing lands.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Enter the Unknown tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. It won't explore, and you won't be able to play an additional land.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    If you somehow manage to cast Enter the Unknown when it's not your turn, the target creature explores when it resolves, but you won't be able to play a land that turn.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.

  • WotCJan 19, 2018

    The effects of multiples of Enter the Unknown in the same turn are cumulative. They're also cumulative with other effects that let you play additional lands, such as the one from Wayward Swordtooth.