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Shrine
Shrine
Enchantment Type
(Subtype for enchantment cards)
Statistics
17 cards
{W} 17.6% {U} 17.6% {B} 17.6% {R} 17.6% {G} 23.5% {M} 5.9%
1 Shrine creation card
{G} 100%
as of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Scryfall Search
type:"Shrine"
"Sanctum" redirects here. For the city of Sanctum, see Averru.

Shrine (Japanese: (さい) 殿 (でん) ; rōmaji: saiden) is an enchantment type.

Description[ | ]

Shrine has no inherent rules meaning, but each Shrine gets better and better as you control more and more Shrines.[1] Shrines encourage multicolor decks, because they are all legendary. The Hondens do something during your upkeep for each shrine you control, while two Sanctums have activated abilities and three trigger on the precombat main phase, and the Go-Shintai can be triggered during your end step.

History[ | ]

Shrines were introduced in Champions of Kamigawa. There were five shrines printed in as an uncommon cycle of Hondens (HOHN-dehn).[2] The name of each Honden corresponds to the name of a legendary spirit—Myojin—in the set, as well as being mentioned in the flavor text of the same-colored Zubera.[3]

Many years later, Core Set 2021 featured six new Shrines named Sanctums.[4] These were also depicted on Kamigawa. The five-color Sanctum of All has an upkeep Shrine searching effect that lets the other Sanctums trigger on the main phase.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty featured a cycle of Shrines in the form of enchantment creatures named Go-Shintai.[5] They all require paying {1} at the beginning of your end step to activate their effects, and have a classic colored keyword. An additional Shrine with a five-color identity features Shrine tribal support, being able to create Shrine tokens.

Honden cycle[ | ]

Sanctum cycle[ | ]

  • Sanctum of Tranquil Light ({W}) — {5}{W}: Tap target creature. This costs {1} less for each Shrine you control.
  • Sanctum of Calm Waters ({U}) — May draw a card for each shrine you control, then discard a card if you did.
  • Sanctum of Stone Fangs ({B}) — Each opponent loses life and you gain life equal to the number of shrines you control.
  • Sanctum of Shattered Heights ({R}) — {1}, Discard a land or Shrine card: Deals damage to target creature or planeswalker equal to the number of shrines you control.
  • Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest ({G}) — Add mana of any one color equal to the number of shrines you control
  • Sanctum of All ({W}{U}{B}{R}{G}) — Searches Shrines and puts them onto the battlefield. It doubles Shrine triggers if you control six or more.

Go-Shintai cycle[ | ]

  • Go-Shintai of Hidden Cruelty ({B}) — Pay {1} at beginning of your endstep to destroy target creature with toughness equal or less than the number of Shrines you control.
  • Go-Shintai of Ancient Wars ({R}) — Pay {1} at beginning of your endstep to deal damage to a player or planeswalker equal to the number of shrines you control.
  • Go-Shintai of Boundless Vigor ({G}) — Pay {1} at beginning of your endstep to put +1/+1 counters equal to the number of shrines you control on a shrine.
  • Go-Shintai of Life's Origin ({G}) with a {W}{U}{B}{R}{G} ability to put enchantments from the graveyard onto the battlefield and create {C} 1/1 Shrine enchantment creature tokens when nontoken Shrines enter (including itself).

Rules[ | ]

From the Comprehensive Rules (March 8, 2024—Fallout)

  • 205.3h Enchantments have their own unique set of subtypes; these subtypes are called enchantment types. The enchantment types are Aura (see rule 303.4), Background, Cartouche, Case (see rule 719), Class (see rule 716), Curse, Role (see rule 303.7), Rune, Saga (see rule 714), Shard, and Shrine.

Rulings[ | ]

  • Each Shrine has an ability that counts the number of Shrines you control. These abilities include the Shrine they're printed on.
  • Shrines count only enchantments with the subtype Shrine. Other cards with "shrine" in their name (such as Jungle Shrine, Luxa River Shrine, and Nantuko Shrine) don't count.

Trivia[ | ]

  • Each of the mono-colored Sanctums has flavor text formatted and written as a Haiku.
  • Since Shrine is an enchantment type, the Go-Shintai are the only creatures besides Nameless Race to have no creature type.
  • A honden is actually the inner part of the shrine to a kami, while a shintai is a physical object in which a kami resides. The "go-" prefix indicates that it is honored and sacred.
  • Neon Dynasty's Shrine Steward and Alchemy's Chronicler of Worship interact with Shrines.

Tokens[ | ]

Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Shrine Colorless Enchantment Creature — Shrine 1/1

References[ | ]

  1. Eli Shiffrin (June 20, 2020). "Core Set 2021 and Jumpstart Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Magic Arcana (September 14, 2004). "A Kamigawa Glossary, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Magic Arcana (March 24, 2005). "Honden and Myojin". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (June 15, 2020). "But Wait, There's Core". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Wizards of the Coast (February 9, 2022). "Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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