Rakdos Carnarium MTG Card


Rakdos Carnarium provides card advantage by reusing land-entry effects, an underappreciated asset. Though it comes into play tapped, it efficiently contributes to mana acceleration with two-color access. Demands careful play to avoid tempo loss, given its requirement to bounce a land upon entry.
Card setsReleased in 23 setsSee all
RarityCommon
TypeLand

Text of card

Rakdos Carnarium comes into play tapped. When Rakdos Carnarium comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. : Add to your mana pool.


Cards like Rakdos Carnarium

Rakdos Carnarium stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering as a land card that bears the essence of the Rakdos guild. It is often paralleled with other bicolored lands such as Azorius Chancery. Both share the bounce land mechanic, returning a land to the owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. This can be a strategic play, but with Azorius Chancery, you tap into blue and white mana, contrasting Rakdos Carnarium’s red and black mana access.

Gruul Turf is another comparable card, aligning with Rakdos Carnarium in terms of the land bounce effect and the mana acceleration tactic it enables. However, Gruul Turf opens avenues to green and red mana instead, catering to a different pair of colors in a player’s deck. Izzet Boilerworks is yet another card with a similar fate, trading the quickness of basic lands for the advantage of mana flexibility in the blue and red spectrum, akin to Rakdos Carnarium’s value in red and black decks.

In dissecting the nuances among these bounce lands, Rakdos Carnarium offers a reliable foundation for decks centered around red and black, while its cousins serve their respective color combinations with comparable efficiency and strategic depth in Magic: The Gathering.

Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Izzet Boilerworks - MTG Card versions
Azorius Chancery - MTG Card versions
Gruul Turf - MTG Card versions
Izzet Boilerworks - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Rakdos Carnarium by color, type and mana cost

Badlands - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Springs - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Urborg Volcano - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Haunted Ridge - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Molten Slagheap - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Badlands - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Springs - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Urborg Volcano - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Haunted Ridge - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Molten Slagheap - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Rakdos Carnarium. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
BRBR PauperPauper Challenge 32 2024-04-21
BurnBurn PauperBurnPauper League 2024-04-27
GoblinsGoblins PauperGoblinsPauper Showcase Challenge 2024-04-20
Rakdos BurnRakdos Burn PauperBlack BurnPauper League 2024-04-23
Jund GardensJund Gardens PauperGolgari GardensPauper League 2024-04-20

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rakdos Carnarium returns a land to your hand when it enters the battlefield, which can be advantageous in scenarios where lands have additional effects upon entering or leaving the battlefield. It essentially helps recycle these effects, providing subtle but valuable card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although it enters the battlefield tapped, Rakdos Carnarium effectively produces two mana of specific colors with just one land, thus aiding in resource acceleration. This is particularly beneficial for decks that require specific color combinations to cast powerful spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: While Rakdos Carnarium itself is not an instant, it supports playing at instant speed by allowing you to streamline your mana resources efficiently. This ensures that you can keep mana open for instant speed interactions while still developing your mana base on your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Rakdos Carnarium requires you to return a land you control to your hand, which can set you behind on your land drops or force you to discard if it’s your only land play for the turn.

Specific Mana Cost: Rakdos Carnarium’s activation cost demands both black and red mana, potentially complicating your mana base if you’re not dedicated to a Rakdos deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield tapped means your mana is delayed an entire turn, an especially significant setback in a game where tempo is crucial.


Reasons to Include Rakdos Carnarium in Your Collection

Versatility: Rakdos Carnarium is not your average land card. It’s a dual land that returns another land to your hand, effectively saving that land from potential hazards and allowing for strategic re-plays. This makes it an invaluable addition to any collection for its ability to ensure land drops for successive turns.

Combo Potential: This card is a boon for decks that capitalize on the bounce mechanic. Use Rakdos Carnarium to repeatedly trigger landfall abilities or synergize with cards that thrive on being played multiple times. It’s a subtle engine that can power many combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that’s as fast-paced as MTG, Rakdos Carnarium holds its ground by providing both black and red mana, pivotal for casting key spells in a timely manner. As the meta shifts, this dual land consistently finds its place in various build strategies, especially in formats where land plays can make or break a game.


How to Beat

Rakdos Carnarium is a unique land card that can both empower and inhibit MTG decks, especially when it comes to the resource tempo of a game. As a land that enters the battlefield tapped and returns another land to its owner’s hand, it requires strategic deployment to avoid setting yourself back during crucial turns.

To effectively counter Rakdos Carnarium, the use of land destruction cards or effects that disrupt your opponent’s mana base can be quite effective. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin allow you to target and exile Rakdos Carnarium, potentially leaving your opponent short on the mana needed to cast their spells. Additionally, strategies that capitalize on the Rakdos Carnarium’s enter-the-battlefield tapped downside can give you a tempo advantage. Aggressive, low-cost decks can often overwhelm an opponent before they can fully utilize the mana-fixing benefits of the card. Awareness and timely disruption are key in using Rakdos Carnarium to your advantage or mitigating its effects when facing it across the battlefield.

Maintaining a balance between developing your own board presence and hindering your opponent’s land setup can turn the tides of battle in your favor against a deck using this dual land.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rakdos Carnarium MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dissension, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Rakdos Carnarium and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rakdos Carnarium Magic the Gathering card was released in 22 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1023552015NormalBlackThomas M. Baxa
22006-05-05DissensionDIS 1782003NormalBlackJohn Avon
32010-06-18ArchenemyARC 1322003NormalBlackJohn Avon
42010-11-08Magic Online Theme DecksTD0 A1332003NormalBlackJohn Avon
52011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2842003NormalBlackJohn Avon
62013-03-15Duel Decks: Sorin vs. TibaltDDK 742003NormalBlackJohn Avon
72013-11-01Commander 2013C13 3132003NormalBlackJohn Avon
82015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 2472015NormalBlackJohn Avon
92016-11-11Commander 2016C16 3152015NormalBlackJohn Avon
102017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 2662015NormalBlackJohn Avon
112017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2702015NormalBlackJohn Avon
122017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 2452015NormalBlackJohn Avon
132018-08-09Commander 2018C18 2732015NormalBlackJohn Avon
142019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 772015NormalBlackJohn Avon
152019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2662015NormalBlackJohn Avon
162020-04-17Commander 2020C20 3002015NormalBlackJohn Avon
172021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2572015NormalBlackJohn Avon
182021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1802015NormalBlackJohn Avon
192022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 3292015NormalBlackJohn Avon
202022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 4102015NormalBorderlessThomas M. Baxa
212022-09-09Dominaria United CommanderDMC 2262015NormalBlackJohn Avon
222022-11-18The Brothers' War CommanderBRC 1941997NormalBlackJohn Avon
232024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 2432015NormalBlackJohn Avon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rakdos Carnarium has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rakdos Carnarium card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2013-04-15 If this land enters the battlefield and you control no other lands, its ability will force you to return it to your hand.