Barren Moor MTG Card
2002-10-07 - Number 312
2003-08-07 - Number pk312
2009-04-10 - Number 58
2010-06-18 - Number 124
2010-11-08 - Number A123
2011-06-17 - Number 266
2012-09-07 - Number 78
2013-11-01 - Number 277
2014-06-16 - Number 292
2014-11-07 - Number 284
2014-12-05 - Number 58
2015-11-13 - Number 277
2017-06-09 - Number 242
2018-06-08 - Number 237
2018-08-09 - Number 235
2019-06-14 - Number 236
2019-08-23 - Number 229
2020-03-12 - Number 19
2021-04-23 - Number 277
2022-10-07 - Number 266
2022-10-07 - Number 266★
| Card sets | Released in 21 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Text of card
Barren Moor comes into play tapped. oc T: Add o B to your mana pool. Cycling o B (o B, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
Cards like Barren Moor
In the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering, Barren Moor offers a unique blend of land utility and card cycling. When compared to other cycling lands such as Lonely Sandbar or Secluded Steppe, Barren Moor stands out with its potential to produce black mana, a crucial color for many powerful spells and abilities. While Lonely Sandbar and Secluded Steppe serve blue and white mana needs respectively, they offer a similar cycling benefit for deck thinning and card draw.
Another card that mirrors the functionality of Barren Moor is Polluted Mire. Both tap for black mana and have cycling, albeit Polluted Mire’s cycling cost is higher. This small yet significant difference can impact game decisions, particularly in the later stages where mana efficiency is paramount. The advantage of cycling for one black mana offered by Barren Moor can be a game-changer, enabling players to maintain tempo and adaptability.
All things considered, the functionality of cycling lands like Barren Moor is invaluable in the context of Magic: The Gathering gameplay. Their dual purpose as both mana sources and mechanisms for card advantage gives them a unique position in the deck-builder’s toolbox, adeptly balancing land count with the pursuit of the right card at the right time.
Cards similar to Barren Moor by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Barren Moor. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cycle Storm | Pauper | Cycle Storm | Pauper League 2024-03-28 |
 | WB | Pauper | Pauper League 2024-03-25 | |
| Orzhov Control | Premodern | $1K - Pre-Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Saturday - 9:30 am | |
 | Orzov Blade | Pauper | 13^ tappa | Lega Pauper Mediavalle e Garfagnana 2023/24 - Road to Paupergeddon Pisa | |
| Jund | Modern | Jund | Modern League 2024-03-27 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Barren Moor not only provides you with mana but can also be cycled away to draw a card, thereby ensuring you have a better chance at pulling the spells you need at critical moments in the game.
Resource Acceleration: While it enters the battlefield tapped, which can slow you down momentarily, the ability to trade it for a new card later means you’re essentially accelerating your resources by replacing a land with potentially more impactful spells.
Instant Speed: Cycling Barren Moor can be done at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to decide whether you need a new card or if you’d rather keep the land for your mana base. This adaptability is crucial in games where timing can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Barren Moor comes with the cost of a potential lost card. To fully utilize its cycling feature, you have to discard it, which means that you’re trading the land play for potential future advantage. In some cases, particularly when you’re in need of land drops or have a scarcity of cards in hand, this can put you at a disadvantage by reducing your on-board resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Barren Moor’s cycling ability requires black mana, which means it can’t always be cycled in a multi-colored deck that might be short on black sources when needed. This makes it less flexible in decks that aren’t primarily black or those that struggle with color fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although one black mana might not seem like much, in the early game, every mana can be crucial. There are other lands or cards available that may provide more immediate value or that don’t require the discard of the land itself, potentially making them more appealing selections for a deck’s mana base.
Reasons to Include Barren Moor in Your Collection
Versatility: Barren Moor can be a strategic addition to various deck types, particularly those that need consistent land drops or seek to utilize their mana efficiently. Its cycling ability allows players to replace it with a new card, making it useful in both early and late game.
Combo Potential: With the ability to cycle itself, Barren Moor integrates well with mechanics that trigger on drawing or discarding cards. It’s also a solid component in decks that capitalize on land cards in the graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: In games where the pace is slower or in a meta with plenty of control decks, having access to extra card draw through cycling can give you the edge necessary to outmaneuver opponents. Its inclusion in your collection ensures you’re prepared for shifting trends in gameplay.
How to beat
Barren Moor presents a unique blend of land utility in Magic the Gathering, offering both mana fixing and card draw potential. Its ability to cycle for a new card gives players an opportunity to replace it when a land isn’t needed, similar to other cycling lands like Lonely Sandbar or Secluded Steppe. When facing Barren Moor, the key lies in timing and resource management. Players looking to gain an advantage should consider land destruction options to disrupt their opponent’s mana base or graveyard strategies that exploit cycling cards.
For instance, a card like Ghost Quarter can be instrumental in dismantling Barren Moor’s advantage by replacing it with a basic land, thus nullifying the cycling benefit. Additionally, leveraging cards like Bojuka Bog to exile the graveyard can prove crippling to strategies reliant on retrieving cycle cards. Moreover, incorporating a consistent land drop rate in your deck ensures that the cycling ability of Barren Moor won’t provide as significant of an edge to your opponent.
Overall, beating Barren Moor involves a mix of strategic land destruction, graveyard interference, and maintaining a strong mana foundation, ensuring that the cycling land’s utility is kept in check within the broader context of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Barren Moor MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and World Championship Decks 2003, 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 Barren Moor and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Barren Moor Magic the Gathering card was released in 20 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-10-07 | Onslaught | ONS | 312 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 2 | 2003-08-07 | World Championship Decks 2003 | WC03 | pk312 | 2003 | Normal | Gold | Heather Hudson | |
| 3 | 2009-04-10 | Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic | DDC | 58 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 4 | 2010-06-18 | Archenemy | ARC | 124 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 5 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | A123 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 6 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 266 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 7 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 78 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 8 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 277 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 9 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 292 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 10 | 2014-11-07 | Commander 2014 | C14 | 284 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 11 | 2014-12-05 | Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic | DVD | 58 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 12 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 277 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 13 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 242 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 14 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 237 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 15 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 235 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 16 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 236 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 17 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 229 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 18 | 2020-03-12 | Historic Anthology 2 | HA2 | 19 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 19 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 277 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Heather Hudson | |
| 20 | 2022-10-07 | Warhammer 40,000 Commander | 40K | 266 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rafater | |
| 21 | 2022-10-07 | Warhammer 40,000 Commander | 40K | 266★ | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rafater |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Barren Moor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Barren Moor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |