Crack the Earth MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery — Arcane
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Number	98
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wayne Reynolds

Key Takeaways

This card offers an asymmetrical card advantage, putting opponents at a larger deficit when played skillfully.
It potentially accelerates your position by setting back opponents and leveraging the power of sacrifice.
Though impactful, its demand for specific mana and the effect on self strategy can limit its use.

Text of card

Each player sacrifices a permanent.

"As the war progressed, the destruction the kami caused became more widespread and less predictable." —*Observations of the Kami War*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crack the Earth offers a distinct brand of card advantage by potentially putting opponents at a more significant card deficit. This is particularly impactful when you can sacrifice low-value permanents or those that have already served their purpose, ensuring you emerge ahead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although Crack the Earth is not a direct source of resource acceleration, it can disrupt your opponent’s mana base or other resources. Played strategically, it can set your opponent back, effectively giving you a relative acceleration in your own plans and allowing you to stay ahead on the board.

Instant Speed: Crack the Earth shines in its flexibility, operating at sorcery speed, which allows you to tailor your game plan during your turn. You can leverage situations where sacrificing a permanent can work to your benefit, such as when you’re fielding expendable tokens or when timing is crucial to maximize disruption on your opponent’s strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you play Crack the Earth, each player must sacrifice a permanent. This means you’re also at a disadvantage if you don’t have expendable permanents on the board, potentially setting back your own game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Crack the Earth carries a specific mana requirement, costing one red mana. This can be restrictive as it necessitates a red source which can sometimes complicate your mana base or reduce consistency in multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low absolute cost, the effect of making each player sacrifice a permanent can often be less impactful than other cards at similar or even no mana cost. This can make Crack the Earth a less appealing option when deckbuilding, especially in formats where more powerful options are available.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Crack the Earth offers a low-cost option that fits well into a variety of decks. Its ability to force each player to sacrifice a permanent can be strategically used to disrupt your opponent’s board while you remain in control of the outcome.

Combo Potential: With its ability to affect each player, Crack the Earth can work in tandem with decks that are designed to benefit from sacrifice effects. It can be paired with cards that provide you with expendable tokens, allowing you to maintain your board presence while hindering your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where players tend to build significant early board presence or rely heavily on specific permanents, Crack the Earth can serve as a cost-effective way to level the playing field, making it a potentially valuable addition to decks seeking to disrupt opponent strategies from the get-go.

How to beat

Understanding your opponent’s strategies is crucial, and confronting Crack the Earth can test your MTG gameplay. This one-mana red sorcery forces each player to sacrifice a permanent. Its low cost can disrupt your early game, making timing essential when facing it. To combat this, keep a low-value permanent on the board that you can afford to lose or wait to play your more valuable cards until after the spell is cast. Artifacts or creatures that offer value upon entering or leaving the battlefield are particularly effective in these situations.

Utilizing instant-speed interaction can also give you an edge. Counterspells, for instance, can prevent Crack the Earth from resolving. In addition, knowing the composition of your deck is vital. Include cards that can generate tokens or play lands from the graveyard, thus minimizing the impact of having to sacrifice those valuable resources. Techniques such as these fortify your position and ensure that Crack the Earth’s effect is more a minor setback than a game-changer.

In essence, while Crack the Earth poses a potential threat, its impact can be mitigated with strategic play, timing, and deck composition, maintaining control over the game state despite such aggressive plays.

Cards like Crack the Earth

Crack the Earth stands out in the world of MTG as an impactful one-mana red sorcery. Diving into its similarities with other cards, it evokes comparisons to other low-cost disruption spells, such as Raze or Tremble. Both Raze and Crack the Earth demand the sacrifice of a land, which can be particularly devastating in the early game. However, Raze is slightly less versatile, impacting only the caster’s lands, while Crack the Earth extends its reach, demanding each player to make the sacrifice. This feature can turn the tables in a match if timed correctly.

Another card that comes into consideration is Smallpox, despite differing in color identity and mana cost. Smallpox forces more widespread sacrifices, including a land, a creature, and a portion of each player’s life and hand. While more demanding in mana cost and broader in effect, Crack the Earth allows for more strategic play due to its lower cost and simpler effect. Its ability to affect the balance of the game board early on can be a deciding factor in a player’s victory.

Overall, while each of the mentioned cards has distinct advantages, the efficiency and tactical application of Crack the Earth make it a remarkable choice for players looking to disrupt their opponents early in the game.

Cards similar to Crack the Earth by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crack the Earth MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, 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 Crack the Earth and other MTG cards: