Blast Zone MTG Card
2019-05-03 - Number 244
2019-05-04 - Number 244s
2019-05-04 - Number 244p
2020-05-29 - Number 504
2022-11-18 - Number 258
2022-11-18 - Number 369
2023-08-04 - Number 987
2024-06-14 - Number 322
2002-06-24 - Number 105872
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Blast Zone enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it. : Add . , : Put X charge counters on Blast Zone. , , Sacrifice Blast Zone: Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on Blast Zone.
Cards like Blast Zone
Blast Zone stands out in the realm of versatile land cards within Magic the Gathering. It fills a unique role by its ability to deal with a multitude of permanents on the board without favoring any particular color. Comparable to Engineered Explosives, Blast Zone does not require a mana of every color to activate, thus offering flexibility across mono-colored decks. However, unlike Engineered Explosives, Blast Zone cannot be activated the same turn it comes into play, requiring a strategic setup ahead of time.
Similar to Ratchet Bomb, which can also destroy tokens or nonland permanents without a mana cost, Blast Zone differs in that it requires mana investment to set its charge counters. On the flip side, the presence of Blast Zone on the battlefield acts as a deterrent, influencing opponents’ plays due to its potential activation. Meanwhile, Ratchet Bomb’s immediate impact on play does not provide this ongoing tactical advantage.
By examining these card functionalities, Blast Zone undoubtedly claims a significant position within the landscape of MTG due to its versatile removal capabilities. Its fine-tuning and strategic depth enhance its reputation compared with other similar utility options.
Cards similar to Blast Zone by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Blast Zone. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mono-Green Tron | Modern | Mono-Green Tron | Modern Challenge 32 2024-05-03 |
 | Mono-Blue Tron | Modern | Mono-Blue Tron | Modern League 2024-05-10 |
 | Tron | Modern | Tron | Modern League 2024-05-09 |
 | Lands | Legacy | Lands | Lisbon Legacy League 2024 // 6th Qualifier |
 | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer Super Qualifier 2024-05-04 |
| R | Pioneer | Pioneer League 2024-05-06 | |
| Mono-Black Coffers | Modern | Mono-Black Coffers | Modern Preliminary 2024-05-05 |
| Prison Shops | Vintage | Prison Shops | Vintage Challenge 32 2024-05-05 |
 | Mono-Black Midrange | Pioneer | Mono-Black Midrange | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-05 |
 | Eldrazi Tron | Modern | Eldrazi Tron | Modern Challenge 64 2024-05-04 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blast Zone offers a special type of advantage; rather than drawing cards, it can remove multiple threats on the board based on their converted mana costs. This can turn the tide of a game by effectively handling a swarm of tokens or nonland permanents with the same cost, thus maintaining your position without losing card economy.
Resource Acceleration: As a land, Blast Zone contributes to your mana base without taking up other valuable spell slots in your deck. Also, it can be used as a resource acceleration tool by charging it up with additional charge counters, ensuring you have a reactive answer ready without needing to commit other cards or mana.
Instant Speed: One of the key benefits of Blast Zone is its ability to activate at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to detonate it in response to your opponent’s actions. This can effectively disrupt their strategy while maintaining the element of surprise, as you can wait to see how your opponent commits their resources before choosing the best moment to clear the board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Blast Zone card does not specifically require a discard to activate its abilities, it does demand a significant resource investment. This commitment of resources can be seen as a discard equivalent, since you are often sacrificing potential card plays or development of your board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: Blast Zone enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it and requires an investment of colorless mana to increase the number of charge counters. Decks that rely heavily on colored mana may find it challenging to allocate the necessary colorless mana without disrupting their mana base or game strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: To detonate and clear the board of nonland permanents with specific mana cost, Blast Zone requires at least three mana — two to place a charge counter and another to activate the destruction ability. This cost climbs as you target higher mana cost permanents, which can be quite restrictive as it consumes mana that could otherwise be used for advancing your board state or countering your opponent’s moves.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Blast Zone offers a flexible solution to numerous threats on the battlefield without being tied to a specific color. Its ability to adjust to different situations by adding charge counters makes it a valuable asset in any deck that struggles with non-creature permanents.
Combo Potential: Being a land with a built-in mechanism for wiping the board, Blast Zone is ripe for synergy with land-focused strategies or decks that take advantage of sacrificable permanents. It can also be a tactical play, setting up the board for advantageous sweeps.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where diverse permanents see play, including Blast Zone in your collection ensures you’re prepared. It serves as an answer to problematic artifacts, enchantments, and low-cost creatures that dominate in many current gameplay formats.
How to Beat Blast Zone
Blast Zone is one of those versatile cards in MTG that can catch opponents off guard. As a land card, it not only taps for colorless mana but also offers a way to clear the board of pesky permanents. What makes it tricky, however, is its ability to scale with the game, affecting cards with various converted mana costs (CMCs).
To effectively counter Blast Zone, players need to be strategic about their permanents’ CMCs on the battlefield. One approach is diversifying the CMCs of your nonland permanents to minimize the impact of Blast Zone’s ability. Another is to deploy instant-speed effects that can respond to the activation of Blast Zone, such as cards that grant indestructibility or hexproof to your valuable assets.
It’s also worth noting that Blast Zone initially comes into play with a charge counter on it, meaning it can’t destroy zero-cost permanents without first being proliferated. Thus, playing zero-cost permanents or permanents with high CMCs can be a workaround to Blast Zone’s destructive capacity. Last, but not least, artifact destruction or land disruption cards like Ghost Quarter can directly target and eliminate Blast Zone before it becomes a threat.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blast Zone MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and War of the Spark, 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 Blast Zone and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Printings
The Blast Zone Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 105872 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jorge Jacinto | ||
| 2 | 2019-05-03 | War of the Spark | WAR | 244 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 3 | 2019-05-04 | War of the Spark Promos | PWAR | 244s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 4 | 2019-05-04 | War of the Spark Promos | PWAR | 244p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 5 | 2020-05-29 | Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition | SLU | 504 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 6 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 258 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jorge Jacinto | |
| 7 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War | BRO | 369 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jorge Jacinto | |
| 8 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 987 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jorge Jacinto | |
| 9 | 2024-06-14 | Modern Horizons 3 Commander | M3C | 322 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jorge Jacinto |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blast Zone has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blast Zone card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-05-03 | An activation cost of means that you pay twice X. If you want X to be 3, you pay to activate Blast Zone's ability. |
| 2019-05-03 | If a permanent has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |
| 2019-05-03 | Tokens that aren't a copy of something else don't have a mana cost. Anything without a mana cost normally has a mana value of 0. |