Blighted Fen MTG Card
2015-10-02 - Number 230
2019-11-07 - Number 1658
2022-12-02 - Number 810
2002-06-24 - Number 60464
2016-01-01 - Number 4
2020-09-26 - Number BFZ-230
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool., , Sacrifice Blighted Fen: Target opponent sacrifices a creature.
"We came to a place where the skin of Zendikar was peeled back and its bones lay bare to the sky." —Greenweaver Mina
Cards like Blighted Fen
Blighted Fen offers a unique angle in the realm of land cards within Magic: The Gathering. Its similarity leaps towards other Blighted lands, like Blighted Cataract, which instead of forcing creature sacrifice, gears towards card advantage by allowing a player to draw two cards. Both lands emerge from the Blighted set, providing strategic utility beyond mere mana generation.
Exploring further, we encounter cards like Mortuary Mire and Witch’s Cottage. They too have the added utility past mana production, allowing players to retrieve creatures from the graveyard, albeit without directly influencing the opponent’s board like Blighted Fen does. The inherent power of Blighted Fen lies in its ability to disrupt opponent strategies by removing key creatures, a feature not mirrored by the card recovery traits of Mortuary Mire and Witch’s Cottage.
While comparing these diverse lands, it becomes evident that Blighted Fen’s ability to nudge the game balance through forced sacrifice makes it a pivotal card for control-oriented decks aiming to maintain a clean state of play. It’s a compelling choice when pinpointing cards that offer more than just colored mana in a player’s land base.
Cards similar to Blighted Fen by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Blighted Fen. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-02-24 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blighted Fen has the unique utility of forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature when you activate its ability. Although not a direct draw mechanism, this can be a one-up against your opponent by depleting their on-board resources without losing card quantity from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: By allowing access to black mana upon tapping, Blighted Fen can smoothly fit into your mana curve. Additionally, its activated ability could disrupt your opponent’s strategy and tempo, which indirectly accelerates your own game plan by hindering theirs.
Instant Speed: The power to activate Blighted Fen’s ability at instant speed provides flexibility within your plays. You’re able to wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to force them to sacrifice a creature, potentially interfering with combat or end-of-turn strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Blighted Fen does not necessitate discarding cards, it does require you to sacrifice a creature as part of its activation cost. This can put you at a disadvantage by diminishing your board presence, especially in creature-centric or token decks.
Specific Mana Cost: This card taps for colorless mana but demands one black mana along with sacrificing the Fen itself to activate its ability. The need for black mana restricts it to specific deck types, particularly those which can support the swamp-oriented land base or black mana sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Blighted Fen’s activation cost requires a total of five mana, comprising four generic and one black. For this investment, the effect of making an opponent sacrifice just one creature might fall behind when compared to other removal options which can be more impactful or offer additional flexibility at the same or lower mana point.
Reasons to Include Blighted Fen in Your Collection
Versatility: Blighted Fen offers flexibility as it serves both as a mana source and a way to control the battlefield. Its ability to force opponents to sacrifice creatures can be pivotal in games, making it a useful addition to various deck archetypes, especially in ones that thrive on disrupting opponent strategies.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in decks that capitalize on opponent’s sacrifices, such as those running death trigger effects or [[Dictate of Erebos]]. It can also work well with land recursion strategies, leveraging its ability multiple times throughout the game.
Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely heavily on key creatures or go wide with tokens, Blighted Fen can be a valuable countermeasure. In a meta filled with such strategies, having Blighted Fen in your deck gives you an edge by providing a repeatable source of creature control that’s difficult to counteract.
How to Beat Blighted Fen
Blighted Fen poses a unique challenge for MTG players with its sacrifice-a-creature mechanic often upsetting the rhythm of creature-based strategies. To navigate around this, you need a multi-pronged approach. First, token generators can serve as a buffer by supplying expendable creatures that you can sacrifice without losing core pieces of your strategy.
Additionally, instant-speed creature spells can catch your opponent off guard. By waiting until they activate Blighted Fen’s ability, you can respond by playing these spells, thereby ensuring you have a less valuable creature to sacrifice if needed. Spells that offer creature indestructibility or hexproof for a turn also help in protecting your more valuable creatures on the board.
Furthermore, direct land destruction or cards that allow lands to be returned to an opponent’s hand can directly counteract the Blighted Fen before its ability becomes a threat. Counterplay is about retention of your resources while mitigating the utility of your opponent’s cards. In doing so, Blighted Fen becomes less of an obstacle and more of a minor inconvenience in your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blighted Fen MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Battle for Zendikar, 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 Blighted Fen 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 Blighted Fen Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 60464 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Felix | ||
| 2 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 230 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro | |
| 3 | Friday Night Magic 2016 | F16 | 4 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Felix | ||
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1658 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | BFZ-230 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro | ||
| 6 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 810 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blighted Fen has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |