Caustic Tar MTG Card
2001-10-01 - Number 122
2014-07-18 - Number 89
2018-03-16 - Number 81
2019-11-07 - Number 596
2020-09-26 - Number A25-81
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchanted land has "oc T: Target player loses 3 life."
"Twisted magic, twisted fate, Force the land to ooze with hate." —Cabal chant
Cards like Caustic Tar
Caustic Tar is an enchantment that can be a game-changer in MTG, reminiscent of effects from cards like Contaminated Ground. Both cards focus on land alteration, with Contaminated Ground also turning a land into a detriment for opponents. However, Contaminated Ground falls short in its inability to dish out consistent damage over time, which is where Caustic Tar shines with its potential for continual life point depletion.
Another parallel can be drawn to Psychic Venom, a card that delivers damage to opponents whenever the enchanted land is tapped. While Psychic Venom might deter an opponent from using a particular land, Caustic Tar goes on the offensive, allowing you to actively chip away at your opponent’s life total. Even comparing it to the likes of Pooling Venom, which also attaches to land but with a focus on triggering upon destruction, Caustic Tar allows for more control and steady pressure in a drawn-out match.
In sum, Caustic Tar stands out in MTG for its ability to transform any land into a weapon of attrition. Its potential for consistent life point reduction sets it apart from similar enchantments, granting a unique advantage over cards with similar yet different mechanisms of harming the opponent’s resources and life.
Cards similar to Caustic Tar by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Caustic Tar transforms any land into a persistent threat, maintaining pressure on opponents without the need to commit further cards from your hand. This ability to turn lands into sources of damage can disrupt opponents’ strategies and offers a form of card advantage over time.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to traditional forms of mana acceleration, Caustic Tar allows your lands to have additional utility. This enchantment gives you the flexibility to use your lands for mana or as a means to whittle down your opponent’s life total, making your resources work double duty.
Instant Speed: Although Caustic Tar is not an instant itself, it grants the enchanted land the ability to deal damage at instant speed. This means you can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to activate the ability, keeping mana open for other spells and abilities, and making it easier to adapt to the changing board state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Caustic Tar necessitates having cards in hand to be effective. Without a sufficient hand size, its ability remains dormant, potentially causing dead turns where your resources could otherwise be utilized.
Specific Mana Cost: Being a card with a heavy black mana requirement, Caustic Tar asks for a commitment to swamps. This specificity can hinder deck flexibility, confining it primarily to mono-black builds or two-color decks with a robust mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of three black mana, Caustic Tar comes with a steep price for its effect. In the fast-paced landscape of MTG, where efficiency is key, the card may find itself outpaced by options that offer immediate impact or lower-cost solutions to control the battlefield.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Caustic Tar offers a unique angle in control decks or those relying on land strategies. As an enchantment that transforms any land into a potential threat, it can sneak past conventional creature removal and adds a layer of utility to your mana base.
Combo Potential: With Caustic Tar on the field, any upkeep can become a form of direct player damage. It opens up synergies with cards that untap lands, allowing you to activate the ability multiple times in a turn and accelerating your path to victory.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where board stalls can be common, having a reliable source of damage that doesn’t require combat can give you the edge. In metas that have an abundance of creature-based strategies, Caustic Tar provides a consistent way to whittle down an opponent’s life total regardless of the creatures in play.
How to Beat
Caustic Tar presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, transforming a simple land into a potent late-game threat. This enchantment turns your land into a ticking time bomb, able to steadily drain an opponent’s life total. Unlike direct damage spells or creatures, this persistent effect can be a thorn in your side if left unchecked.
Addressing the threat of Caustic Tar requires a multifaceted approach. Enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize can dismantle the strategy entirely with a simple cast. Playing against a deck that features Caustic Tar often highlights the importance of keeping enchantment interaction within your sideboard or main deck to anticipate such obstacles.
Alternatively, life gain strategies can mitigate the damage done by Caustic Tar. By boosting your life total, you lessen the impact of its activation each turn, buying valuable time. It’s also crucial to pressure the Caustic Tar user to distract them from their mana-heavy investment, as each activation prevents the use of that land for other spells. Swift aggression can therefore overwhelm a player relying heavily on the long-term game plan that Caustic Tar requires. Vigilance and strategic planning will ensure that this sticky situation doesn’t escalate beyond control.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Caustic Tar MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Magic 2015, 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 Caustic Tar 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 Caustic Tar Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001-10-01 | Odyssey | ODY | 122 | 1997 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 2 | 2014-07-18 | Magic 2015 | M15 | 89 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 3 | 2018-03-16 | Masters 25 | A25 | 81 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 596 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | A25-81 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Caustic Tar has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |