Cinder Barrens MTG Card

Accelerates mana resources by offering both red and black mana, essential for multicolored decks. Entering tapped can delay play, a critical aspect to consider in fast-paced matches. It’s a land offering stability and combo potential pivotal for certain deck strategies.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand

Text of card

Cinder Barrens enters the battlefield tapped. : Add or to your mana pool.

A mudflow swallowed the lowlands years ago. All that remains are a bottomless mire and an endless rain of ash.

Cards like Cinder Barrens

Cinder Barrens enters the vast panorama of dual lands in Magic: The Gathering with its own unique identity. It’s a land card that shares a kindred spirit with other “enters the battlefield tapped” dual lands such as Rakdos Guildgate. Both pave the way for mana fixing by offering access to two colors – black and red. However, the Guildgate lacks the basic land type, unlike the rare cycle from the “Shock Lands” group, such as Blood Crypt, which can be brought into play untapped at a life cost.

Exploring further, we find Highland Lake, which is a counterpart to Cinder Barrens in the blue-red landscape of lands. While both enter the battlefield tapped and provide two types of mana, Highland Lake does not exist within the strategic archetype of black and red mana requirements. Comparing Cinder Barrens to a card like Temple of Malice, the difference becomes even more pronounced; the latter not only taps for the same colors but also grants a scry benefit, providing a slight edge in deck control.

In essence, while Cinder Barrens is a reliable piece in decks needing black and red mana, each dual land card offers different nuances, impacting deck construction and the pace of gameplay within Magic: The Gathering’s vast environment.

Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Highland Lake - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Highland Lake - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Cinder Barrens itself doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it supports decks that are built around card advantage. By providing a consistent color fix for both red and black mana, it ensures you have the resources to cast the spells that will give you the edge in card accumulation.

Resource Acceleration: Cinder Barrens enters the battlefield tapped, which may seem like a setback. However, this trait is offset by its ability to tap for either of the two mana colors thereafter, potentially accelerating your mana resources in the subsequent turns. This is particularly beneficial in multicolored decks that need access to both colors efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although lands like Cinder Barrens are played at sorcery speed, it supports your instant speed plays effectively. By providing you with the necessary mana split across two colors, you can keep your mana open for those crucial instant speed interactions and responses during your opponent’s turn without worrying about being color-locked.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cinder Barrens enters the battlefield tapped, causing a potential delay which can be critical in fast-paced games. Not being able to use the mana immediately can put you a turn behind your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: This land produces only black or red mana, making it less flexible for decks that may need a wider variety of mana types. It can’t help with color fixing in a multi-color deck unless those colors are black and red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a game where every turn counts, having your land enter the battlefield tapped is a significant drawback. Other dual lands come into play untapped, or have additional abilities that can offset the tempo loss.

Reasons to Include Cinder Barrens in Your Collection

Versatility: Cinder Barrens provides a stable mana base for decks playing both red and black colors. Its ability to tap for either color makes it a flexible addition to multicolored strategies, fitting in from Commander decks to two-color standard builds.

Combo Potential: This land is key in setups that require specific mana combinations to unleash powerful combos. Whether it’s supporting a fiery red spell or a devious black trick, Cinder Barrens ensures you have the resources you need when you need them.

Meta-Relevance: With the shifting dynamics of the current meta, having a reliable dual land can mean the difference between executing your strategy or falling behind. Especially in a slower-paced game, the dual nature of Cinder Barrens can be a subtle yet impactful advantage.

How to beat

Cinder Barrens is a land card that provides mana-fixing capabilities by producing either red or black mana. Commonly included in dual-color decks within Magic The Gathering, this card offers versatility for players who need access to both colors. Despite its benefits, Cinder Barrens enters the battlefield tapped, which can slow down your game tempo when immediate mana access is crucial.

Countering Cinder Barrens effectively involves exploiting its entry drawback. Land destruction cards like Field of Ruin can remove Cinder Barrens from play, disrupting your opponent’s mana base. Aggressive decks can take advantage of the tempo loss when an opponent plays Cinder Barrens. Applying early pressure with low-cost creatures forces opponents to respond without the immediate mana benefit that Cinder Barrens could have provided.

Additionally, utilizing nonbasic land hate cards, such as Alpine Moon, can nullify the advantages of Cinder Barrens, turning it into a basic land without its dual-mana utility. Understanding when to play your land destruction or control elements is key. You’ll want to time these actions strategically to ensure your opponent doesn’t gain the upper hand with their mana-fixing resource.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cinder Barrens MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Amonkhet, 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 Cinder Barrens and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cinder Barrens Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 1682015NormalBlackCliff Childs
22017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 2802015NormalBlackCliff Childs
32017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 2092015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
42017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2412015NormalBlackCliff Childs
52018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 2052015NormalBlackJonas De Ro
62018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 2482015NormalBlackTitus Lunter
72019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2352015NormalBlackTitus Lunter

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cinder Barrens has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal