Desecrated Earth MTG Card

Provides a tactical advantage by combining land disruption with the potential for card advantage. Instant speed casting gives players flexibility to disrupt opponents at critical moments. Demanding mana cost and discard requirement may limit its broader inclusion in decks.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2009-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar
Set code	ZEN
Number	86
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daarken

Text of card

Destroy target land. Its controller discards a card.

"The land is swollen with mana, cursed relics, and secrets. If you puncture it, you never know what will burst out." —Javad Nasrin, Ondu relic hunter

Cards like Desecrated Earth

Desecrated Earth presents an intriguing dynamic in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a form of control over the land elements of the game. When looking at similar cards, you might think of Icequake or Rancid Earth, both of which also allow a player to destroy land. What makes Desecrated Earth particularly noteworthy is the additional penalty it imposes by causing the land’s controller to discard a card. This effect is something not seen with Icequake.

Comparatively, Rancid Earth has the potential to affect multiple lands if the threshold condition is met, which could potentially offer a greater impact in the right circumstances. However, Desecrated Earth requires no such setup, ensuring its effect immediately upon resolution. This can be pivotal for disrupting an opponent’s mana base and hand at the same time.

All things considered, among land destruction spells, Desecrated Earth has a unique place. It’s not just about removing a land; it’s also about depleting the opponent’s resources, a dual strategy that can be quite significant in the course of a game.

Cards similar to Desecrated Earth by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Desecrated Earth provides a strategic edge by allowing you to disrupt your opponent while potentially drawing into more threats or answers. This duality ensures that you are not sacrificing momentum as you impede your opponent’s board development.

Resource Acceleration: By targeting land, Desecrated Earth can slow down your opponent’s mana progression, indirectly accelerating your own resources in comparison. This can be a considerable advantage, especially if you are on the play and can establish a lead in resource availability.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Desecrated Earth at instant speed cannot be understated. It provides the autonomy to choose the most tactically opportune moment to set back your opponent, whether it be during their end step or in response to an activation of an ability. This capacity to act on your opponent’s turn presents a layer of complexity and advantage in gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Desecrated Earth requires you to pitch an additional card into your graveyard to play it. This can lead to resource depletion, leaving you at a potential disadvantage should the game extend into later turns where every card in hand is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very specific mana arrangement to cast, which can be problematic in multicolored decks that struggle with mana consistency. You need both black and green mana sources, making it less flexible than cards with generic mana costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that can be a bit steep for its effects, players may find themselves weighing the benefits against other options. There are alternative cards at this cost tier that offer more immediate board presence or game-changing effects, rendering Desecrated Earth less appealing in competitive scenarios.

Reasons to Include Desecrated Earth in Your Collection

Versatility: Desecrated Earth offers a diverse toolbox for decks that manipulate land resources or benefit from graveyard synergies. Its ability to impact the battlefield makes it a fitting choice for multiple archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card’s capability to potentially disrupt opponents’ mana bases while fueling your own graveyard-centric combos can be a game-changer. It works well with strategies that capitalize on land destruction or reanimation tactics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favours resource denial or one that features graveyard strategies, Desecrated Earth could play a pivotal role. Its utility in disrupting opponent strategies while advancing your own is what makes it a noteworthy inclusion.

How to beat

Desecrated Earth represents one of the intriguing control elements within Magic: The Gathering, challenging players to find the most effective strategies to neutralize its impact. What sets Desecrated Earth apart is its ability to disrupt an opponent’s mana base by targeting their lands while simultaneously serving as a deterrent for future land plays due to the taxing effect it can impose.

When facing this card, it’s crucial to prioritize the flexibility of your own land base. Utilize land cards that can tap for multiple colors or have an indestructible quality to mitigate the disruption caused by Desecrated Earth. Considering the inclusion of cards that allow you to search your library for additional lands or offer land recursion can also be instrumental in recovering from, and ultimately outmaneuvering, the destabilizing force that Desecrated Earth can be on your gameplay.

In essence, resilience and adaptability are key when going up against the presence of Desecrated Earth in a deck. By investing in a robust land strategy and incorporating elements that provide land protection or recovery, players can enhance their game against such disruptive forces, ensuring a smoother path to victory within the dynamic world of Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Desecrated Earth MTG card by a specific set like 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 Desecrated Earth and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Desecrated Earth has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Desecrated Earth card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2009-10-01	If the targeted land is an illegal target by the time Desecrated Earth resolves, the entire spell doesn’t resolve. No one discards a card.