Desolate Lighthouse MTG Card
2012-05-04 - Number 227
2018-12-07 - Number 242
2020-04-17 - Number 269
2022-06-10 - Number 890
2023-06-23 - Number 303
2023-10-13 - Number 862
2023-10-13 - Number 1080
2023-10-13 - Number 271
2023-10-13 - Number 489
2023-11-17 - Number 327
2019-12-02 - Number 352
2020-09-26 - Number C20-269
| Card sets | Released in 12 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. , : Draw a card, then discard a card.
A lonely sentinel facing gales, hurricanes, and tides of homicidal spirits.
Cards like Desolate Lighthouse
Desolate Lighthouse offers a unique twist on card filtration within Magic: The Gathering. When examining its potential, we see parallels with Geier Reach Sanitarium, another land with filtering ability. Desolate Lighthouse allows you to draw a card and then discard a card for the cost of one colorless, one blue, and one red mana. This can be especially useful for decks that benefit from having certain cards in the graveyard.
Compared to Geier Reach Sanitarium, which requires less mana but affects each player, Desolate Lighthouse gives a controlled advantage. Another card with a similar looting effect is Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, which enables both players to draw a card. This can be less desirable, as it does not offer the same level of control over the cards in hand. While Desolate Lighthouse requires a higher mana investment to activate its ability, it compensates with a targeted effect, making it a valuable addition to decks looking for selective card draw and discard strategies.
Ultimately, Desolate Lighthouse sits in a niche category of land cards with looting effects but stands out in its ability to selectively filter the player’s hand without benefiting the opponent, which is a strategic advantage in any MTG game.
Cards similar to Desolate Lighthouse by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Desolate Lighthouse. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Izzet Breach | Free form | d00mwake's Pure Modern 5 | |
 | Temur Ramp | Modern | Tooth And Nail | HBMO24 - Card Cache Saturday Modern ReCQ |
 | Calibrated Blast | Modern | Calibrated Blast | Modern Preliminary 2024-02-14 |
 | Grixis Control | Modern | Grixis Control | Modern Preliminary 2024-01-22 |
| Jeskai Control | Modern | Jeskai Control | Modern Preliminary 2023-12-27 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Desolate Lighthouse offers a strategic edge by letting players draw a card and then discard one. This filtered draw action enriches hand quality, bolstering options and increasing the potential for crucial plays.
Resource Acceleration: As a land card, Desolate Lighthouse contributes to your mana base without using up a spell slot. It elegantly dovetails into your resource acceleration plan, ensuring your mana availability keeps pace with game demands.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Desolate Lighthouse at instant speed gifts players with flexibility. Reserve mana for instant-speed interactions or, if the coast is clear, improve your hand during your opponent’s end phase, optimizing your turn with better resources.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Players often find Desolate Lighthouse’s activation cost burdensome as it forces a discard, which could be a setback when you’re clinging to crucial cards in your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to activate Desolate Lighthouse includes blue and red mana, demanding a firm commitment to those colors in your deck’s mana base, possibly restricting its inclusion in more diverse mana strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Utility Cost: Moreover, the activation cost is rather steep. With a total of three mana, one of which is color specific, other cards in the game may provide similar or greater value for less investment.
Reasons to Include Desolate Lighthouse in Your Collection
Versatility: Desolate Lighthouse offers a unique ability to filter through your deck, allowing for better control of your hand composition. This makes it a flexible addition to various deck archetypes, from control to combo.
Combo Potential: The card’s ability to draw and discard can activate numerous combos and synergies within your deck, making it a key piece in strategies that capitalize on graveyard mechanics or card draw.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where information and the right answers are crucial, Desolate Lighthouse ensures that you have access to the tools you need when you need them, making it a relevant choice across different metagames.
How to beat
Desolate Lighthouse is an intriguing utility land in MTG that offers card filtering capabilities to players. Its ability to draw a card then discard a card can provide significant advantage by allowing subtle deck manipulation. To effectively counter this card, disrupting the mana base can be key. Land destruction or mana denial strategies can impede the activation of the Lighthouse’s ability. Cards like Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin can remove the Lighthouse from play, severing a player’s ability to sift through their deck.
Another tactic is to exercise control over the stack, denying the triggered ability through counterspells like Disallow, which can stifle any activated or triggered ability. Additionally, employing strategies that limit the number of cards a player can draw each turn, such as with Notion Thief or Narset, Parter of Veils, can also minimize the effectiveness of the Lighthouse. Lastly, remember that this card’s ability is neither instant nor free—so apply pressure during your opponent’s upkeep or after they’ve tapped out for maximum impact.
Understanding these strategies to anticipate and dismantle the value brought out by Desolate Lighthouse can significantly reduce the card’s impact and keep you ahead in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Desolate Lighthouse MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored and Ultimate Masters, 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 Desolate Lighthouse 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Desolate Lighthouse Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2012-05-04 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-05-04 | Avacyn Restored | AVR | 227 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou | |
| 2 | 2018-12-07 | Ultimate Masters | UMA | 242 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou | |
| 3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 352 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nico Delort | ||
| 4 | 2020-04-17 | Commander 2020 | C20 | 269 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | C20-269 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou | ||
| 6 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 890 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou | |
| 7 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 303 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Marco Gorlei | |
| 8 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 862 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Henry Peters | |
| 9 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 1080 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Henry Peters | |
| 10 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 271 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Henry Peters | |
| 11 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 489 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Henry Peters | |
| 12 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander | LCC | 327 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott Chou |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Desolate Lighthouse has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |