Drowned Catacomb MTG Card
2009-07-17 - Number 224
2010-07-16 - Number 224
2011-07-15 - Number 226
2012-07-13 - Number 223
2017-06-16 - Number 94
2017-09-29 - Number 253
2017-09-29 - Number 253s
2017-09-29 - Number 253p
2023-06-23 - Number 305
2023-10-13 - Number 274
2023-10-13 - Number 1083
2023-10-13 - Number 865
2023-10-13 - Number 492
2024-03-08 - Number 494
2024-03-08 - Number 262
2024-03-08 - Number 790
2024-03-08 - Number 1022
2024-04-19 - Number 290
2019-12-02 - Number 457
| Card sets | Released in 19 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Drowned Catacomb enters the battlefield tapped unless you control an Island or a Swamp. : Add or to your mana pool.
Cards like Drowned Catacomb
Drowned Catacomb has etched itself as a staple in dual color decks within Magic the Gathering, aligning closely with the functions of other check lands such as Glacial Fortress and Dragonskull Summit. This archetype of lands has a simple condition to meet – as long as you control a land of a specific type, they enter the battlefield untapped, providing fluid mana acceleration.
Parallel in utility, Isolated Chapel serves a similar purpose for different color combinations, presenting a dynamic for black and white decks akin to Drowned Catacomb’s blue and black synergy. Both cater to two-color strategies while maintaining the pace of gameplay by avoiding the common pitfall of lands entering the battlefield tapped. Hinterland Harbor complements this pattern within green and blue deck builds, though each of these lands requires a strategic land base to achieve their optimal potential.
While the Catacomb doesn’t furnish the battlefield with an immediate advantage such as shock lands like Watery Grave, which can come into play untapped at the price of life points, it’s still highly valued. It offers a more conservative approach by condensing mana versatility without the life cost, making Drowned Catacomb a go-to for many players building two-color decks in MTG.
Cards similar to Drowned Catacomb by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Drowned Catacomb. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Niv to Light | Pioneer | Niv to Light | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-04-21 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Drowned Catacomb enables consistent land drops which contribute to smoothing out your draws, allowing for a more steady flow of resources and cards as the game progresses.
Resource Acceleration: As a dual land, Drowned Catacomb can tap for two types of mana, blue or black, which accelerates your ability to cast multicolored spells and broadens your potential to utilize a wider array of spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: While Drowned Catacomb itself does not operate at instant speed, it does provide the vital mana necessary to cast impactful instant-speed spells within the blue or black colors, thereby enhancing your reactive capabilities during any point of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Though Drowned Catacomb doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it’s important to consider that using this card alongside spells that do could compound the issue of resource depletion.
Specific Mana Cost: Drowned Catacomb requires specifically one blue or black mana to come into play untapped, limiting its immediate versatility in multicolor decks that don’t use these colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to basic lands, having to potentially pay two different types of mana to have Drowned Catacomb enter untapped can be costly in the early game, where mana efficiency is crucial.
Reasons to Include Drowned Catacomb in Your Collection
Versatility: Drowned Catacomb offers an adaptable land choice for any blue or black deck, providing both colors of mana without coming into play tapped if you control an Island or Swamp. This flexibility makes it a staple in dual-color decks.
Combo Potential: Since the land can seamlessly provide two colors, it enables and supports a wide range of combos, facilitating smoother and more consistent plays and allowing for intricate strategies in blue-black decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given that blue and black are often associated with control and combo archetypes, Drowned Catacomb keeps up with the dynamic nature of the competitive scene, where dual lands are crucial for timing and efficiency in matches.
How to Beat Drowned Catacomb
Drowned Catacomb stands out as an efficient land card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, offering immense strategic value by potentially providing blue or black mana without entering the battlefield tapped, given you control an Island or Swamp. The savvy player knows, however, that non-basic lands like this can be vulnerable to certain strategies. Blood Moon, for instance, can turn this valuable card into a basic Mountain, stripping away its utility and potential advantage.
Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin are also notable mentions that can disrupt the cohesion Drowned Catacomb brings to a mana base. By destroying it, they can set back the dual land strategies many decks rely on. Aggressive land destruction decks can keep Drowned Catacomb from being a consistent resource, maintaining pressure on the opponent’s mana availability. In this manner, emphasizing disruption of non-basic lands in your deck build can create significant challenges for decks utilizing cards like Drowned Catacomb. It’s essential to consider these strategic moves to tilt the scales in your favor.
It’s clear that while Drowned Catacomb contributes to the fluidity of a deck’s mana base, it’s not without its weaknesses. Incorporating counterplay measures into your strategy can effectively neutralize this card’s impact and maintain the upper hand in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Drowned Catacomb MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2010 and Magic 2011, 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 Drowned Catacomb 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
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Printings
The Drowned Catacomb Magic the Gathering card was released in 12 different sets between 2009-07-17 and 2024-04-19. Illustrated by 6 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-07-17 | Magic 2010 | M10 | 224 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 2 | 2010-07-16 | Magic 2011 | M11 | 224 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 3 | 2011-07-15 | Magic 2012 | M12 | 226 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 4 | 2012-07-13 | Magic 2013 | M13 | 223 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 5 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 94 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 6 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan | XLN | 253 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 7 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan Promos | PXLN | 253s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 8 | 2017-09-29 | Ixalan Promos | PXLN | 253p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 9 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 457 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Matt Jukes | ||
| 10 | 2023-06-23 | Tales of Middle-earth Commander | LTC | 305 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Calder Moore | |
| 11 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 274 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Harmatiuk | |
| 12 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 1083 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Harmatiuk | |
| 13 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 865 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Harmatiuk | |
| 14 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 492 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Harmatiuk | |
| 15 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 494 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eddie Mendoza | |
| 16 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 262 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eddie Mendoza | |
| 17 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 790 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eddie Mendoza | |
| 18 | 2024-03-08 | Fallout | PIP | 1022 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Eddie Mendoza | |
| 19 | 2024-04-19 | Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander | OTC | 290 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Drowned Catacomb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Drowned Catacomb 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 | As this is entering the battlefield, it checks for lands that are already on the battlefield. It won't see lands that are entering the battlefield at the same time (due to Warp World, for example). |
| 2009-10-01 | This checks for lands you control with the land type Island or Swamp, not for lands named Island or Swamp. The lands it checks for don't have to be basic lands. For example, if you control Blood Crypt (a nonbasic land with the land types Swamp and Mountain), Drowned Catacomb will enter the battlefield untapped. |