Horror of the Broken Lands MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Horror of the Broken Lands becomes a key player in decks that utilize cycling. When you cycle another card, this creature gets a power boost until end of turn, essentially turning each cycling action into potential damage increase and making every card you cycle effectively serve two purposes. This can quickly create a sizeable threat on the board while also replenishing your hand.

Resource Acceleration: In environments that favor graveyard interactions, this card shines by becoming fuel for various forms of resource acceleration. For example, it can enable delve mechanics, effectively reducing the mana cost of your spells by leveraging cards in your graveyard, including Horror of the Broken Lands itself if it ends up there.

Instant Speed: The ability to cycle Horror of the Broken Lands at instant speed gives you flexibility during your opponent’s turn. Whether you’re digging for an answer or simply trying to increase the creature’s power for a surprise block or an end of turn threat, you’re able to do so without pausing your own strategy deployment during your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players often find that the discard mechanic of Horror of the Broken Lands can be a costly affair. Each cycle for card advantage demands a card from your hand, potentially depleting valuable resources you might need later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored for decks with black mana, Horror of the Broken Lands requires a dedicated mana base. This specific mana requirement may not always align with multicolored or color-flexible strategies, thus limiting the card’s versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, this creature may struggle to compete with other alternatives in the same mana range. In formats where board presence and tempo are crucial, the mana investment into Horror of the Broken Lands must be weighed against other potent creatures and spells that could have an immediate impact on the game.

Reasons to Include Horror of the Broken Lands in Your Collection

Versatility: Horror of the Broken Lands slides comfortably into a variety of deck styles. As a creature that benefits from cycling, it can be a key player in decks that focus on card flow and graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on cycling or discarding, allowing for power boosts and potential surprise swings in combat phases.

Meta-Relevance: Given its adaptability and the ease with which it can become an imposing threat, Horror of the Broken Lands holds its own in metas where flexibility and resilience against removal are paramount.

How to beat

The Horror of the Broken Lands is an intriguing creature card that offers strategic depth to many MTG decks. When facing this creature, a good tactic is to manage its cycling ability, which can potentially overpower you by increasing its attack strength. Staying ahead requires precise timing and careful choice of removal. Instant-speed removal spells can catch an opponent off guard, eliminating the Horror as they attempt to pump it during their turn. Spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push are excellent choices, offering swift and economical solutions to deal with the creature before it becomes a larger threat.

Additionally, countering the cycling ability itself can be effective. Disallow or Nimble Obstructionist offer a means to counter not only spells but also activated abilities, including cycling. An often underestimated form of interaction with cycling is graveyard disruption. If you can target their graveyard with cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, you can limit the benefits they get from cycling altogether, reducing the Horror’s synergistic potential within their strategy. Always remain vigilant, leveraging these controlled, strategic responses to ensure that the Horror of the Broken Lands doesn’t turn the tide against you in battle.