Lake of the Dead MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Lake of the Dead accelerates mana production, crucial for casting high-cost spells rapidly in a game.
  2. This land card offers strategic depth to decks, enabling explosive turns that can swiftly shift game dynamics.
  3. While powerful, it requires sacrifice of a swamp, demanding careful play to maximize value without depleting resources.

Text of card

When Lake of the Dead comes into play, sacrifice a swamp or bury Lake of the Dead. oc T: Add o B to your mana pool. oc T: Sacrifice a swamp to add o Bo Bo Bo B to your mana pool.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lake of the Dead is a power-packed powerhouse in MTG, making it particularly beneficial for maintaining rhythm. Upon sacrifice of a swamp, you can add four black mana to your mana pool, boosting your overall card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card manipulates resources efficiently, providing an immediate acceleration of black mana. It’s a major player in ramp decks, specifically for mono-black archetypes, providing intense mana generation.

Instant Speed: While Lake of the Dead’s benefits aren’t reaped at instant speed, the mana it generates could be used for spells with an instant response to your opponent’s moves, enhancing your game-play dynamics and keeping your opponent on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Lake of the Dead card obliges you to forfeit a land card from your hand every time it is activated. This could potentially deplete your resources and prove disadvantageous during crucial turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card generates either black mana or a hefty chunk of black mana, but only at a steep cost. This can hinder its utilization to specific decks, generally catering to monoblack or heavy black mana-focused ones.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Lake of the Dead might be seen as having a comparative high mana cost, especially when you consider the requirement to ditch a land card. For generating large volumes of black mana, there could be alternative more efficient or less costly cards in other formats of MTG.


Reasons to Include Lake of the Dead in Your Collection

Versatility: Lake of the Dead offers unparalleled adaptability, fitting seamlessly into several deck types. Its ability to sacrifice a swamp and create extra mana makes it a valuable asset, especially for those black mana-intensive decks.

Combo Potential: The additional mana produced by Lake of the Dead can trigger potent combos, supercharging strategies that thrive on mana acceleration or high-cost spells. This land card brings a lot to the table in terms of building board dominance.

Meta-Relevance: With an observable trend towards big spells and control strategies in the present meta-game, the extra mana provided by Lake of the Dead equips you with the resources necessary to outperform in the current competitive environment.


How to Beat

Battling the Lake of the Dead card in MTG calls for sound strategy. This infamous land card can significantly bolster the mana resources of its user but at a unique cost – sacrificing a Swamp. With every activation, the player’s mana pool grows. Hence, keeping the player’s swamps on check is a strategy to mitigate its strength.

Its major functionality is dependent on other cards, specifically Swamp cards. So, a strategic move would be to reduce the availability of Swamp cards in the player’s deck, hindering the successful activation of Lake of the Dead. Use land destruction cards that target specific land type or specific named card to limit the number of Swamp cards or even eliminate Lake of the Dead from the field.

To summarize, understanding the mechanisms of the Lake of the Dead card plays a vital role when orchestrating a successful counter-attack. Knowing its reliance on Swamp cards for activation reveals its potential vulnerability, which can be exploited tactically during gameplay. Arm yourself with the right deck, knowledge, and approach to best this formidable card.


Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering the vast world of Magic the Gathering is an ongoing quest for both strategy and adventure. Crafting the perfect deck is more than just a hobby; it’s a deep dive into a lore-rich universe where every card can turn the tide of battle. Lake of the Dead represents just one of the myriad ways you can enhance your playstyle and outmaneuver the competition. With each duel, you uncover more secrets and tactics that can help you rise through the ranks. Elevate your game by continuously expanding your knowledge and collection. Dive deeper, learn more, and seize the title of MTG champion with us by your side.


Cards like Lake of the Dead

When it comes to powerful land cards, Lake of the Dead is a dominant force in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). Comparable to it, we have Cabal Coffers and Phyrexian Tower. Both produce additional mana, much like Lake of the Dead. However, the latter forces the sacrifice of a swamp land for additional mana which sets it apart from the trio.

In contrast, Cabal Coffers provides one black mana for each swamp you control and doesn’t involve any sacrifice. Phyrexian Tower, on the other hand, allows you to sacrifice a creature in return for extra black mana. Notably though, Lake of the Dead’s sacrificial cost becomes an advantage in a reanimator deck where getting cards into the graveyard is a strategy in itself.

Another notable mention is Dark Depths, a land card with a twist. Unlike Lake of the Dead, Dark Depths carries no immediate Mana benefits but instead holds an ice counter mechanic whose removal unleashes Marit Lage, a powerful 20/20 black avatar token with flying and indestructible.

In the arena of land cards, Lake of the Dead with its unique strengths, challenges, and strategic implications stands favourably amongst its counterparts in MTG.

Cabal Coffers - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Tower - MTG Card versions
Dark Depths - MTG Card versions
Cabal Coffers - Torment (TOR)
Phyrexian Tower - Urza's Saga (USG)
Dark Depths - Coldsnap (CSP)

Cards similar to Lake of the Dead by color, type and mana cost

Swamp - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Stronghold - MTG Card versions
Spawning Pool - MTG Card versions
Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt - MTG Card versions
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - MTG Card versions
Unholy Grotto - MTG Card versions
Snow-Covered Swamp - MTG Card versions
Vivid Marsh - MTG Card versions
Cabal Coffers - MTG Card versions
Crypt of Agadeem - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Salvage - MTG Card versions
Bojuka Bog - MTG Card versions
Polluted Mire - MTG Card versions
Barren Moor - MTG Card versions
Ifnir Deadlands - MTG Card versions
Desert of the Glorified - MTG Card versions
Cabal Stronghold - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Tower - MTG Card versions
Mortuary Mire - MTG Card versions
Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince - MTG Card versions
Swamp - Modern Horizons 3 (MH3)
Volrath's Stronghold - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Spawning Pool - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Unholy Grotto - Onslaught (ONS)
Snow-Covered Swamp - Kaldheim (KHM)
Vivid Marsh - Lorwyn (LRW)
Cabal Coffers - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Crypt of Agadeem - Zendikar (ZEN)
Dakmor Salvage - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Bojuka Bog - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Polluted Mire - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Barren Moor - Commander 2019 (C19)
Ifnir Deadlands - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)
Desert of the Glorified - Hour of Devastation (HOU)
Cabal Stronghold - Dominaria (DOM)
Phyrexian Tower - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Mortuary Mire - Commander 2019 (C19)
Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lake of the Dead MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and Magic Online Promos, 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 Lake of the Dead and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lake of the Dead Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-06-10AlliancesALL 1401993normalblackPete Venters
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 436302003normalblackEytan Zana
32002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 239541997normalblackPete Venters
42007-09-10Masters EditionME1 1771997normalblackPete Venters
52014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 3022015normalblackEytan Zana

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lake of the Dead has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 The tap and sacrifice counts as tapping the land for mana.
2004-10-04 You have to sacrifice a swamp before this card is put onto the battlefield. And you have to do this no matter how it is put onto the battlefield.

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