Scalding Tarn MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Scalding Tarn is an essential fetch land, providing deck flexibility and thinning by retrieving specific land types.
  2. It’s a staple in Modern, Legacy, and Commander formats, enabling multicolor deck consistency and strategy execution.
  3. This land is highly sought after, holding significant value and trade power within the MTG community and collectors.

Text of card

, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Scalding Tarn: Search your library for an Island or Mountain card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.


 


Pros of Scalding Tarn

Card Advantage: Utilizing Scalding Tarn allows you to instantly search your library for an Island or Mountain card, which can give you the exact resource you need at the right time. This function provides an edge by enhancing the continuity of your gameplay and increasing the opportunities to outmatch your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Scalding Tarn is a fetch land which drastically enhances your mana base’s versatility. By sacrificing it, you rapidly accelerate your game by paving the way for playing the powerful spells from your hand more efficiently. Remember, getting the right mana at the right time can often be the difference between winning and losing.

Instant Speed: One of the major advantages of Scalding Tarn is its instant speed. The ability to search your library regardless of whose turn it is, makes this card a potent tool for keeping the pace of your game plan intact. It provides greater flexibility and control over your deck, offering strong reactive and proactive possibilities.


Cons of Scalding Tarn

Discard Requirement: Scalding Tarn does not have a direct discard requirement. However, the necessity to sacrifice it after use can be seen as a disadvantage, especially in decks where land availability is paramount.

Specific Mana Cost: Scalding Tarn allows you to search your deck for an Island or Mountain card. If your deck does not heavily feature these land types or if they aren’t included at all, the usefulness of Scalding Tarn will greatly diminish.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Scalding Tarn has no mana cost in itself, the necessity to pay one life every time its ability is used can add up, particularly in longer games or against aggressive strategies where life total matters most.


Reasons to Include Scalding Tarn in Your Collection

Versatility: Scalding Tarn, as an integral part of the Zendikar fetch lands, exhibits great flexibility. Applicable in a slew of deck types, it’s essential for color fixing or fueling landfall triggers.

Combo Potential: This card paves the way for intriguing deck synergies. Its ability to fetch any island or mountain card can set off a chain of potent combo strategies, magnifying the deck’s overall strength.

Meta-Relevance: In a dynamic meta-game filled with combo or ramp decks, the speed and functionality offered by Scalding Tarn become invaluable. Its presence can tip the scales in such high-pressure games.


Similar Cards

Scalding Tarn is a powerful player in the Magic: The Gathering landscape with its unique capabilities. A close comparison can be made to Misty Rainforest, an MTG card known for its ability to fetch any Forest or Island card. This similar land fetching trait makes Scalding Tarn and Misty Rainforest comparable, though the Tarn focuses on fetching Mountains or Islands.

Another card, Verdant Catacombs, also has a land fetching mechanic, but it centers around Forest and Swamp cards. These natural allies give Scalding Tarn its distinction by fetching red or blue land cards. Crucially, all these cards enable the players planning and deck manipulation, while also thinning the deck, improving the proportion of non-land cards drawn later.

Yet another binary land card, Polluted Delta, fetches either an Island or a Swamp. It parallels Scalding Tarn’s usefulness in gameplay but swings the favor towards blue or black mana.

After diving into these comparisons, it’s clear Scalding Tarn holds a special place among the fetch lands in Magic: The Gathering. Its utility in fetching either a Mountain or an Island allows optimal flexibility and player strategy.


How to Beat Scalding Tarn

Scalding Tarn is truly a powerhouse in MTG, known for its land-fetching ability, delicate color fixing, and the thinning of libraries. Taking on Scalding Tarn requires a deep understanding of the game’s minutiae and the right counters.

A smart strategy is the use of Stifle, a blue instant spell that counters activated abilities, a direct strike to Scalding Tarn. Another card to consider is Aven Mindcensor, which only allows opponents to search through the top four cards of their library, minimizing Scalding Tarn’s effectiveness.

You can also use cards like Leonin Arbiter that prevent searching libraries unless a player pays extra mana. Coupled with Ghost Quarter, it can turn into a formidable disruption duo. Alternative strategies can include using cards like Blood Moon or Back to Basics disrupting non-basic lands functioning, turning cards like Scalding Tarn obsolete.

Remember, MTG presents countless situations, and the right approach ultimately depends on your deck type and game state. However, the options mentioned above can serve you as effective tools to give you a fighting chance against Scalding Tarn’s strategy.


Conclusion

In conclusion, navigating the rich landscapes of Magic the Gathering requires strategy, insight, and a bit of adventure. Whether you’re planning your next big win or fine-tuning your deck for maximum impact, there’s always room to elevate your game. As you continue to delve into the MTG universe, remember that it’s not just about the single triumphs but the continuous journey towards mastery. We invite you to keep exploring this fascinating world, discovering new techniques, and unearthing valuable cards to ensure your next match is more than just a game, but a Big Score. Ready to level up your play? Join us to learn more and become the ultimate MTG champion.


Cards like Scalding Tarn

Scalding Tarn is a powerful player in the Magic: The Gathering landscape with its unique capabilities. A close comparison can be made to Misty Rainforest, an MTG card known for its ability to fetch any Forest or Island card. This similar land fetching trait makes Scalding Tarn and Misty Rainforest comparable, though the Tarn focuses on fetching Mountains or Islands.

Another card, Verdant Catacombs, also has a land fetching mechanic, but it centers around Forest and Swamp cards. These natural allies give Scalding Tarn its distinction by fetching red or blue land cards. Crucially, all these cards enable the players planning and deck manipulation, while also thinning the deck, improving the proportion of non-land cards drawn later.

Yet another binary land card, Polluted Delta, fetches either an Island or a Swamp. It parallels Scalding Tarn’s usefulness in gameplay but swings the favor towards blue or black mana.

After diving into these comparisons, it’s clear Scalding Tarn holds a special place among the fetch lands in Magic: The Gathering. Its utility in fetching either a Mountain or an Island allows optimal flexibility and player strategy.

Misty Rainforest - MTG Card versions
Verdant Catacombs - MTG Card versions
Polluted Delta - MTG Card versions
Misty Rainforest - Zendikar (ZEN)
Verdant Catacombs - Zendikar (ZEN)
Polluted Delta - Onslaught (ONS)

Cards similar to Scalding Tarn by color, type and mana cost

Cathedral of Serra - MTG Card versions
Mishra's Factory - MTG Card versions
Bad River - MTG Card versions
Griffin Canyon - MTG Card versions
Ice Floe - MTG Card versions
Ghost Town - MTG Card versions
Urza's Mine - MTG Card versions
Hall of Tagsin - MTG Card versions
City of Brass - MTG Card versions
Bloodstained Mire - MTG Card versions
Zoetic Cavern - MTG Card versions
Grixis Panorama - MTG Card versions
Rupture Spire - MTG Card versions
Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Edge - MTG Card versions
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions
Buried Ruin - MTG Card versions
Wasteland - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions
Maze of Ith - MTG Card versions
Cathedral of Serra - Legends (LEG)
Mishra's Factory - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bad River - Mirage (MIR)
Griffin Canyon - Visions (VIS)
Ice Floe - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Ghost Town - Tempest (TMP)
Urza's Mine - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Hall of Tagsin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
City of Brass - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)
Bloodstained Mire - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Zoetic Cavern - Future Sight (FUT)
Grixis Panorama - Commander 2013 (C13)
Rupture Spire - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Terramorphic Expanse - Commander 2018 (C18)
Tectonic Edge - Zendikar Expeditions (EXP)
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - Theros (THS)
Buried Ruin - Commander 2014 (C14)
Wasteland - Zendikar Rising Expeditions (ZNE)
Eldrazi Temple - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Maze of Ith - Eternal Masters (EMA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scalding Tarn MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and 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 Scalding Tarn and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Scalding Tarn Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2021-06-19. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 914012015normalblackPhilip Straub
22009-10-02ZendikarZEN 2232003normalblackPhilip Straub
32015-10-02Zendikar ExpeditionsEXP 222015normalblackRyan Yee
42017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 2442015normalblackPhilip Straub
52020-05-29Secret Lair: Ultimate EditionSLU 22015normalblackAdam Paquette
62020-09-25Zendikar Rising ExpeditionsZNE 72015normalblackJonas De Ro
72021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 4391997normalblackPhilip Straub
82021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 4782015normalblackPhilip Straub
92021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 2542015normalblackPhilip Straub
102021-06-19Modern Horizons 2 PromosPMH2 254s2015normalblackPhilip Straub

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scalding Tarn has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks