Problematic Volcano MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeWorld Enchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Problematic Volcano ramps mana and sifts through your deck for impactful cards during play.
  2. Instant speed play allows for flexible strategy adjustments and tempo control.
  3. The downside includes a discard requirement and a high mana cost that can affect game pacing.

Text of card

When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, it deals 4 damage to any target. Then, starting with you, each player assigns their creatures to the left or right of the volcano. Creatures enter the battlefield to the left or right of the volcano. Creatures can't block creatures on the other side of the volcano.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Problematic Volcano offers you a strategic upper hand by allowing you to dig through your deck and potentially obtain more powerful cards to engage with during the match.

Resource Acceleration: This card, when played, can dramatically ramp up your mana resources, making it easier for you to cast high-cost spells or activate demanding abilities earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Problematic Volcano at instant speed gives you the flexibility to optimize your strategy in reaction to your opponent’s moves, keeping them guessing and maintaining control of the game tempo.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Problematic Volcano card comes with a significant downside; to play it, you must discard another card. This can lead to depleted hand size and can be particularly detrimental when you’re struggling to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting the Problematic Volcano requires a dedicated amount of red mana. This restricts the card’s integration into multicolor decks that might struggle to produce the required red mana consistently, limiting the card’s overall flexibility and usage.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a rather steep mana investment needed to deploy Problematic Volcano, players might find it cumbersome, especially in faster-paced games where efficiency is key. In situations where board presence and tempo take precedence, the mana required for Problematic Volcano could be put to better use with lower cost spells that provide immediate impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Problematic Volcano offers adaptable play for various deck styles, granting a powerful option for red-based strategies focused on direct damage or land manipulation.

Combo Potential: This card opens up synergies with damage amplifiers or landfall abilities, providing players the chance to weave intricate and impactful combos within their gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: With a shifted MTG landscape that appreciates potent board impacts, Problematic Volcano maintains relevance by fitting into the puzzle of rapid and decisive match conclusions.


How to beat

Dealing with Problematic Volcano isn’t as daunting as it might seem. This card can disrupt your game plan with its potential for rampant destruction. The key lies in timing and carefully chosen counters. Cards that nullify land effects or prevent damage are particularly effective. Consider spells that allow you to bounce the Volcano back to its owner’s hand before it can wreck havoc, or enchantments that negate the ability of any land to produce more than one mana per turn.

Strategic land destruction is also a viable plan, targeting the Volcano before it becomes a threat. Alternatively, life gain strategies could outpace the damage dealt by Problematic Volcano. It’s essential to remain adaptable, enabling you to pivot your tactics depending on your opponent’s actions. Remember, planning and a well-constructed sideboard can turn Problematic Volcano’s eruption into a mere whimper, keeping your game plan intact and leading you to victory.


Cards like Problematic Volcano

Problematic Volcano is an intriguing element in MTG’s arsenal of red cards known for land manipulation. Its effect can be compared to Dwarven Mine, which also involves impacting the land aspect of the game. However, Problematic Volcano introduces a twist by potentially hindering an opponent’s strategy through the special ability to destroy a land upon coming into play. Dwarven Mine doesn’t share this aggressive characteristic, as it focuses more on providing value to the controlling player by creating a token when conditions are met.

Conversely, we have cards like Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin, which also allow a player to disrupt land synergy, but offer a replacement land to the affected opponent. Problematic Volcano differs in that it does not provide immediate compensation to your opponent, which can be quite impactful in the game. Moreover, from a strategic point of view, Problematic Volcano’s ability to interfere with multicolored mana bases puts it in a unique position compared to the more straightforward utility of Encroaching Wastes, which simply destroys targeted lands without any additional effect.

Considering the potential to shape strategies and mana availability, Problematic Volcano stands out as a card with a powerful role of land disruption among MTG’s red card selections, making it a card worth considering for decks aimed at controlling the tempo of the game.

Dwarven Mine - MTG Card versions
Ghost Quarter - MTG Card versions
Field of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Encroaching Wastes - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Mine - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Ghost Quarter - Dissension (DIS)
Field of Ruin - Ixalan (XLN)
Encroaching Wastes - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Problematic Volcano by color, type and mana cost

Mana Flare - MTG Card versions
Gravity Sphere - MTG Card versions
Goblin War Drums - MTG Card versions
Aggression - MTG Card versions
Heat Wave - MTG Card versions
Goblin Warrens - MTG Card versions
Heat Stroke - MTG Card versions
Hand to Hand - MTG Card versions
Seismic Assault - MTG Card versions
Torch Song - MTG Card versions
Ghitu War Cry - MTG Card versions
Fervor - MTG Card versions
Spellshock - MTG Card versions
Mana Cache - MTG Card versions
Citadel of Pain - MTG Card versions
Insolence - MTG Card versions
Granite Grip - MTG Card versions
Steam Vines - MTG Card versions
Magma Vein - MTG Card versions
Pyromania - MTG Card versions
Mana Flare - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Gravity Sphere - Legends (LEG)
Goblin War Drums - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Aggression - Ice Age (ICE)
Heat Wave - Visions (VIS)
Goblin Warrens - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Heat Stroke - Weatherlight (WTH)
Hand to Hand - Tempest (TMP)
Seismic Assault - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Torch Song - Urza's Saga (USG)
Ghitu War Cry - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Fervor - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Spellshock - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Mana Cache - Nemesis (NEM)
Citadel of Pain - Prophecy (PCY)
Insolence - Planeshift (PLS)
Granite Grip - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Steam Vines - Odyssey (ODY)
Magma Vein - Odyssey (ODY)
Pyromania - Torment (TOR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Problematic Volcano MTG card by a specific set like Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 and Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021, 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 Problematic Volcano and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Problematic Volcano Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-11-07 and 2021-08-20. Illustrated by Gavin Verhey.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-11-07Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019CMB1 602015normalblackGavin Verhey
22021-08-20Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021CMB2 602015normalblackGavin Verhey

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-11-12 If a creature somehow has no side chosen for it (perhaps because it’s not normally a creature but becomes one temporarily, or because Problematic Volcano’s enters-the-battlefield ability didn’t resolve) it can block and be blocked by creatures on either side.
2019-11-12 If two or more permanents with the world supertype are on the battlefield, all but the most recent one are put into their owners’ graveyards. In case of a tie, all are put into their owners’ graveyards.
2019-11-12 Problematic Volcano affects only the declaration of blockers. Creatures can still be put onto the battlefield blocking creatures on the other side, abilities of creatures can target creatures on the other side, and so on.
2019-11-12 The designation of left or right matters only for one Problematic Volcano. If another enters the battlefield, the designations for the first won’t matter.
2019-11-12 While choosing sides for their creatures, each player will know the choices made by players before them.

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