Sulfurous Springs MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 20 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Facilitates mana fluidity in multicolored decks without causing card disadvantage or delays.
  2. Core in aggressive and control strategies, enabling instant speed spellcasting and quick responses.
  3. While versatile, it poses a life loss trade-off, adding strategic risk to its utilization.

Text of card

oc T: Add o1 to your mana pool. oc T: Add o B to your mana pool. Sulfurous Springs deals 1 damage to you. oc T: Add o R to your mana pool. Sulfurous Springs deals 1 damage to you.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Sulfurous Springs card does not directly facilitate card drawing but its ability to provide consistent mana of two colors can help players cast the spells they need without delay, keeping their hand fluid and responsive.

Resource Acceleration: As a dual land, Sulfurous Springs is pivotal in mana acceleration. It can tap for either black or red mana, which is invaluable for multicolored decks in need of a reliable mana base to cast their spells efficiently.

Instant Speed: While the card itself is not an instant, having access to both colors of mana without entering the battlefield tapped provides the agility to cast instant-speed spells at the opportune moment, keeping players at pace with the game’s twists and turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Sulfurous Springs doesn’t directly require you to discard, utilizing it for mana can result in life loss, comparable to a resource being diminished. For players, keeping their life totals stable is vital, so this land card may sometimes be a liability, especially in games where health is a fiercely contested resource.

Specific Mana Cost: Sulfurous Springs is tailored for decks that harness both red and black mana. This specialization means it may not fit seamlessly into multi-colored decks that don’t utilize these colors or into mono-color decks that can’t benefit from its dual-mana capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Sulfurous Springs doesn’t have a mana cost itself, the potential life point sacrifice when tapping it for colored mana can add up over time. This trade-off makes it less favorable compared to other dual lands that don’t penalize players, especially in long, drawn-out matches or in formats where life totals are under constant threat.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sulfurous Springs can seamlessly slide into any black or red deck, particularly those running a dual-color scheme. Its ability to provide mana of either type without entering the battlefield tapped makes it a reliable resource from the very first turn.

Combo Potential: As a pain land, Sulfurous Springs can be a crucial piece in decks that capitalize on life total manipulation or need instant access to both colors of mana. This can enable faster combo executions or provide the necessary mana at a critical moment.

Meta-Relevance: Given the popularity of red and black in aggressive and control strategies, having a land like Sulfurous Springs ensures your mana base remains consistent. In a meta where speed and stability are paramount, this card offers both without the restriction of coming into play tapped, keeping pace with the fastest of opponents.


How to Beat Sulfurous Springs

Sulfurous Springs is a well-regarded land card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to offer both black and red mana without coming into play tapped. This capability makes it a staple in many decks that run those colors. However, its downside is the life point loss when tapping for colored mana, which can be exploited by opponents.

To effectively counteract the advantage of Sulfurous Springs, consider strategies that speed up the game. Applying pressure with aggressive creatures forces the Sulfurous Springs user to make decisions that cost them vital life points. Another tactic is employing land destruction or resource denial. By targeting their mana base, you can limit the benefit they gain from such a versatile land.

Focusing on life total as a resource, cards such as Eidolon of the Great Revel can also punish the opponent for using lower-cost spells, which might complement the mana efficiency Sulfurous Springs provides. Each strategy aims to turn its flexibility into a liability, leveraging the life point loss to your advantage for a stronger position in the game.


Cards like Sulfurous Springs

Sulfurous Springs holds its own in the realm of land cards that offer a blend of color mana options in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives include the famous “Pain Lands” such as Karplusan Forest and Underground River. These lands, like Sulfurous Springs, provide players with the ability to tap for one colorless mana or to tap for one of two colors of mana at the cost of one life. However, what Sulfurous Springs offers that others don’t is the specific color combination of black and red mana, a powerful asset for aggressive Rakdos decks.

Another notable comparison is with the “Check Lands” exemplified by Dragonskull Summit. These lands require you to have a mountain or swamp on the field to enter untapped, offering the same mana colors without the life penalty. Nevertheless, in certain scenarios, especially in the early game, Sulfurous Springs outperforms by guaranteeing immediate access to both colors, vital for maintaining tempo against your opponent.

With precise considerations of strategic deck builds and the necessary speed for casting crucial spells early on, Sulfurous Springs remains a competitive choice for players piloting Black-Red decks who appreciate its reliability and immediate color fixing capabilities.

Karplusan Forest - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Karplusan Forest - Ice Age (ICE)
Underground River - Ice Age (ICE)
Dragonskull Summit - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Sulfurous Springs by color, type and mana cost

Badlands - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Urborg Volcano - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Haunted Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Tresserhorn Sinks - MTG Card versions
Molten Slagheap - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Badlands - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cinder Marsh - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Urborg Volcano - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Shadowblood Ridge - Fallout (PIP)
Temple of Malice - Doctor Who (WHO)
Rakdos Carnarium - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Haunted Ridge - Doctor Who (WHO)
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - Commander 2019 (C19)
Tresserhorn Sinks - Coldsnap (CSP)
Molten Slagheap - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Auntie's Hovel - Lorwyn (LRW)
Lavaclaw Reaches - Doctor Who (WHO)
Dragonskull Summit - Fallout (PIP)
Blackcleave Cliffs - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos (PONE)
Blood Crypt - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Bloodfell Caves - March of the Machine (MOM)
Smoldering Marsh - Fallout (PIP)
Foreboding Ruins - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Canyon Slough - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sulfurous Springs MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Pro Tour Collector Set, 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 Sulfurous Springs and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sulfurous Springs Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 3601993normalblackPhil Foglio
21996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC gb3601993normalgoldPhil Foglio
31997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 4241997normalwhiteJeff Miracola
41997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 js4241997normalgoldJeff Miracola
51999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 3281997normalwhiteJeff Miracola
62001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 3451997normalwhiteRob Alexander
72001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 345★1997normalblackRob Alexander
82001-08-08World Championship Decks 2001WC01 ar3451997normalgoldRob Alexander
92001-08-08World Championship Decks 2001WC01 tvdl3451997normalgoldRob Alexander
102001-08-08World Championship Decks 2001WC01 jt3451997normalgoldRob Alexander
112001-12-01DeckmastersDKM 401997normalwhitePhil Foglio
122002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1034782015normalblackMark Tedin
132005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 3252003normalwhiteRob Alexander
142005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 325★2003normalblackRob Alexander
152007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 3592003normalblackRob Alexander
162022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 3812015normalborderlessMark Tedin
172022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 256p2015normalblackBruce Brenneise
182022-09-09Dominaria United PromosPDMU 256s2015normalblackBruce Brenneise
192022-09-09Dominaria UnitedDMU 2562015normalblackBruce Brenneise
202023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 3342015normalblackJeremy Paillotin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sulfurous Springs has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PremodernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

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