Rakdos Carnarium MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 178
2010-06-18 - Number 132
2010-11-08 - Number A133
2011-06-17 - Number 284
2013-03-15 - Number 74
2013-11-01 - Number 313
2015-05-22 - Number 247
2016-11-11 - Number 315
2017-06-09 - Number 266
2017-08-25 - Number 270
2017-11-17 - Number 245
2018-08-09 - Number 273
2019-02-15 - Number 77
2019-08-23 - Number 266
2020-04-17 - Number 300
2021-07-23 - Number 257
2021-11-19 - Number 180
2022-07-08 - Number 329
2022-07-08 - Number 410
2022-09-09 - Number 226
2022-11-18 - Number 194
2024-02-23 - Number 243
2002-06-24 - Number 102355
| Card sets | Released in 23 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Rakdos Carnarium comes into play tapped. When Rakdos Carnarium comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. : Add to your mana pool.
Cards like Rakdos Carnarium
Rakdos Carnarium stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering as a land card that bears the essence of the Rakdos guild. It is often paralleled with other bicolored lands such as Azorius Chancery. Both share the bounce land mechanic, returning a land to the owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. This can be a strategic play, but with Azorius Chancery, you tap into blue and white mana, contrasting Rakdos Carnarium’s red and black mana access.
Gruul Turf is another comparable card, aligning with Rakdos Carnarium in terms of the land bounce effect and the mana acceleration tactic it enables. However, Gruul Turf opens avenues to green and red mana instead, catering to a different pair of colors in a player’s deck. Izzet Boilerworks is yet another card with a similar fate, trading the quickness of basic lands for the advantage of mana flexibility in the blue and red spectrum, akin to Rakdos Carnarium’s value in red and black decks.
In dissecting the nuances among these bounce lands, Rakdos Carnarium offers a reliable foundation for decks centered around red and black, while its cousins serve their respective color combinations with comparable efficiency and strategic depth in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Rakdos Carnarium by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Rakdos Carnarium. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | BR | Pauper | Pauper Challenge 32 2024-04-21 | |
| Burn | Pauper | Burn | Pauper League 2024-04-27 |
 | Goblins | Pauper | Goblins | Pauper Showcase Challenge 2024-04-20 |
| Rakdos Burn | Pauper | Black Burn | Pauper League 2024-04-23 |
 | Jund Gardens | Pauper | Golgari Gardens | Pauper League 2024-04-20 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rakdos Carnarium returns a land to your hand when it enters the battlefield, which can be advantageous in scenarios where lands have additional effects upon entering or leaving the battlefield. It essentially helps recycle these effects, providing subtle but valuable card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Although it enters the battlefield tapped, Rakdos Carnarium effectively produces two mana of specific colors with just one land, thus aiding in resource acceleration. This is particularly beneficial for decks that require specific color combinations to cast powerful spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: While Rakdos Carnarium itself is not an instant, it supports playing at instant speed by allowing you to streamline your mana resources efficiently. This ensures that you can keep mana open for instant speed interactions while still developing your mana base on your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Rakdos Carnarium requires you to return a land you control to your hand, which can set you behind on your land drops or force you to discard if it’s your only land play for the turn.
Specific Mana Cost: Rakdos Carnarium’s activation cost demands both black and red mana, potentially complicating your mana base if you’re not dedicated to a Rakdos deck.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield tapped means your mana is delayed an entire turn, an especially significant setback in a game where tempo is crucial.
Reasons to Include Rakdos Carnarium in Your Collection
Versatility: Rakdos Carnarium is not your average land card. It’s a dual land that returns another land to your hand, effectively saving that land from potential hazards and allowing for strategic re-plays. This makes it an invaluable addition to any collection for its ability to ensure land drops for successive turns.
Combo Potential: This card is a boon for decks that capitalize on the bounce mechanic. Use Rakdos Carnarium to repeatedly trigger landfall abilities or synergize with cards that thrive on being played multiple times. It’s a subtle engine that can power many combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a game that’s as fast-paced as MTG, Rakdos Carnarium holds its ground by providing both black and red mana, pivotal for casting key spells in a timely manner. As the meta shifts, this dual land consistently finds its place in various build strategies, especially in formats where land plays can make or break a game.
How to Beat
Rakdos Carnarium is a unique land card that can both empower and inhibit MTG decks, especially when it comes to the resource tempo of a game. As a land that enters the battlefield tapped and returns another land to its owner’s hand, it requires strategic deployment to avoid setting yourself back during crucial turns.
To effectively counter Rakdos Carnarium, the use of land destruction cards or effects that disrupt your opponent’s mana base can be quite effective. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin allow you to target and exile Rakdos Carnarium, potentially leaving your opponent short on the mana needed to cast their spells. Additionally, strategies that capitalize on the Rakdos Carnarium’s enter-the-battlefield tapped downside can give you a tempo advantage. Aggressive, low-cost decks can often overwhelm an opponent before they can fully utilize the mana-fixing benefits of the card. Awareness and timely disruption are key in using Rakdos Carnarium to your advantage or mitigating its effects when facing it across the battlefield.
Maintaining a balance between developing your own board presence and hindering your opponent’s land setup can turn the tides of battle in your favor against a deck using this dual land.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rakdos Carnarium MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dissension, 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 Rakdos Carnarium and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Rakdos Carnarium Magic the Gathering card was released in 22 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 102355 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Thomas M. Baxa | ||
| 2 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 178 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 3 | 2010-06-18 | Archenemy | ARC | 132 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 4 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | A133 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 5 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 284 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 6 | 2013-03-15 | Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt | DDK | 74 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 7 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 313 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 8 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 247 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 9 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 315 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 10 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 266 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 11 | 2017-08-25 | Commander 2017 | C17 | 270 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 12 | 2017-11-17 | Iconic Masters | IMA | 245 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 13 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 273 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 14 | 2019-02-15 | RNA Guild Kit | GK2 | 77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 15 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 266 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 16 | 2020-04-17 | Commander 2020 | C20 | 300 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 17 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 257 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 18 | 2021-11-19 | Crimson Vow Commander | VOC | 180 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 19 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 329 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 20 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 410 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Thomas M. Baxa | |
| 21 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Commander | DMC | 226 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 22 | 2022-11-18 | The Brothers' War Commander | BRC | 194 | 1997 | Normal | Black | John Avon | |
| 23 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 243 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Avon |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rakdos Carnarium has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rakdos Carnarium card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | If this land enters the battlefield and you control no other lands, its ability will force you to return it to your hand. |