Barbarian Riftcutter MTG Card


Barbarian Riftcutter - Ravnica: City of Guilds
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Barbarian
Released2005-10-07
Set symbol
Set nameRavnica: City of Guilds
Set codeRAV
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number114
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byCarl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

  1. The Barbarian Riftcutter provides card advantage and can disrupt opponent enchantment strategies effectively.
  2. Casting requirements and high mana cost may limit its versatility in some deck compositions.
  3. Its dual role in battlefield presence and land interaction makes it a viable red creature choice.

Text of card

, Sacrifice Barbarian Riftcutter: Destroy target land.

"Riftcutters are suicidal anarchists, waving those lightning axes around so much that the walls are as likely to fall as their foes." —Heruj, Selesnya initiate


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Barbarian Riftcutter offers a significant edge by potentially removing a troublesome enchantment, allowing you to maintain board control while disrupting your opponent’s strategy.

Resource Acceleration: When you cast the Barbarian Riftcutter, it can help thin your deck by enabling you to search for a basic land card and put it into play, thus slightly increasing your potential to draw more impactful cards in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The versatility of this card is heightened by its ability to be cast at instant speed, providing the opportunity to respond to an opponent’s actions during their turn or at the most opportune moment, keeping them guessing about your potential moves.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Barbarian Riftcutter necessitates discarding a card to activate certain abilities. While this can tie into strategies that profit from the graveyard, it can be burdensome when your hand is already depleted or if the discarded card is needed for later strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost demands specific mana types, which could restrict its inclusion to decks running those particular colors. If your deck doesn’t consistently produce the necessary mana, it could lead to the Barbarian Riftcutter being a dead card in your hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is substantial for its effects, you might find that the Barbarian Riftcutter’s impact on the game isn’t as significant when weighed against other cards at a similar mana value. More efficient creature cards might serve your deck’s goals without the steep cost.


Reasons to Include Barbarian Riftcutter in Your Collection

Versatility: Barbarian Riftcutter can serve multiple roles within your deck builds, providing both a respectable body for combat and utility for manipulating enchantments, which can be crucial in many game situations.

Combo Potential: This card can help you engineer game-winning combos, particularly in decks that capitalize on enchantment removal or wish to exploit the card’s sacrifice mechanic for strategic advantage and synergy.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to disrupt opponent strategies that rely heavily on enchantments, Barbarian Riftcutter maintains relevance within a dynamic MTG meta, consistently offering strategic options against a multitude of popular deck archetypes.


How to beat

Barbarian Riftcutter shines in environments where creatures hold the battlefield. Its capacity to handle opposing monsters can turn the tide of combat, making it a threat that requires a preemptive strategy. To overcome this formidable card, it is ideal to focus on removing it before it can leverage its strength in battle. Utilizing instant-speed removal spells can efficiently deal with it before it becomes a problem. Cards such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile are excellent choices, as they can dispatch the Barbarian Riftcutter irrespective of its power level.

Alternatively, applying counter magic when your opponent attempts to cast it neutralizes the threat before it ever touches the board. Counterspell or Mana Leak are classic examples of this approach, ensuring that the Riftcutter’s effect isn’t utilized against your creatures. Moreover, keeping a watch on your opponent’s graveyard can be key, as Barbarian Riftcutter could return to the fray through various recursion methods. Therefore, cards that exile from graveyards, like Rest in Peace, can prove invaluable. Lastly, it’s wise to limit the number of creatures you commit to the board if Riftcutter’s presence is imminent, minimizing its potential impact upon arrival.


Cards like Barbarian Riftcutter

In the diverse world of creature cards in MTG, Barbarian Riftcutter emerges as a potent option among red creatures designed to disrupt land strategies. It’s an interesting comparison to cards like Demolish and Pillage, which also focus on land destruction. Unlike these spells, Barbarian Riftcutter presents the additional advantage of leaving a body on the battlefield after its land destruction ability is used. This is a significant edge, combining board presence with a strategic handicap against opponents.

Exploring further, Avalanche Riders is another card worth mentioning. Like Barbarian Riftcutter, it provides both a creature and a land destruction effect. However, it also includes echo, which can be a double-edged sword, possibly acting as a constraint on future turns. On the flip side, cards such as Fulminator Mage might not have the same power level in terms of creature stats but offer additional flexibility, functioning in multiple deck colors and enabling sacrifice for land destruction at instant speed.

Conclusively, while each card has its own merits and situational advantages, Barbarian Riftcutter claims a unique space for players keen on integrating creature-based land disruption into their red-centric decks within the MTG universe.

Demolish - MTG Card versions
Pillage - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions
Fulminator Mage - MTG Card versions
Demolish - Odyssey (ODY)
Pillage - Alliances (ALL)
Avalanche Riders - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Fulminator Mage - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Cards similar to Barbarian Riftcutter by color, type and mana cost

Fire Elemental - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
Hivis of the Scale - MTG Card versions
Hulking Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Flame Spirit - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions
Covetous Dragon - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions
Tephraderm - MTG Card versions
Avarax - MTG Card versions
Bonethorn Valesk - MTG Card versions
Frost Ogre - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Shard Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Soul of Magma - MTG Card versions
Hunted Dragon - MTG Card versions
Fire Elemental - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Earth Elemental - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Eron the Relentless - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Balduvian War-Makers - Alliances (ALL)
Hivis of the Scale - Mirage (MIR)
Hulking Cyclops - Visions (VIS)
Flame Spirit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Flowstone Salamander - Tempest (TMP)
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Covetous Dragon - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Dwarven Strike Force - Odyssey (ODY)
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Tephraderm - Onslaught (ONS)
Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Soul of Magma - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hunted Dragon - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Barbarian Riftcutter MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds, 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 Barbarian Riftcutter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Barbarian Riftcutter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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