Rocky Tar Pit MTG Card
1996-10-08 - Number 329
2014-06-16 - Number 309
2015-08-28 - Number 69
2018-08-09 - Number 274
2022-09-09 - Number 228
2023-08-04 - Number 1021
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Rocky Tar Pit comes into play tapped. oc T, Sacrifice Rocky Tar Pit: Search your library for a swamp or mountain card. Put that land into play. Shuffle your library afterwards.
Cards like Rocky Tar Pit
Rocky Tar Pit stands as an intriguing land card in Magic: The Gathering, bringing with it a similarity to the staple fetch lands. While cards like Flooded Strand or Arid Mesa allow players to search their library for specific types of land and put them onto the battlefield untapped for a life point, Rocky Tar Pit enters the battlefield tapped and requires no life payment, but delays the fetching until the next turn. Unlike the others, Rocky Tar Pit fetches for a Swamp or Mountain card, specifically, making it slightly less versatile but beneficial for certain deck builds.
Another close comparison can be made with traditionally slower fetch lands like Mountain Valley. Both enter tapped and serve to thin the deck by fetching a specific type of land. However, Mountain Valley searches for Mountain or Forest, differing in the land type synergy it provides. Terramorphic Expanse and Evolving Wilds also provide color fixing by fetching a basic land, but they don’t offer the targeted search for two land types that Rocky Tar Pit does, although they are not restricted to come into play tapped.
In the context of land-based strategies and mana fixing, Rocky Tar Pit offers a delayed yet valuable approach to setting up the essential colors needed for a successful game, weaving seamlessly into builds that benefit from such mechanics.
Cards similar to Rocky Tar Pit by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Even though Rocky Tar Pit doesn’t directly allow you to draw more cards, it indirectly contributes to card advantage by thinning the deck. This increases the likelihood of drawing into non-land cards in the subsequent turns, which can be essential for outpacing your opponent in longer matches.
Resource Acceleration: As a land with the ability to fetch another from the deck, Rocky Tar Pit plays an important role in resource acceleration. While it comes into play tapped and takes a turn to activate, it ensures that you have access to one additional mana the following turn, which can be crucial for executing your strategy more efficiently.
Instant Speed: The activation of Rocky Tar Pit’s ability can be done at instant speed, meaning you can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to use it. This flexibility allows you to keep up mana for other instant-speed interactions and responses during your opponent’s turn, thereby maximizing the potential plays you can make without committing to a course of action too early.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Rocky Tar Pit demands that you sacrifice it as part of its ability, setting you back a land and potentially slowing down your mana development.
Specific Mana Cost: Although its ability fetches a land, it only searches for a Swamp or Mountain card, limiting its utility in decks that don’t include these types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the land fetched comes into play tapped, the fact that Rocky Tar Pit itself enters tapped as well delays the benefit. This can be a significant tempo loss when faster options are available.
Reasons to Include Rocky Tar Pit in Your Collection
Versatility: Rocky Tar Pit offers flexible mana fixing by searching your library for a Swamp or Mountain card. Its ability to tap for either color makes it a handy inclusion in multicolored decks that require a consistent mana base.
Combo Potential: This card has synergies with landfall decks or strategies that revolve around lands entering the battlefield, triggering various effects that can swing the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: As the game environment changes and diverse strategies emerge, Rocky Tar Pit remains relevant by supporting mana-intensive plays and multicolor deck building, ensuring that key spells can be cast when needed.
How to beat
Rocky Tar Pit presents players with a land-based strategy that hinges on land cycling, allowing for strategic mana fixing in Magic: The Gathering. It provides a valuable service in smoothing out your land drops, ensuring you get the colors of mana you need when you need them. While this utility cannot be understated, understanding how to navigate around it can position you for victory.
Opposing the advantages offered by Rocky Tar Pit requires a tactical approach. Land destruction or denial strategies prove effective in stifling the benefits reaped from this card. Utilizing spells that specifically target nonbasic lands can disrupt your opponent’s game plan, especially if their deck depends on tight mana fixing. Similarly, employing counterplay through land untap mechanics can help you stay ahead. By maintaining the pressure and efficiently managing your own resources, you can potentially outpace opponents who rely on Rocky Tar Pit to assemble their mana base.
Ultimately, being aware of the tempo shift Rocky Tar Pit can induce and preparing your deck with tools to mitigate its effectiveness is key. Through strategic land interaction and careful resource management, you can effectively neutralize the advantage that Rocky Tar Pit poses in an MTG game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rocky Tar Pit MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Vintage Masters, 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 Rocky Tar Pit 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Rocky Tar Pit Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 329 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 309 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 3 | 2015-08-28 | Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi | DDP | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 4 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 274 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 5 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United Commander | DMC | 228 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 6 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 1021 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rocky Tar Pit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rocky Tar Pit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Because the “search” requires you to find a card with certain characteristics, you don't have to find the card if you don't want to. |