Blackcleave Cliffs MTG Card
2010-10-01 - Number 224
2020-09-25 - Number 13
2023-02-03 - Number 248
2023-02-03 - Number 248p
2023-02-03 - Number 370
2023-02-03 - Number 248s
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Key Takeaways
- Improves mana curve reliability, ensuring spells are cast without untimely delays.
- Supports faster strategy execution by providing untapped mana resources early on.
- Enables instant-speed plays, enhancing versatility and opponent response readiness.
Text of card
Blackcleave Cliffs enters the battlefield tapped unless you control two or fewer other lands. : Add or to your mana pool.
Where the Oxidda Chain mingles with the Mephidross, oil-suffused metal crumbles away, leaving walls of blackened bones.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blackcleave Cliffs does not directly allow you to draw cards, but it ensures you have the right mana to play your card-drawing spells without delay. By smoothing out your mana curve, you can play your spells on time and maintain the flow of cards into your hand.
Resource Acceleration: This land enters the battlefield untapped if you control two or fewer other lands. The immediate access to both black and red mana can significantly accelerate your resource availability, helping you cast impactful spells earlier in the game, and enabling a quicker execution of your strategy.
Instant Speed: While Blackcleave Cliffs itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to provide two colors of mana without coming into play tapped (under the right conditions) allows you to keep your mana pool ready for instant-speed interactions. This gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves while continuing to develop your board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike other land cards, Blackcleave Cliffs does not have an inherent discard requirement. However, for some players, its entrance to the battlefield tapped if controlling three or more other lands may feel like a missed opportunity to optimize hand resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Blackcleave Cliffs taps for either black or red mana, which can be restrictive. Decks that are not utilizing a red and/or black color scheme might find this card less useful, limiting its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not directly tied to mana cost, Blackcleave Cliffs can be a financial investment. When considering its cost compared to other dual-color lands, players might weigh its benefits against more affordable alternatives that provide color fixing without the potential of entering tapped in the mid to late game.
Reasons to Include Blackcleave Cliffs in Your Collection
Versatility: Blackcleave Cliffs offers the unique advantage of entering the battlefield untapped if it’s among your first three land plays. This flexibility makes it a strong contender for various deck archetypes that require speedy mana access in both black and red colors.
Combo Potential: As a land that can immediately tap for red or black mana, Blackcleave Cliffs facilitates an array of combos and synergies right from the get-go. This is particularly useful for decks that aspire to execute their game-winning plays without delay.
Meta-Relevance: This land’s ability to support a speedy mana curve makes it highly relevant in fast-paced formats where getting ahead on board quickly can be critical. Blackcleave Cliffs is particularly valued in metagames where dual colors are essential from the early turns.
How to beat
Within the dynamic world of Magic: The Gathering, Blackcleave Cliffs holds its ground as a land card that offers significant versatility, enabling players to smoothly cast spells by providing access to both red and black mana without coming into play tapped if it’s among your first three lands. However, overcoming its benefits is possible with strategic play.
Firstly, prioritize land destruction or control strategies that can disrupt the opponent’s mana base. Cards that can effectively remove nonbasic lands, like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, can serve as direct answers to Blackcleave Cliffs. Additionally, taking advantage of the Cliffs’ late-game limitation, where it enters the battlefield tapped if you control four or more lands, could be key. Applying early pressure with an aggressive deck can limit the advantage gained from this land, forcing the opponent to play it at a less optimal time.
Flexibility in adapting to the flow of the match and utilizing sideboard options to address nonbasic lands can tilt the balance in your favor. Cards like Blood Moon can turn Blackcleave Cliffs into a basic mountain, nullifying its dual mana capabilities and hindering your opponent’s color-intensive strategies. Maintaining this adaptability and understanding the key moments to disrupt can lead to successfully navigating against such a versatile land.
Cards like Blackcleave Cliffs
Blackcleave Cliffs is a distinguished land card in the world of MTG that offers both black and red mana without the drawback of coming into play tapped if it’s one of your first three land drops. Its closest counterpart is the card Dragonskull Summit, which also provides black and red mana but does require you to control a basic Swamp or Mountain to enter untapped.
Another similar card to consider is Blood Crypt, a shock land that presents the option to pay 2 life to have it enter the battlefield untapped anytime. This gives a player more flexibility in terms of mana availability but at the cost of life points. However, unlike Blackcleave Cliffs, Blood Crypt doesn’t have the limitation of needing to be played early in the game to avoid entering tapped.
When evaluating these alternatives, Blackcleave Cliffs stands out due to its initial condition-free ease of use, making it a strong contender among dual lands in MTG. It enables a strategy that is fast-paced while balancing the game’s later stages when the comes-into-play untapped condition is less likely to be met.
Cards similar to Blackcleave Cliffs by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blackcleave Cliffs MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Zendikar Rising Expeditions, 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 Blackcleave Cliffs and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Blackcleave Cliffs Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-10-01 | Scars of Mirrodin | SOM | 224 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | |
| 2 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Expeditions | ZNE | 13 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Richard Wright | |
| 3 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 248 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 4 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 248p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 5 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 370 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 6 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 248s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blackcleave Cliffs has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blackcleave Cliffs card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-02-04 | If one of these lands enters the battlefield at the same time as one or more other lands (due to Oblivion Sower or Warp World, perhaps), it doesn't take those lands into consideration when determining how many other lands you control. |
| 2023-02-04 | If one of these lands enters the battlefield under your control and you control zero, one, or two other lands, it enters the battlefield untapped. If you control three or more other lands, it enters the battlefield tapped. |
