Volcanic Submersion MTG Card

Provides card advantage by allowing you to draw when destroying an opponent’s land or artifact. Instant speed play gives tactical flexibility, maximizing mana use and element of surprise. Demands card discard and specific mana, which may limit its use in varied decks.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Cycling
Released	2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set name	Shards of Alara
Set code	ALA
Number	121
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Trevor Claxton

Text of card

Destroy target artifact or land. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

A dragon's death is almost as feared as its life. Old, dying dragons throw themselves into volcanoes, causing massive upheaval and widespread disaster.

Cards like Volcanic Submersion

The presence of Volcanic Submersion in the MTG arena introduces strategic depth in controlling the battlefield. With its capability to destroy a land and potentially cause a cascade of destructive momentum, it shares similarities with cards like Stone Rain and Molten Rain. Stone Rain has served players well by offering straightforward land destruction without frills. While lacking extra effects, it remains a fundamental card for disrupting opponent land bases.

Next, Molten Rain stands out for delivering both land eradication and direct damage to an opponent, reinforcing its dual utility. However, its higher mana cost makes it a slightly delayed option compared to the immediate impact of Volcanic Submersion. Additionally, while both cards can alter the course of a game, the potential card advantage from Volcanic Submersion’s added clause of drawing after a land is sent to the graveyard under specific conditions gives it an advantageous edge.

Assessing the comparative strengths shown, Volcanic Submersion is a noteworthy player in MTG land destruction strategies. It combines timely land removal with the possibility of refilling your hand, aligning it closely with some of the best options available for this archetype.

Cards similar to Volcanic Submersion by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Volcanic Submersion offers a unique way to disrupt your opponent’s strategy while simultaneously providing you with card advantage. By destroying a land or artifact, not only do you set back your opponent’s resource base, but you also get to draw a card, ensuring that you stay ahead in resources.

Resource Acceleration: This spell’s ability to destroy a target land can serve as a form of resource acceleration for you. In removing a pivotal land from your opponent’s control, you effectively accelerate your relative access to resources, as they are left with one less option for mana production or utility.

Instant Speed: The capacity to play Volcanic Submersion at instant speed gives you the flexibiliy to act on your opponent’s turn. This element of surprise can be highly tactical, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s plays or holding up mana to use if no immediate threats present themselves, thus optimizing your mana efficiency.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Volcanic Submersion necessitates the player discard a card to utilize its abilities. This can be a setback when your hand is already depleted and you are unable to afford the loss of additional resources.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting of Volcanic Submersion is contingent on having both red and blue mana available. This stringent requirement can restrict the card’s integration into a wide array of decks, particularly those that do not operate on an Izzet mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is on the upper end, Volcanic Submersion may be less favorable compared to other options. In a game where mana efficiency can be crucial, other spells might provide similar or better effects with less strain on your mana resources.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volcanic Submersion offers adaptability across numerous deck builds, particularly those requiring removal options. Its ability to destroy land or artifact makes it a versatile sideboard card against various strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with land destruction or artifact removal themes, setting up potential lock-out scenarios or disrupting opponent’s combos, making it a tactical addition for control or midrange decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right metagame circumstances, where land-based strategies or crucial artifacts dictate the pace, Volcanic Submersion can act as an efficient counter, providing a strategic edge in the current play environment.

How to beat

Volcanic Submersion is a powerful MTG card that can disrupt your strategy by destroying a land and potentially dealing direct damage if that land was nonbasic. To effectively play against this card, first and foremost, consider the timing of your land plays. Playing a nonbasic land when your opponent has the mana available to cast Volcanic Submersion could set you back significantly.

Another tactic includes diversifying your lands, having a mix between basic and nonbasic to reduce the impact of the card’s potential damage. Incorporating instant-speed land fetch spells could also mitigate the effect by allowing you to replace a destroyed land swiftly. Furthermore, cards with land regeneration abilities or ones that can retrieve lands from the graveyard to the battlefield can counteract the card’s land destruction effect. Lastly, playing cards with hexproof can help shield your valuable lands from being targeted by Volcanic Submersion in the first place.

Outwitting an opponent using Volcanic Submersion revolves around being preemptive with your land plays and having a strategic response ready. By carefully considering these tactics, you can maintain an advantage and minimize the disruption caused by this formidable card.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volcanic Submersion MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Volcanic Submersion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volcanic Submersion has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Volcanic Submersion card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2008-10-01	Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.