Magma Rift MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2009-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar
Set code	ZEN
Number	136
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jung Park

Key Takeaways

Magma Rift provides removal at the cost of a land, aiding land-related strategies.
Its demand for red mana limits its utility to red-centric MTG decks.
Magma Rift is versatile in red decks but faces tough competition from similar cards.

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast Magma Rift, sacrifice a land. Magma Rift deals 5 damage to target creature.

"Lighting a fire needs kindling and heat. You be the kindling. I'll bring the heat." —Chandra Nalaar

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While it doesn’t let you draw cards directly, Magma Rift can be essential in maintaining card advantage by removing key threats your opponent controls, potentially disrupting their strategy and keeping you ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Though Magma Rift costs a hefty amount of mana and requires sacrificing a land, these costs can be a form of resource acceleration in decks that benefit from lands being in the graveyard, such as those exploiting land recursion mechanics or scaling with land count in the graveyard.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Magma Rift may not boast the flexibility of instant speed actions, but it compensates by delivering a solid 5 damage to creatures. This allows for decisive plays during your turn to clear the way for your attacks or to simply remove a blocker or a threatening creature at a critical moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Magma Rift demands the sacrifice of another card from your hand, which can set back your overall game strategy, particularly if your hand size is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Magma Rift, you need to allocate two red mana and two of any color. This specificity may restrict the card’s inclusion to primarily red-aligned decks, potentially excluding it from more diverse mana-base strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring a total of four mana, Magma Rift can be a costly play. Other cards in MTG may offer similar or greater levels of destruction or direct damage without such a steep mana investment, which could be a more efficient use of resources in many game scenarios.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Magma Rift can be a strategic addition to red-centric decks, providing a reliable source of direct damage. Its ability to destroy any target creature makes it a flexible choice for dealing with threats on the board.

Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for synergy with strategies that feed off spell casting or sacrificing lands. Utilize Magma Rift to fuel graveyard-based combos or to enhance landfall triggers for additional effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks prevail, Magma Rift serves as an excellent tool for maintaining board control. Its mere presence in your deck can alter opponents’ playstyles, knowing that their key creatures might fall prey to this instant-speed removal.

How to beat

Magma Rift is an intriguing card that offers red players the ability to deal direct damage to creatures. This removal card finds its place in decks that favor aggressive gameplay, providing a potent way to clear the field of pesky blockers. Its cost requires careful consideration, however, as you must sacrifice a land in addition to paying its mana cost. This can set you back in your mana curve, which you must keep in mind when deploying it effectively.

To overcome the challenge presented by Magma Rift, prioritize land cards that serve a dual purpose or can easily be recurred from the graveyard. Cards that generate tokens when sent to the graveyard, like Field of the Dead, or lands like Ramunap Excavator that can be played from the graveyard, help mitigate the loss. Incorporate instant-speed spells that can disrupt your opponent’s plans before they have a chance to use Magma Rift effectively. Counterspells or flash creatures can swing the momentum in your favor, making the cost of Magma Rift less advantageous for your adversary.

Ultimately, by leveraging land synergy and maintaining strategic pressure, you can navigate around the destructive capability of Magma Rift and maintain advantage on the battlefield.

Cards like Magma Rift

Magma Rift finds its place in the wide roster of red direct damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels with other land-sacrificing cards like Seismic Spike, which also demands a land sacrifice to deal 4 damage to a target, matching Magma Rift’s damage output. However, Seismic Spike yields two red mana, potentially setting up for additional plays in the same turn.

Another related card is Scorched Earth, offering a similar land sacrifice mechanic, but offering a more flexible damage output depending on the number of lands tossed away. Magma Rift’s fixed cost and damage make it more consistent and predictable, a trait some players might prefer for strategic planning. Comparatively, Molten Vortex allows for repeated damage over time, at the cost of discarding land cards, but without the need to pay additional mana after its initial cost, which can synergize well with land-heavy strategies.

Ultimately, Magma Rift stands out due to its simplicity and immediate impact, serving as a straightforward choice for players looking to incorporate a land-sacrifice theme into their red decks for a solid burst of damage.

Cards similar to Magma Rift by color, type and mana cost

Search for Survivors - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magma Rift MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar, 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 Magma Rift and other MTG cards: