Desert of the Mindful MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 173
2020-04-17 - Number 267
2020-08-13 - Number 290
2021-04-23 - Number 287
2022-12-02 - Number 812
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land — Desert |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Key Takeaways
- Cycling allows for deck fluidity and adaptability, swapping lesser-needed lands for potential game-changers.
- Instant speed cycling can bluff counters, maintaining strategic advantage over your opponent.
- Though entering tapped, it’s a versatile land that supplies colorless mana and aids mana fixing.
Text of card
Desert of the Mindful enters the battlefield tapped. : Add to your mana pool. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Desert of the Mindful may not provide card drawing directly, but it offers a cycling ability. This means that for a small investment, you can replace it from your hand with another, hopefully more useful, card. This cycling mechanic ensures that your deck keeps flowing and increases the likelihood of drawing into vital answers or threats.
Resource Acceleration: Although Desert of the Mindful itself doesn’t accelerate your mana resources in the way a ramp card would, it can smooth your land drops by cycling away to draw into necessary land. This can particularly come in handy when you’re searching for your specific colors of mana or just need to hit your land drop each turn.
Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by Desert of the Mindful’s cycling ability is not to be underestimated. Since you can cycle at instant speed, it allows you to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to decide the best course of action. This potentially keeps up the illusion of having an instant or flash spell ready, forcing opponents to play around unknown factors and giving you a subtle psychological edge.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One notable downside to Desert of the Mindful is that it demands the player to discard a card in order to cycle it, possibly depleting an already scarce hand.
Specific Mana Cost: This land enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Desert or there are at least three other Deserts in your graveyard, which can be restrictive for mana availability, especially in the early game where speed is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Additionally, the cycling cost of Desert of the Mindful is two mana, which can be quite steep compared to other cycling options available that may provide not only a more efficient way to sift through your deck but also offer additional benefits or lower costs.
Reasons to Include Desert of the Mindful in Your Collection
Versatility: Desert of the Mindful offers flexibility in mana bases and can be crucial for decks looking to ensure consistent land drops. As it enters the battlefield tapped it can be a drawback, but it also cycles for new cards, helping players find key pieces when they need them.
Combo Potential: This card can be an integral part of decks that leverage land-based strategies. By cycling Desert of the Mindful, you can trigger effects that react to cycling or discarding, which can be pivotal in executing complex combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a slower-paced game, the ability to cycle away lands for more action can be essential. As the meta shifts towards control or longer games, having Desert of the Mindful ensures that you don’t miss land drops early while still offering late-game utility.
How to beat
Desert of the Mindful is a versatile land in the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering. It allows players to tap for colorless mana, or it can be cycled for a new card at the cost of one blue mana and one generic mana. While the cycling ability can help an opponent sift through their deck for essential plays, it also comes with a temporary setback of land reduction.
Confronting cards like Desert of the Mindful can hinge on timing. Taking advantage of the turn they choose to cycle can be pivotal. If the opponent is tight on mana, that could be your window to push for an advantage. Adaptive strategies such as land destruction or instant-speed threats during the cycle window can disrupt your opponent’s mana flow and their overall game plan.
Playing around the card requires foresight and an understanding of your opponent’s deck strategy. Knowing when to apply pressure and when to hold back can make all the difference. By capitalizing on the moments your opponent sacrifices mana development for card advantage, you can create opportunities to turn the game in your favor. Stay mindful, much like the desert itself, and you can navigate towards victory.
Cards like Desert of the Mindful
Desert of the Mindful is an intriguing card within the pantheon of lands in Magic the Gathering. It lies in the same vicinity as other cycling lands such as Lonely Sandbar and Secluded Steppe. Similar to these cards, Desert of the Mindful allows players to gain an additional card advantage at the cost of one mana and the land itself, without using up a spell slot. Lonely Sandbar and Secluded Steppe share this attribute, offering a versatile option for decks that seek both mana fixing and deeper draw capabilities.
Yet, each card has its unique role depending on the deck’s color scheme. For example, while Lonely Sandbar cycles for blue and Secluded Steppe for white, Desert of the Mindful cycles for blue mana and fits into decks that benefit from that particular color or need to fix their mana base with that hue. Moreover, Desert of the Mindful taps for colorless mana, which might align better with colorless or Eldrazi-themed decks that require such resources.
Therefore, even within this narrow band of cycling lands, Desert of the Mindful holds its own niche. By allowing players to smoothly transition between seeking new draw options and fulfilling colorless mana requirements, it provides a subtle yet significant impact on gameplay and deck construction in Magic the Gathering.
Cards similar to Desert of the Mindful by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Desert of the Mindful MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Commander 2020, 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 Desert of the Mindful 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 Desert of the Mindful Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Christine Choi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 173 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi | |
| 2 | 2020-04-17 | Commander 2020 | C20 | 267 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi | |
| 3 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 290 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi | |
| 4 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 287 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi | |
| 5 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 812 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Desert of the Mindful has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Desert of the Mindful card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | Desert is a land subtype with no special meaning. It doesn’t grant the land an intrinsic mana ability. Other cards may care about which lands are Deserts. |
