Blighted Cataract MTG Card

Blighted Cataract - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)

Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
2015-10-02 - Number 229

Blighted Cataract - Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (DDT)

Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (DDT)
2017-10-24 - Number 26

Blighted Cataract - Commander 2021 (C21)

Commander 2021 (C21)
2021-04-23 - Number 279

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Land

Key Takeaways

Blighted Cataract provides strategic instant speed card draw, boosting hand size at critical moments.
The card’s activation cost is high, demanding sacrifice and specific mana, potentially restricting its use.
Despite similar abilities, Blighted Cataract stands out for its non-discriminatory card draw advantage.

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool., , Sacrifice Blighted Cataract: Draw two cards.

Once, water ran here. Now only dust and ash fall from the clifftops.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blighted Cataract enables players to increase their hand size significantly by drawing two additional cards when activated. This can be crucial when looking for answers or when trying to outpace an opponent in resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana acceleration, Blighted Cataract is a land that taps for colorless mana, which helps in casting colourless spells or activating abilities that require colorless mana. Additionally, the card draw can potentially reveal additional lands or ramp spells, indirectly contributing to resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The power of the Blighted Cataract lies in its ability to be activated at instant speed. This allows for strategic depth, wherein players can hold back mana and only utilize the card drawing ability if no immediate threats need to be addressed during the opponent’s turn, making it a versatile addition to decks that can support its activation cost.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Blighted Cataract offers a late-game card draw option, it does not require you to discard a card. Nevertheless, it does come with a trade-off of sacrificing the land itself, which is a significant resource to give up, especially in key turns where mana availability is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: To activate its ability, the Blighted Cataract requires a specific mana combination that includes a large amount of colorless mana along with blue. This cost can be restrictive, especially in multicolored decks that may have mana bases not heavily focused on producing colorless mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The six mana needed to utilize Blighted Cataract’s draw ability is steep. Given that it also involves sacrificing the land, players sacrifice both a land resource and a substantial amount of mana. This is a considerable investment, especially when there are various lower-cost card draw alternatives available in the game. Players might find other draw mechanisms more mana-efficient while maximizing their board presence and options during gameplay.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blighted Cataract offers a dual benefit as both a land source early game and a card draw engine later on. It slips seamlessly into decks that might suffer from a lack of card advantage, providing a valuable resource at any stage of the game.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with landfall strategies or a deck that profits from sacrificing its own permanents. Being able to draw cards can also help assemble pieces of a combo more consistently.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games draw out and card advantage becomes critical, Blighted Cataract can be the key to outlasting opponents. It can be particularly useful when facing control decks that aim to deplete your hand.

How to beat

Blighted Cataract serves as a versatile land card in Magic: The Gathering, offering both mana and card draw abilities. Unlike many other mana sources, Blighted Cataract holds the potential to provide card advantage later in the game by sacrificing itself and paying six mana, which then allows you to draw two cards. This can be quite beneficial, especially in a pinch for drawing into your answers or threats.

To effectively counteract Blighted Cataract, disrupting your opponent’s mana base can be instrumental. Land destruction or land-specific denial strategies can prevent the activation of Blighted Cataract’s card draw ability. Utilizing cards such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can target and eliminate Blighted Cataract before your opponent has a chance to utilize its full potential. Alternatively, cards that hinder players from searching their libraries, like Aven Mindcensor, can mitigate the benefits Blighted Cataract offers when it’s sacrificed for card advantage.

Overall, understanding and anticipating the point at which your opponent might convert Blighted Cataract into a card drawing source is crucial. By employing preemptive countermeasures and land disruption tactics, you can stifle their strategy and maintain the upper hand in the match.

Cards like Blighted Cataract

Blighted Cataract holds a unique place among land cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives include lands like Desolate Lighthouse and Mikokoro, Center of the Sea. Desolate Lighthouse allows you to draw a card at the cost of mana and discarding a card, offering a controlled way to sift through your deck. Mikokoro has the upside of drawing a card for each player, which could benefit both sides of the table. However, what sets Blighted Cataract apart is its ability to transform from a land into draw power without favoring your opponent.

Another card that walks a similar path is Geier Reach Sanitarium. This land offers both players the chance to draw and discard a card, yet it lacks the solid draw of two cards that Blighted Cataract provides. Arch of Orazca demands a more extensive setup for its draw ability, requiring the city’s blessing, but it can provide consistent advantage throughout the game once achieved.

Ultimately, each of these lands offers different strategic advantages in Magic: The Gathering. Blighted Cataract shines in its straightforward, albeit costly, draw effect, making it a dependable late-game option for securing card advantage.

Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - MTG Card versions

Geier Reach Sanitarium - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Blighted Cataract by color, type and mana cost

Magosi, the Waterveil - MTG Card versions

Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore - MTG Card versions

Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn - MTG Card versions

Beyeen Veil // Beyeen Coast - MTG Card versions

Otawara, Soaring City - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blighted Cataract MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins, 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 Blighted Cataract and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Blighted Cataract Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Vincent Proce.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2015-10-02	Battle for Zendikar	BFZ	229	2015	Normal	Black	Vincent Proce
2	2017-10-24	Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins	DDT	26	2015	Normal	Black	Vincent Proce
3	2021-04-23	Commander 2021	C21	279	2015	Normal	Black	Vincent Proce