Cursed Land MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Cursed Land provides continuous board pressure without further card investment after being played.
  2. The card’s high mana cost may deter players from including it in fast-paced decks.
  3. Enhancement removals like Disenchant are effective strategies against Cursed Land’s enduring damage.

Text of card

Cursed Land does 1 damage to target land's controller during each upkeep.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cursed Land operates as a form of continuing card advantage by incrementally weakening your opponent’s board presence turn after turn without requiring additional card investment after it’s played.

Resource Acceleration: Although Cursed Land doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it can indirectly affect the game’s pace by tying up your opponent’s resources, as they might have to spend time and mana dealing with the card’s ongoing effect.

Instant Speed: While Cursed Land itself is not an instant, the persistent damage it deals at the beginning of the upkeep is akin to a slow burn, which can apply pressure at a point in the turn cycle often considered safe from sorcery speed removal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Cursed Land card obliges players to discard another card, which can be quite restrictive when your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this card requires a specific combination of mana, which may not always align with your deck’s color scheme, potentially causing delay or disruption in your game strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively steep mana cost for its ability, players may find themselves forgoing the casting of Cursed Land in favor of other spells or abilities that provide similar control for less of an investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cursed Land offers a unique utility in its ability to disrupt opponent’s mana base. With its enduring presence, it can be a thorn in the side of mono-colored or color-reliant decks, making it a flexible sideboard option or a main-deck consideration in control strategies.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with cards that benefit from opponents controlling fewer resources or supplements land destruction strategies. It improves your ability to hinder an opponent’s development while you execute your game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In game formats where the battlefield often stalls with few decisive actions, Cursed Land can steadily tilt the balance in your favor. Against decks that require precise mana to operate, this card can be crucial in breaking their rhythm and giving you the upper hand.


How to Beat Cursed Land

Cursed Land is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to slowly drain the life from an opponent by targeting a land. To effectively nullify the impact of Cursed Land, players often rely on enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize, which can easily destroy Cursed Land, thus preventing the incremental loss of life. Similarly, deck types that emphasize enchantment interaction, providing access to cards like Krosan Grip or Return to Nature, also work well as they can handle Cursed Land and other nuisances without alerting the opponent through the stack.

Additionally, employing a strategy that counters the casting of Cursed Land is viable. Counterspells, particularly those with a lower casting cost, can ensure that Cursed Land never hits the field. Diversifying your land base with non-basic lands can also minimize the impact should the enchantment resolve. By keeping these tactics in mind, you can maintain a strong defense against this slowly ticking threat and keep your life total safely out of danger. Remember, a timely response is key to beating cards with gradual, persistent effects like Cursed Land.


Cards like Cursed Land

Cursed Land stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to slowly whittle down an opponent’s life total by targeting their land. Its parallels can be seen in cards like Contaminated Ground, which also renders a land harmful to its controller. Unlike Cursed Land, Contaminated Ground changes the land’s mana to black and causes a smaller amount of life loss, but at a lower mana cost.

Psychic Venom is another similar enchantment that inflicts damage upon a land’s controller when the land is tapped. Though the damage is less than that of Cursed Land, the smaller casting cost can make it more immediately usable in a game. Spreading Algae, though not directly damaging, disrupts by destroying a targeted swamp when it becomes tapped, potentially removing a resource from an opponent’s board.

Each card offers strategic advantages, with Cursed Land being a persistent threat that can affect the long game. Players valuing the slow burn tactic will find Cursed Land an essential part of their arsenal, striking a balance between casting cost and potential damage over time.

Contaminated Ground - MTG Card versions
Psychic Venom - MTG Card versions
Spreading Algae - MTG Card versions
Contaminated Ground - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Psychic Venom - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Spreading Algae - Urza's Saga (USG)

Cards similar to Cursed Land by color, type and mana cost

Pestilence - MTG Card versions
Lich - MTG Card versions
Nether Void - MTG Card versions
Breeding Pit - MTG Card versions
Greed - MTG Card versions
Takklemaggot - MTG Card versions
Feast of the Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Koskun Falls - MTG Card versions
Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Servitude - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Embrace - MTG Card versions
Vile Requiem - MTG Card versions
Parasitic Bond - MTG Card versions
Brink of Madness - MTG Card versions
Death Pit Offering - MTG Card versions
Tainted Aether - MTG Card versions
Strands of Night - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Desire - MTG Card versions
Nefarious Lich - MTG Card versions
Last Laugh - MTG Card versions
Pestilence - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Lich - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Nether Void - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Breeding Pit - The List (PLST)
Greed - Commander 2021 (C21)
Takklemaggot - Chronicles (CHR)
Feast of the Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Koskun Falls - Homelands (HML)
Grave Pact - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Diabolic Servitude - Urza's Saga (USG)
Vampiric Embrace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Vile Requiem - The List (PLST)
Parasitic Bond - Urza's Saga (USG)
Brink of Madness - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Death Pit Offering - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Tainted Aether - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Strands of Night - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patriarch's Desire - Odyssey (ODY)
Nefarious Lich - Odyssey (ODY)
Last Laugh - Torment (TOR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cursed Land MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Cursed Land and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cursed Land Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by Jesper Myrfors.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 971993normalblackJesper Myrfors
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 981993normalblackJesper Myrfors
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 981993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 981993normalblackJesper Myrfors
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 981993normalblackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 981993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 981993normalblackJesper Myrfors
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 981993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
91995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1271993normalblackJesper Myrfors
101995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1271993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
111996-07-01Rivals Quick Start SetRQS 171993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
121996-12-31Introductory Two-Player SetITP 181993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
131997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 1521997normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
142022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 962015normalblackJesper Myrfors
152022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 3931997normalblackJesper Myrfors

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cursed Land has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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