Darkwater Catacombs MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 23 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Darkwater Catacombs offers mana filtering, enabling a consistent spell casting rhythm for players.
  2. While beneficial, it necessitates another mana source for optimal use, which could limit options.
  3. Its colored mana output is key in decks running blue or black, boosting versatility and strategy.

Text of card

o1, oc T: Add o Uo B to your mana pool.

Murky Otarian tides hide the forgotten treacheries of the Phyrexian war.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Darkwater Catacombs helps to smooth out draws by filtering colorless mana into specific color requirements, enabling consistent access to spells and maintaining the pace of your hand.

Resource Acceleration: This land card stands out by allowing you to tap for two mana of different colors with just one other mana source, providing an edge when it comes to casting multicolored spells earlier in the game and expanding the possibilities for a diverse deck.

Instant Speed: While the land itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it facilitates the casting of instant spells by efficiently ramping your mana. This capability is crucial in strategies that rely on reacting to an opponent’s moves, ensuring you have the resources to respond effectively.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Darkwater Catacombs card necessitates having another land or mana source to utilize effectively, potentially leaving you with fewer options for that turn.

Specific Mana Cost: This card produces only blue or black mana, limiting its utility in multicolored decks that may require a wider variety of mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although not excessively costly, its initial investment does take up a land drop that could alternatively go to a more immediately impactful land or mana rock with a lower activation cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Darkwater Catacombs is a powerful addition to many decks, fitting seamlessly into both casual and competitive formats. Its ability to provide a dual mana source is invaluable for decks that require a stable mana base to execute their strategy.

Combo Potential: This land card offers an excellent opportunity for synergy with cards that capitalize on the availability of multiple types of mana. It enables complex combinations and can be a subtle but crucial component in executing winning plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that showcases multicolored decks, the utility of Darkwater Catacombs soars. Its presence in your collection ensures you stay ready and flexible to adapt to various decks that might rise to prominence in the current metagame.


How to beat Darkwater Catacombs

Darkwater Catacombs serves as a mana fixer and accelerator in Magic: The Gathering, falling within a suite of lands known as “filter lands.” These lands allow players to turn one color of mana into a combination of two, aiding in casting spells with strict color requirements efficiently. While it has the potential to streamline a player’s game, there are strategies to counteract this advantage.

To hinder a player relying on Darkwater Catacombs, applying pressure with aggressive land destruction can be effective. For instance, employing cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can remove the land from the battlefield, disrupting your opponent’s mana base. Additionally, utilizing color hate cards such as Choke or Boil can limit the usability of the mana produced by Catacombs, if it’s used for blue spells. If your deck is equipped with these counter-measures, an opponent’s reliance on such a land proves to be a vulnerability rather than a strength.

Being aware of the strategies that incorporate Darkwater Catacombs and preparing your deck to deal with multi-color mana generators will enhance your chances of success. In essence, the effectiveness of Darkwater Catacombs is reliant on the context it’s played in, and by anticipating and disrupting this context, you can subdue its impact on the game.


Cards like Darkwater Catacombs

Darkwater Catacombs stands out among land cards in Magic: The Gathering for its capacity to provide a versatile mana base. When considering other mana-fixing lands, it’s akin to Sunken Ruins, both requiring one mana to be input for a diverse output. Darkwater Catacombs produces either blue or black mana, the cornerstones of control and combo decks. This versatility is crucial for consistent gameplay, much like its counterpart Drowned Catacomb, which provides the same colors of mana without the need for conversion but demands you to have an Island or Swamp in play already to avoid entering the battlefield tapped.

Filter lands like Darkwater Catacombs are invaluable in two-colored decks requiring precise mana filtering, akin to Cascade Bluffs in red-blue decks. However, unlike the check lands or basic dual lands, filter lands like Darkwater Catacombs allow immediate mana conversion, supporting a smooth mana curve without the drawback of coming into play tapped under conditions. This enables players to maintain tempo and responsive play throughout the game.

Hence, if you’re constructing a deck where color fidelity and pace are paramount, Darkwater Catacombs might be a more suitable option compared to a basic dual land or a check land, emphasizing its role as a significant player in the MTG realm.

Sunken Ruins - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Cascade Bluffs - MTG Card versions
Sunken Ruins - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Drowned Catacomb - Magic 2010 (M10)
Cascade Bluffs - Eventide (EVE)

Cards similar to Darkwater Catacombs by color, type and mana cost

Underground Sea - MTG Card versions
River Delta - MTG Card versions
Underground River - MTG Card versions
Salt Marsh - MTG Card versions
Dimir Aqueduct - MTG Card versions
Temple of Deceit - MTG Card versions
Watery Grave - MTG Card versions
Dreadship Reef - MTG Card versions
Secluded Glen - MTG Card versions
Jwar Isle Refuge - MTG Card versions
Drowned Catacomb - MTG Card versions
Darkslick Shores - MTG Card versions
Tainted Isle - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Depths - MTG Card versions
Sunken Hollow - MTG Card versions
Submerged Boneyard - MTG Card versions
Dismal Backwater - MTG Card versions
Choked Estuary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Fetid Pools - MTG Card versions
Underground Sea - Legacy Championship (OLGC)
River Delta - Ice Age (ICE)
Underground River - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Salt Marsh - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Dimir Aqueduct - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Temple of Deceit - Doctor Who (WHO)
Watery Grave - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Dreadship Reef - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Secluded Glen - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Jwar Isle Refuge - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)
Drowned Catacomb - Fallout (PIP)
Darkslick Shores - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos (PONE)
Tainted Isle - Fallout (PIP)
Rootwater Depths - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Sunken Hollow - Commander Masters (CMM)
Submerged Boneyard - Commander 2018 (C18)
Dismal Backwater - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Choked Estuary - Doctor Who (WHO)
Dimir Guildgate - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Fetid Pools - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Darkwater Catacombs MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and World Championship Decks 2002, 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 Darkwater Catacombs and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Darkwater Catacombs Magic the Gathering card was released in 16 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 5 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 3191997normalblackMonte Michael Moore
22002-08-14World Championship Decks 2002WC02 cr3191997normalgoldMonte Michael Moore
32016-11-11Commander 2016C16 2892015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
42018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 2442015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
52019-08-23Commander 2019C19 2382015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
62020-04-17Commander 2020C20 2652015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
72021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2322015normalblackCliff Childs
82021-09-24Midnight Hunt CommanderMIC 1712015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
92022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3982015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
102022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8892015normalblackCliff Childs
112022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 2742015normalblackEliz Roxs
122022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 274★2015normalblackEliz Roxs
132022-11-18The Brothers' War CommanderBRC 1811997normalblackMonte Michael Moore
142023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 1572015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
152023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 2692015normalblackEddie Schillo
162023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 10782015normalblackEddie Schillo
172023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 8602015normalblackEddie Schillo
182023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 4872015normalblackEddie Schillo
192024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2572015normalblackMonte Michael Moore
202024-03-08FalloutPIP 7882015normalblackVictor Harmatiuk
212024-03-08FalloutPIP 10202015normalblackVictor Harmatiuk
222024-03-08FalloutPIP 2602015normalblackVictor Harmatiuk
232024-03-08FalloutPIP 4922015normalblackVictor Harmatiuk

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Darkwater Catacombs has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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