Landslide MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	1999-06-07
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Destiny
Set code	UDS
Number	92
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Laubenstein

Key Takeaways

Landslide grants control by selectively targeting lands, benefiting from card advantage and disrupting opponents.
Its instant speed allows for unexpected plays, offering versatility and strategic depth to gameplay.
However, Landslide’s specific mana and higher cost challenge its inclusion in diverse deck types.

Text of card

Sacrifice any number of mountains. Landslide deals that much damage to target player.

Sometimes the mountain takes. —Keldon saying

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Landslide is a strategic tool that operates on multiple frontiers. Having the ability to potentially shift the balance of a game, this card gives players the edge by allowing them to selectively target and eliminate key lands. Reducing an opponent’s land count not only disrupts their strategy but can also translate into card advantage as your opponent struggles to find the resources needed to answer your threats.

Resource Acceleration: In addition to impeding your opponent’s progress, Landslide can turbo-charge your own gameplay. Players who leverage Landslide can gain a form of resource acceleration by dismantling opponent defenses and paving the way for their own plays without the usual hindrances. This makes way for a dominant board presence and the ability to execute high-cost spells sooner.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed spells is in their versatility and the element of surprise. Landslide can be cast at the most opportune moments, whether that’s during your opponent’s end step or in response to them tapping out for a critical play. The ability to act out of turn sequence means you retain full control of your mana and strategic options until the need for intervention arises, keeping opponents on their toes and unable to comfortably predict your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Landslide demands that you toss another card from your hand, which can backfire when your options are limited and each resource in your grasp counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost is locked into red mana, making it less flexible and potentially unusable in decks that don’t run red or have a sufficient base to support its inclusion.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost sitting higher on the scale, Landslide competes with alternative cards that may provide a greater impact or value for the same or lower investment, potentially relegating it to a second-tier option.

Reasons to Include Landslide in Your Collection

Versatility: Landslide can be an essential addition to decks focusing on land strategies. It offers players the chance to disrupt opponent’s mana while accelerating your own board state, making it suitable for a variety of playstyles and formats.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on sacrificing lands for benefits, particularly in combination with effects that allow you to play additional lands or retrieve them from the graveyard, thus creating powerful synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the land base is key for any successful deck, lands that offer control elements are always relevant. Landslide can function as both a tool for mana curve optimization and as a tactical resource against decks that heavily rely on nonbasic lands.

How to beat

The Landslide card brings a unique challenge to players in Magic: The Gathering, combining both destruction and the potential for overwhelming advantage through its token generation. Understanding its mechanics is key to countering this formidable card. One effective strategy is to focus on instant-speed removal. By having the ability to respond immediately to Landslide’s activation, a player can disrupt the sequence and minimize the damage. Control decks with counter spells also give an edge, as they can prevent Landslide’s resolution, negating its effects completely before any damage is done.

Another tactic involves utilizing sacrifice effects to control the timing of permanents leaving the battlefield, diminishing Landslide’s impact. Additionally, ground-based creature strategies can stifle the advantage gained from the tokens by employing cards that outmatch the tokens in power and toughness, securing battlefield dominance. Resource management is also crucial; by maintaining card advantage and making prudent use of available mana, players can weather the onslaught Landslide aims to create and pivot the game in their favor.

Ultimately, resilience and adaptability are players’ best tools against Landslide, ensuring they can endure the initial wave and mount a successful counteroffensive to secure victory in the game.

Cards like Landslide

Landslide is a card that stands out amongst red mana spells in Magic: The Gathering for its ability to sacrifice mountains to deal damage to opponents. It’s akin to cards like Firebolt, providing direct damage to any target. However, Landslide offers a unique edge by turning lands into damage output, which can be a game-ending strategy in the late game when you have excess lands on the battlefield.

Alongside Landslide, we have cards like Raze that also revolve around the concept of sacrificing lands. Raze, a single red mana spell with the destructive utility of removing lands from play, is also a sorcery but lacks the direct damage component. Comparatively, Molten Rain is another spell worth noting. It devastates opponents by destroying lands and dealing damage simultaneously, though at a higher mana cost and without the requirement of sacrificing your own lands.

Thus, when comparing Landslide to its counterparts, it possesses strategic leverage particularly in mono-red decks that can afford land sacrifice for potential victory. This highlights its niche tactical advantage in certain Magic: The Gathering deck builds, especially for those looking to convert late-game land draws into aggressive plays.

Cards similar to Landslide by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Landslide MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny, 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 Landslide and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Landslide has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Landslide card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.