Rolling Earthquake MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Rolling Earthquake enables powerful board control, often clearing multiple threats with a single card.
  2. The spell’s specific mana cost may limit its inclusion in multi-colored decks.
  3. Its ability to hit creatures with horsemanship offers a distinct advantage in gameplay.

Text of card

Rolling Earthquake deals X damage to each player and each creature without horsemanship. (This includes you and your creatures without horsemanship.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rolling Earthquake brings a dynamic edge to board control, allowing you to potentially remove multiple creatures with one card, which can shift the board presence in your favor and put you ahead in terms of card efficiency.

Resource Acceleration: This powerful sorcery may not directly accelerate your resources, but it can clear the way for your attackers to deal damage unimpeded, accelerating your path to victory by removing potential blockers and threats.

Instant Speed: While Rolling Earthquake operates at sorcery speed, it’s the capability to be cast at the right strategic moment—usually just before your turn—that enables you to maximize its effect, paving the way for a swift offensive maneuver without the delay of summoning sickness for your creatures.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rolling Earthquake requires no discard, making this point moot in its evaluation.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a specific mana cost that includes the red mana symbol, Rolling Earthquake might not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks that are not heavily red-inclined.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana cost for Rolling Earthquake might be considered steep given its starting point of X plus one red mana. As the damage scales with the mana invested, it might not be the go-to choice for early or quick board impact versus other lower cost options.


Reasons to Include Rolling Earthquake in Your Collection

Versatility: Rolling Earthquake serves as a powerful sweeper capable of clearing the board of multiple creatures at once. Its ability to reach creatures with horsemanship as well makes it a unique inclusion that can address a wider range of threats than most other red damage spells.

Combo Potential: For decks that manipulate damage or utilize strategies that benefit from noncombat damage, Rolling Earthquake can be a key component. It can synergize with damage doublers or cards that redirect damage to amplify its impact.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where creature-based strategies are prevalent, having Rolling Earthquake can tilt the scales in your favor. It’s particularly useful when dealing with decks that rely on numerous smaller creatures or those that utilize horsemanship, providing you with a significant advantage.


How to beat

Mastering the intricacies of Magic: The Gathering revolves around strategic play, especially when facing formidable cards like Rolling Earthquake. This powerful spell can shift the tides of a match, but understanding its mechanics allows players to navigate challenges effectively. Prefacing your line-up with creatures boasting horsemanship could render Rolling Earthquake’s impact negligible, as this ability enables evasion from the spell’s effects. Similarly, spell counters are a prudent line of defense. Having a card like Negate at your disposal can seamlessly counteract the earthquake before it wreaks havoc.

Avoiding a heavy field presence might seem counterintuitive, but in the case of Rolling Earthquake, less can be more. By maintaining a smaller assembly of creatures, you reduce the damage potential to your side of the board. The key lies in timing and choosing when to extend your battlefield assets. Indestructibility also emerges as a vital trait to protect your creatures from Rolling Earthquake’s wrath. Creatures such as Darksteel Myr stand their ground amidst the quake’s rumble. With careful planning and adaptive strategies, the seismic force of Rolling Earthquake can be effectively mitigated, ensuring your dominance in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Rolling Earthquake is more than just a powerful board sweeper: it’s a strategic linchpin in MTG. Its ability to target creatures with horsemanship adds a layer of versatility that can be crucial in certain metagames. If you’re aiming to incorporate a reliable, scalable damage spell into your red-centric or multi-coloured deck, understanding the optimal use of Rolling Earthquake could be pivotal. For those looking to refine their collection with spells that offer both clearing power and potential for damage-based synergies, Rolling Earthquake deserves consideration. Dive deeper with us and discover how to maximize this card’s potential in your game-winning strategies.


Cards like Rolling Earthquake

Rolling Earthquake stands as a unique board clear option in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. It resonates with Earthquake, another card that deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player. However, Rolling Earthquake’s ability to hit creatures with horsemanship as well differentiates it significantly. Earthquake is limited by its inability to affect creatures with this evasion ability.

Star of Extinction is another card that devastates multiple targets, delivering a massive blow of 20 damage to each creature and planeswalker. While not X-costed and particularly high in mana value, its destructive capacity is undeniable. Unlike Rolling Earthquake, Star of Extinction cannot tailor the damage according to the situation, which means flexibility is traded for sheer power.

To examine the strategic variations of these cards, Rolling Earthquake offers adaptability in its variable damage, setting it apart from similar sweeping spells. Its versatility makes it a formidable tool, capable of being fine-tuned to match the state of the board and mana availability, making it a standout in its category.

Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Star of Extinction - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Star of Extinction - Ixalan Promos (PXLN)

Cards similar to Rolling Earthquake by color, type and mana cost

Disintegrate - MTG Card versions
Fireball - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Winds of Change - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Meltdown - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Tremor - MTG Card versions
Ghitu Fire - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Glare - MTG Card versions
Lava Burst - MTG Card versions
Overmaster - MTG Card versions
Devil's Play - MTG Card versions
Firebolt - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
Burning Inquiry - MTG Card versions
Disintegrate - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Fireball - The List (PLST)
Earthquake - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Mana Clash - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Detonate - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Winds of Change - Masters Edition (ME1)
Gamble - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Meltdown - Urza's Saga (USG)
Goblin Grenade - Arena New Player Experience Extras (XANA)
Tremor - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ghitu Fire - Invasion (INV)
Tahngarth's Glare - Apocalypse (APC)
Lava Burst - Deckmasters (DKM)
Overmaster - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Devil's Play - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Firebolt - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Blaze - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Crack the Earth - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Meteor Shower - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Burning Inquiry - Magic 2010 (M10)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rolling Earthquake MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Rolling Earthquake and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rolling Earthquake Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Yang Hong.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-05-01Portal Three KingdomsPTK 1221997normalwhiteYang Hong
22009-09-07Masters Edition IIIME3 1101997normalblackYang Hong
32020-08-07Double Masters2XM 1422015normalblackYang Hong

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rolling Earthquake has restrictions

FormatLegality
PredhLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 Horsemanship is a keyword ability that functions similarly to flying. It appears in the Portal: Three Kingdoms set and does not appear in the Double Masters set. This means that in most cases Rolling Earthquake will simply deal X damage to each creature and each player, even creatures depicted on horseback in their illustration.

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