Rain of Salt MTG Card
1997-05-01 - Number 147
1998-10-12 - Number 206
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
Key Takeaways
- Rain of Salt offers strong tactical advantage by removing multiple lands, disrupting opponents’ strategies efficiently.
- The card’s specific mana requirements can challenge deck versatility but proves mighty in mono-red builds.
- Understanding how to counteract Rain of Salt’s effects can be pivotal in securing your position in the game.
Text of card
Destroy any two lands.
It pelts the land with its fury, spoiling what was once sweet.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rain of Salt grants you a strategic upper hand by allowing you to efficiently deal with multiple threats at once. This can quickly turn the tide of the game in your favor as opponents lose valuable lands, which are crucial for executing their game plan.
Resource Acceleration: Using Rain of Salt effectively disrupts opponents’ resource acceleration. When their lands are destroyed, their mana base is reduced, which can slow them down and give you a significant tempo advantage.
Instant Speed: Although Rain of Salt is a sorcery, it’s worth noting the importance of instant speed removal in MTG. In a game where Rain of Salt could be cast at instant speed, its utility would increase tenfold because you could remove lands at the most inopportune times, during upkeep or in response to land-dependent abilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Rain of Salt doesn’t force you to discard cards, the high resource investment could lead you to deplete your hand faster, especially in decks geared towards aggressive early plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Rain of Salt requires a specific mana combination of double red, which can be restrictive for multi-colored decks or those that don’t have a strong base in red mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a hefty six mana to cast, two of which must be red, Rain of Salt can often arrive too late in the game to be a decisive play, especially considering the pace of modern decks and more cost-efficient removal options available.
Reasons to Include Rain of Salt in Your Collection
Versatility: Rain of Salt offers a powerful solution to remove multiple lands from play in one sweep, ideal for land destruction strategies or a way to hinder ramp-focused opponents.
Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly with strategies that capitalize on your opponents being set back on resources, enabling devastating combos in the right deck composition.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the importance of preventing players from executing their game plans. Rain of Salt could serve as a tactical response to prevalent land-based strategies in the current meta.
How to beat
Rain of Salt is a powerful card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering that can cause significant upheaval on the battlefield. This red sorcery grants you the ability to destroy two target lands, disrupting your opponent’s mana base and potentially crippling their game plan. When facing Rain of Salt, it’s crucial to anticipate and counteract its land destruction strategy. One effective method is to ensure a diverse mana base with an assortment of lands, some of which may have indestructible attributes or the ability to regenerate.
Strategic use of counterspells can also prove invaluable when contending with this high impact spell. Holding up mana for a counterspell such as Negate or Mana Drain could be the difference between maintaining your lands or watching them crumble. Additionally, employing instant-speed land search effects to replace any destroyed lands swiftly can help mitigate the tempo loss. Cards like Crop Rotation or Sylvan Scrying allow you to find the specific lands you need to keep your game moving forward.
Understanding the timing and preparing for the potential of a devastating Rain of Salt can guide players to victory, turning a potentially game-ending play into a mere hiccup in their strategy.
Cards like Rain of Salt
Rain of Salt is an impactful spell for players looking to demolish their opponents’ land bases in Magic: The Gathering. When parallels are drawn, cards such as Volcanic Offering stand out. This offering not only removes two lands but also allows for the destruction of two nonland permanents, whereas Rain of Salt is solely focused on lands. The precision of targeting with Volcanic Offering gives players an edge in removing key threats.
Another similar devastation is realized through Wildfire, a card that curtails both players’ lands and creatures, enforcing a more balanced state of ruin. Whereas Rain of Salt selectively targets lands, Wildfire takes a more comprehensive approach. Furthermore, Wildfire imposes a limit on resources, much like Rain of Salt, but it affects board presence to a greater degree. Lastly, Destructive Force also enters the fray of comparison. It’s akin to Wildfire, reducing land counts while inflicting damage to creatures. However, Rain of Salt provides that targeted destruction of lands without affecting creatures, which could be a tactical advantage depending on your game plan.
Each of these cards offer different stratagems for controlling the game’s pace and resources. Rain of Salt stands as a specialized tool in a player’s arsenal for targeted land removal, an essential strategy for some deck builds in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Rain of Salt by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rain of Salt MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Urza's Saga, 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 Rain of Salt and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Printings
The Rain of Salt Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 1998-10-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 147 | 1997 | normal | black | Charles Gillespie | |
| 2 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 206 | 1997 | normal | black | Adam Rex |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rain of Salt 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 Rain of Salt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You must target two different lands. You can’t choose to target just one. |
