Raze MTG Card


Raze - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number207
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMike Raabe

Key Takeaways

  1. Raze can give players a temporary advantage by disrupting opponents’ mana bases and plans.
  2. Requires sacrificing a land, making it a double-edged sword for your own board development.
  3. Despite its drawbacks, it remains a tactical option for land destruction strategies in MTG.

Text of card

At the time you play Raze, sacrifice a land. Destroy target land.

The viashino believe that the oldest mountains hate everyone equally.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Raze itself doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it removes an opponent’s land resource effectively, setting them back and potentially giving you a card advantage as their options become more limited.

Resource Acceleration: By destroying a land, Raze can contribute to resource acceleration indirectly. It paves the way for faster gameplay as it hampers your opponent’s ability to build their mana base, allowing for more aggressive strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Raze is cast at sorcery speed, its ability to rapidly alter the state of the board by targeting crucial lands can be pivotal in the fast-paced environment of an MTG match, mirroring the strategic advantages of instant-speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Raze requires the discard of a land card to play, which can set back your board development especially if you’re playing a land-light strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a red mana to cast, making it exclusively viable in red or multicolored decks, thus restricting its utility across the diverse deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing a single red mana appears inexpensive, the real cost involves sacrificing a land, which may result in a significant setback in your mana curve and delay crucial plays.


Reasons to Include Raze in Your Collection

Versatility: Raze is a highly efficacious option for decks that need to disrupt the opponent by removing land resources. Its low cost allows for early game plays, keeping opponents on their back foot from the start.

Combo Potential: This card works well within strategies aimed at land destruction or resource denial. Placing Raze in a deck with cards that can benefit from opponents being mana-strapped can enhance your overall game plan significantly.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where mana bases are often stretched to enable multi-color decks, Raze’s ability to remove a land can significantly set back an opponent’s development. It proves its worth in metas where denying your opponent’s resources can lead to a strategic advantage.


How to beat

Raze is a simple, yet potentially devastating sorcery that targets players’ lands, showcasing the power of land destruction in MTG. To outmaneuver this, having a robust mana base is crucial. Including a variety of lands in your deck ensures you’re not completely crippled by a single Raze. Additionally, employing cards that can regenerate or recur lands from your graveyard back onto the battlefield can nullify the impact of a Raze.

One effective strategy is to prioritize playing low-cost spells, which reduces your reliance on multiple lands. Cards with the Landfall ability also gain extra value in this scenario, as they benefit each time a land enters the battlefield, encouraging a more aggressive approach to land play. In essence, speed and recovery are the keys to overcoming a spell like Raze. By carefully curating your deck with these elements in mind, you can prepare yourself against the threat of land destruction and maintain the upper hand.

Moreover, counterspells are your best defense against Raze. Holding up mana for a well-timed counter can save your most valuable lands and keep your strategy on track. By being aware of your opponent’s potential to disrupt your lands, you can anticipate and counteract their moves, safeguarding your path to victory in MTG.


Cards like Raze

Raze is an intriguing card that infuses Magic: The Gathering deck strategies with destructive capabilities. As a direct comparison, we see the card Stone Rain, which shares Raze’s hallmark of land destruction. Both cards target lands to put your opponent at a disadvantage, but Raze demands the sacrifice of one of your own lands as a cost, while Stone Rain requires three mana and does not self-impinge.

If we consider Molten Rain, another similar card, it not only destroys land but also deals damage to the land’s controller, adding a layer of aggressive pressure. Furthermore, it has a higher mana cost than Raze but does not have the same sacrificial clause. On another note, Demolish fulfills the land disruption theme but at four mana and only at sorcery speed, lacking the low-cost appeal of Raze.

In essence, while weighing up the pros and cons of each land disruption card, Raze emerges as a niche but potent option for those willing to accept its self-sacrificial requisition for quick and efficient land removal in their Magic: The Gathering deck constructions.

Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Molten Rain - MTG Card versions
Demolish - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Molten Rain - Mirrodin (MRD)
Demolish - Odyssey (ODY)

Cards similar to Raze by color, type and mana cost

Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Fireball - MTG Card versions
Disintegrate - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Winds of Change - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Meltdown - MTG Card versions
Landslide - 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
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Fireball - The List (PLST)
Disintegrate - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Goblin Grenade - The List (PLST)
Mana Clash - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Winds of Change - Masters Edition (ME1)
Detonate - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Blaze - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Gamble - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Meltdown - Urza's Saga (USG)
Landslide - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
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)
Crack the Earth - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Meteor Shower - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Raze MTG card by a specific set like 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 Raze and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Raze has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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