Possibly the worst of the manland cycle. Fairly expensive to activate, and no matter how much you pump it, it doesn't even get out of burn. It could be useful after a wipe, or very late game, but that's about it. I know it's said about everything, but this dies to the lightest of removal. Unkicked Burst Lightning. Disfigure. Hell, it dies to Shock. The weakest removal takes it out.
wolfv
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
i agree it is the worse of the cycle, but it is still fairly interesting, tho i agree it should have been at least a 2/3
Gaussgoat
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
The ability is clearly not overwhelming, but I think people are forgetting that we're talking about a multi-land here who's only drawback is that it enters the table tapped.
So... Forget the worldwake aspect and you still have a realyl strong mana producer.
4/5
JWolps
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
So, it's a the worst of the cycle. IT'S STILL A DUAL MANLAND PEOPLE. 4 stars.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
A good example of how not to design a manland. It needs a billion mana to actually do something. Sigh. Really disappointing.
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
I agree with the cost. The pumping effect sould have been +X/+X instead, or the activation cheaper.
Blue-black for instance gets a far better Creeping Tar Pit which provides an unblockable 3/2 body when activated for the same amount of mana. For Lavaclaw Reaches you have to pay more to get the same body who can still be blocked by just any creature.
Giving this manland Intimidate instead would have made it far more entertaining :D
Gomorrah
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I dunno why I would ever play this. The effect barely does anything, as you'll need mana left over from turning this land into a creature to make this anything beyond a 2/2, and if you have more than 3 mana, you should have much better plays than wasting your mana on a 2(+1or2)/2 and probably getting it blocked and destroyed.
JacksJokeShop
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I would have liked it if it were 3/3 or 2 CMC to activate. As is, decent at best.
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Why did I pull this and not creeping tar pit? It still works pretty good in the deck I have it in, which is basically all removal.
Easily the worst of the cycle because of how incredibly mana-intensive it is; you have to give up 5 lands just for a 3/2 until end of turn.
Would first strike have been too much to ask for?
That being said, having the option is still appreciated, and playing RB your opponent shouldn't have any blockers left by the time you attack with this.
3/5
IncrediSteve
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Mediocre. Scores no bonus points for "dual mana producing" because in Standard it's competing with Dragonskull Summit, which in this regard is strictly better for the chance to come in untapped, and heck even in limited Akuom Refuge is "better" for that point of life gain. As a manland, it's one mana more expensive just to be on par with a Dread Statuary, and no matter how much mana you pump into it, it still gets killed by nearly any creature in the format, let alone removal!
If its activation were {1} less or if it got +1/+1, it would be playable. Just desperate filler as it stands.
spectermonger
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I agreed with those saying it was unplayable at first, but still decides to give it a chance. It works. RB is chock-full of good removal and this is a land the you can pump tons of spare mana into. It compensates for its early came weakness in the late game. Besides, People are going to be reluctant to attack with their fatty when they know you can tap out to match its toughness...this card is more about psychology then the others.
ZursApprentice
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Yes, it is arguably the worst of the cycle. But I don't think people fully realize the point. You aren't activating most of these manlands early anyway. With the exception of Raging Ravine, none of them are particularly aggressive. Celestial Colonade is too expensive, Stirring Wildwood is primarily defensive, and Creeping Tar Pit, although cheap to activate is still just a 3/2. This is great in the late game, when most decks plan to actually use it. It takes up a ton of mana, for sure. But say with 7 mana, it becomes a 5/2, which is more power than any of the others. Perhaps this is not as meaningful in an aggressive deck, but it fits well into a midrange to controllish type deck. Plus, again, it is a fricking dual-man land! Four stars.
Swordfishtrombones
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I enjoy this card. Definitely could've been better, but, still a game winner and complicator. your opponents have to think twice before full-out swinging late game. I like the versatility this card provides. 4/5.
mrbananas
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This plus ceaseless searblades = infinite buff. Then its your choice of swinging or flinging or whatever you want.
Evile
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card combined with Training grounds = fun (+3/+0 for 1 mana) ^^
benegade
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i like this card. not the best manland, but in my vampire deck (splashed with red for terminates, lightning bolts, blightnings) it works very well. i'm usually never tapped out and at worst it provides an extra red mana for the double bolt to win the game. a lot of my cards are cheaply costed, so i often can pump this up to 5/2 which is pretty fearsome when there are 5 other vamps coming at you. 4 dragonskulls are not enough, i'm not paying for fetchlands, and mountains are useless, so this is a darn good option.
I ran it as a 1 of in Jund, but the firebreathing is nothing to be scoffed at. If it was ever left unblocked you could quickly make an opponent pay for it. At worst it hits for 2, while at best it could trade with Titans or kill an opponent who overlooked it. 4/5
Strictly better than Celestial Colonnade Lavaclaw Reaches was always the most convoluted piece of shit
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I quite like this card, mostly for ts utility. Ninety percent of the time it's just a bad Akoum Refuge but every couple of games it finishes the game off. When the dust settles, as has already been said, you're in removal colors. Kill any blockers and go to town, I've smashed for up to six per turn with this guy in my control deck, you just have to buy it some time.
TheWrathofShane
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Any land that can be a finisher in the late game is worth your deck slots.
Kelptic183
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It actually has won a fair amount of late-game EDH when everyone's topdecking and you have a bunch of mana to pump into it.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The man-land ability is just gravy, but not gonna lie, is a touch expensive. Still, fixes mana and can potentially smash an opponent into dust when the chips are down.
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Odd wording. Why not : this creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn" to match it more closely with traditional firebreathing? I'm glad Training Grounds works now, but did they use that wording specifically for Training Grounds?
Ataraxiom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Although this card might appear to lack the sheer power of its manland brethren, I think that it has an excellent place on the sideboard your typical R/B aggro deck. What sort of shenanigans does R/B hate more than anything? Control shenanigans, most likely.
After a long and frustrating game fighting some coward of a W/U mage, you're likely to have played far more lands than your aggro mana curve was built to handle. The beauty of Lavaclaw Reaches is that like most manlands, it can't be countered and it can't be wiped out at sorcery speed. With cards like Path to Exile being so prominent these days, you might even have ramped a little by the time the endgame rolls around. With all this in mind, it's very possible that you might be able to swing for 5 or 6 damage with this guy and take out a Planeswalker or even finish the match entirely. You have been beating down all match like a good aggro player, right?
Besides, even if Reaches gets nailed with an Azorius Charm or a Path to Exile of its own, it was only a land to begin with and it's there to supplement your strategy, not define it.
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What this is missing is first strike or some sort of evasion. Without that it is too weak to shocks or blockers to ever be much use on the attack. Does BR need a blocker? I am a bit disappointed that the suicide colors didn't get something more aggressive. Still, dual colors, man land. Its worth playing in some formats. In EDH its a great pick for the colors.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Here's how it works. You replace 2 lands in your deck with man-lands, and occasionally when the game runs long they win you the game instead of you sitting there and doing nothing.
One that has X-2 power, where X is the number of lands you have, makes it very swingy. You can be on T7 and nail someone for 5, for example.
As an aside; this is brutal next to Ashenmoor Liege. An in color, color-fixing, 4/4 man-land with color-less firebreathing.
brokenland
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
nope nevermind i'm wrong, but still it does allow you to get off a cool 14 damage with five mana in one turn. Grixis burn bro.
Comments (36)
So... Forget the worldwake aspect and you still have a realyl strong mana producer.
4/5
Blue-black for instance gets a far better Creeping Tar Pit which provides an unblockable 3/2 body when activated for the same amount of mana.
For Lavaclaw Reaches you have to pay
Giving this manland Intimidate instead would have made it far more entertaining :D
Easily the worst of the cycle because of how incredibly mana-intensive it is; you have to give up 5 lands just for a 3/2 until end of turn.
Would first strike have been too much to ask for?
That being said, having the option is still appreciated, and playing RB your opponent shouldn't have any blockers left by the time you attack with this.
3/5
If its activation were {1} less or if it got +1/+1, it would be playable. Just desperate filler as it stands.
if so, yay for new hidden combo in my grixis tempo deck! :)
Lavaclaw Reaches was always the most convoluted piece of shit
After a long and frustrating game fighting some coward of a W/U mage, you're likely to have played far more lands than your aggro mana curve was built to handle. The beauty of Lavaclaw Reaches is that like most manlands, it can't be countered and it can't be wiped out at sorcery speed. With cards like Path to Exile being so prominent these days, you might even have ramped a little by the time the endgame rolls around. With all this in mind, it's very possible that you might be able to swing for 5 or 6 damage with this guy and take out a Planeswalker or even finish the match entirely. You have been beating down all match like a good aggro player, right?
Besides, even if Reaches gets nailed with an Azorius Charm or a Path to Exile of its own, it was only a land to begin with and it's there to supplement your strategy, not define it.
One that has X-2 power, where X is the number of lands you have, makes it very swingy. You can be on T7 and nail someone for 5, for example.
As an aside; this is brutal next to Ashenmoor Liege. An in color, color-fixing, 4/4 man-land with color-less firebreathing.
3.5/5