Not strictly, but in almost all possible cases this is worse than Tectonic Edge.
I know Wizards said they wanted to keep this effect away from aggro in Standard right now, but there are better ways of doing it. Reprint Dust Bowl or something instead.
Avensai
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I agree. I took one look at this card and thought "Tectonic Edge is way better."
Kryptnyt
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Agreed, but people will probably still play it over Ghost Quarter since it activates just in time to destroy Township and Vault.
TheMurderousKitten
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Yes, Tectonic Edge is better, but then again, Wasteland is even better. And Strip Mine is better still. Lands that take out other lands seem to be getting steadily worse. Should be the other way around in my opinion, since nonbasic lands are far more common now than they were back when Wasteland and Strip Mine came out. Considering their prevalence, there should be more and better ways to destroy them in the newer sets.
majinara
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Poor mans land destruction. Well, it doesn't work as a way to manascrew people. But maybe in slow casual multiplayer decks, to kill certain powerful man lands or whatever. In Commander, the speed of this might be ok, but Commander got a decent amount of colorless land kill, that's superior to this.
storied_hero
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The art looks like it goes with the promo version of Tectonic Edge.
sweetgab
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I think this card is awesome. If something like Nephalia Drownyard gets printed (i.e. control mirror breaker in the form of a land), this will be included in control decks just like Ghost Quarter was.
By the way Tectonic Edge was played as a four-of in almost every single deck in Standard when it was legal. I did like Tectonic Edge a lot, but this shows how good it really was.
Also, Maze's End has always been fringe playable in Standard and pretty decent in Block. In case control decks start to rely on Maze's End as it represents the ultimate inevitability that almost nothing could interact with, the existence of this land will make it not so ultimate anymore.
rollinsclone
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I know that Wizards hates land destruction, but it's somewhat needed in some cases. No Stone Rain, no Wasteland, but something that will let people have options outside of running a billion non-basics. This is not a good answer to that.
Taudisban
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Gotta say that I even like Ghost Quarter better than this.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not as fast as ghost quarter, but this doesn't lose card advantage and most lands that are dangerous are dangerous in the late game anyway.
Paladin85
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
3 mana would have been more balanced. 4 mana is a lot early game to do for LD
Blame Wizard's policy on LD
SAUS3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I was like 'aww man this thing is awesome!' and then I realised dust bowl costs less mana to activate. It's worse in basically all ways than dust bowl. I still like the card though. I may use it in one of my EDH decks as an extra wasteland effect.
Rootkit9208
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Let's face it, you're just trying to play a colorless deck in standard.
AdamPembs
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Wizards really hate land destruction these days. Ok, strip mine was overpowered, but Wasteland I thought was reasonably balanced. REALLY, 4 mana and a card sacrifice for a single non-basic land! Chances are, you will have lost the game before you can use it.
Noah927
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would it have been a horrible thing if this could destroy a basic land?
NoobOfLore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A beautiful counter to some of the ridiculously powerful and difficult-to-handle lands printed in recent sets (innistrad, I'm looking at you)
TexasDice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
We need to deal with Nykthos, these devotion decks are going nuts.
Hreth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
To shut down Maze's End, simply use Pithing Needle. Encroaching Wastes does shut down Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, but probably too late.
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel like they could have made this a costed Strip Mine at that cost.
Basically paying and sacrificing a land in the process seems fair, even if the effect is strapped to a land, since colorless mana already has its drawback.
absreim
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think it is a bit better than it initially looks. Can be better than Tectonic Edge in ramp decks.
Havrekjex
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
2 mana would have been very, very good. 3 mana would have been somewhat useful. This just isn't playable anywhere, and that's a damn shame. People love pulling nonbasics from boosters, but this is just a junk uncommon.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Maybe playable as a one-of sideboard card in some control builds, but... that activation cost is almost disgustingly high. Four extra mana for a Wasteland activation seems too steep for anything but Standard, and even then it's still expensive. 2/5
Rog4Brd3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I cannot imagine a scenario where I would be glad to have this card in my deck. If Ghost Quarter or Tectonic Edge is legal in the format I'm playing, I would always in all circumstances pick one of those over this. There's not even a budget argument to be made--Ghost Quarter's dirt cheap. The only format where there isn't a not-strictly-better-but-so-much-better-it-may-as-well-be alternative is Standard, and in Standard, this card isn't worth a slot in the sideboard. It's a little sad, but I'm afraid this is one of those few cards that simply shouldn't ever be played.
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wonder if land destruction will become a valid way to stop your opponent from playing the cards he or she drew from Master of the Feast? Maybe alongside Eidolon of the Revel? Sheesh, that doesn't sound fun to play against.
Benreaper
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I REALLY REALLY LIKE THE NEW PROMO ART OKEY?
I bought one because I can't win standard (why would I want to? Shit's expensive), and I wish I could find a reason to use it somewhere.
casualhorror
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It is pretty telling that in a standard environment with every deck either having Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, or Mutavault in it that this sees no play. Much less the scry dual lands or the shock dual lands. There is not a single nonbudget deck this is dead against, it just is too much of a stinker to see play.
Comments (26)
I know Wizards said they wanted to keep this effect away from aggro in Standard right now, but there are better ways of doing it. Reprint Dust Bowl or something instead.
Well, it doesn't work as a way to manascrew people. But maybe in slow casual multiplayer decks, to kill certain powerful man lands or whatever. In Commander, the speed of this might be ok, but Commander got a decent amount of colorless land kill, that's superior to this.
By the way Tectonic Edge was played as a four-of in almost every single deck in Standard when it was legal. I did like Tectonic Edge a lot, but this shows how good it really was.
Also, Maze's End has always been fringe playable in Standard and pretty decent in Block. In case control decks start to rely on Maze's End as it represents the ultimate inevitability that almost nothing could interact with, the existence of this land will make it not so ultimate anymore.
Blame Wizard's policy on LD
Basically paying
even if the effect is strapped to a land, since colorless mana already has its drawback.
I bought one because I can't win standard (why would I want to? Shit's expensive), and I wish I could find a reason to use it somewhere.