Graven Cairns MTG Card


Graven Cairns provides on-demand mana filtering for red and black, optimizing spell casting flexibility. While enhancing dual-color decks, it lacks versatility with decks outside red and black mana needs. It’s a staple for competitive play, often included in collections for its adaptability and combo potential.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool. {BR}, : Add , , or to your mana pool.

Shamans of Kar-Sengir claim that their sun sets because it can no longer bear the gaze of those pain-carved cliffs.


Graven Cairns’ Role in Land Flexibility

Graven Cairns stands out as a unique land card in the world of Magic: The Gathering, providing exceptional mana flexibility. This card’s ability to filter mana distinguishes it from basic lands. It allows players to turn one mana of any color into two mana of any combination of red and/or black. This potent ability makes Graven Cairns a valuable asset in decks that require specific mana combinations to cast powerful multicolored spells efficiently.

Cards like Graven Cairns

Graven Cairns shares its functional space with a family of filter lands, such as Sunken Ruins or Twilight Mire, which offer similar mana conversion for other color pairs. Twilight Mire also allows the conversion of one green mana into black and green mana, fostering smooth and adaptable gameplay for cards within those mana alignments. Another comparable card is Cascade Bluffs. This land works on the principle analogous to Graven Cairns, but services red and blue mana needs instead, proving useful in a different multicolor deck archetype.

While each card in this filter land cycle provides tailored support to different color pairings, their distinction lies in the specific mana they impact. Graven Cairns gains an edge in decks that are heavy in red and black spells, where it can offer unparalleled mana filtering versatility.

Sunken Ruins - MTG Card versions
Twilight Mire - MTG Card versions
Cascade Bluffs - MTG Card versions
Sunken Ruins - MTG Card versions
Twilight Mire - MTG Card versions
Cascade Bluffs - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Graven Cairns by color, type and mana cost

Badlands - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Springs - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Luxury Suite - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Mire - MTG Card versions
Badlands - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Springs - MTG Card versions
Cinder Marsh - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malice - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Carnarium - MTG Card versions
Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway - MTG Card versions
Shadowblood Ridge - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace - MTG Card versions
Auntie's Hovel - MTG Card versions
Lavaclaw Reaches - MTG Card versions
Dragonskull Summit - MTG Card versions
Blood Crypt - MTG Card versions
Smoldering Marsh - MTG Card versions
Foreboding Ruins - MTG Card versions
Canyon Slough - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Bloodfell Caves - MTG Card versions
Luxury Suite - MTG Card versions
Blackcleave Cliffs - MTG Card versions
Sulfurous Mire - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Graven Cairns. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Rakdos BreachRakdos Breach ModernRakdos BreachModern Showcase Challenge 2024-02-10
Rakdos MidrangeRakdos Midrange ModernRakdos MidrangeModern Challenge 64 2024-02-10
Rakdos DiscardRakdos Discard ModernRakdos MidrangeGrand Open Qualifier Prague 2024
Rakdos ZombiesRakdos Zombies ModernRakdos Zombies2024 Hunter Burton Memorial Open
Rakdos GoblinsRakdos Goblins ModernGoblins$5K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Philadelphia - Sunday - 9:00 am
Rakdos TempoRakdos Tempo ModernSacrificeDEN24 Sat 9:00 - U.S. Regional Championship - presented by Laughing Dragon

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Graven Cairns offers advantageous mana filtering options without loss of card economy, enabling you to convert your lands into more useful colors while maintaining the same number of assets on the board.

Resource Acceleration: By facilitating smoother mana conversion, Graven Cairns can effectively accelerate your resource management, ensuring that you have the right color combinations for spell casting when you need them.

Instant Speed: Its mana-filtering ability can be utilized at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to the evolving battlefield and make critical plays without the need to telegraph your moves in advance.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Graven Cairns doesn’t inherently require a discard, but it synergizes with strategies that might. If you’re using it to filter mana for spells that do require discarding, this can be a downside if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: While Graven Cairns can be a boon for dual-color decks, its utility is limited mainly to those that need black and red mana. This specificity may restrict deck-building choices, confining the card’s usefulness to certain archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: As a land card, Graven Cairns does not have a mana cost, but its ability comes at the cost of one mana of any type. In critical turns, utilizing its filtration ability could effectively slow you down as it translates into having one less mana available for immediate use than a basic land might provide.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Graven Cairns fits seamlessly into dual or multi-color decks that utilize both Red and Black mana. Its ability to filter mana offers flexibility and smooths out the mana base, ensuring that your spells can be cast without delay.

Combo Potential: This land card is exceptional in combinations that require specific mana ratios, aiding in the execution of combo decks. It can help activate potent abilities that require heavy color commitment, bridging the gap to victory.

Meta-Relevance: In a dynamic meta where speed and consistency are vital, Graven Cairns plays a critical role. It maintains relevance by enabling fast-paced strategies and reinforcing decks designed to stand against the shifting tides of competitive play.


How to beat Graven Cairns

Graven Cairns stands out in the Magic: The Gathering landscape for its filtering ability, allowing players to turn one color of mana into a combination of black and red. It’s a solid tool for mana fixing in multicolored decks, especially those running heavy costs or double mana symbols. However, it is not without weaknesses. Players looking to challenge a deck that utilizes Graven Cairns should consider a few strategies.

Land destruction can be a straightforward tactic to undermine the effectiveness of Graven Cairns. By targeting this land with spells like Ghost Quarter, you can disrupt the mana base of an opponent, particularly if they’re relying heavily on Graven Cairns for their color fixing. Artifact removal is another approach, as activating Graven Cairns requires it to function like an artifact, so cards like Nature’s Claim provide a dual purpose. Moreover, keeping a steady pace in applying pressure on the board can often force an opponent to use their mana inefficiently, diminishing the impact of Graven Cairns’ filtering capabilities.

Ultimately, while Graven Cairns can be a powerful asset for decks that need the right color of mana at the right time, there are multiple strategies to mitigate its impact on the game, ensuring you maintain the upper hand.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Graven Cairns MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and Shadowmoor, 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 Graven Cairns and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Graven Cairns Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-05-04Future SightFUT 175futureNormalBlackAnthony S. Waters
22008-05-02ShadowmoorSHM 2722003NormalBlackRob Alexander
32015-10-02Zendikar ExpeditionsEXP 282015NormalBlackAdam Paquette
42017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 2372015NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 3202015NormalBlackRob Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Graven Cairns has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2007-05-01 {B/R}, ” is the same as saying “, or , .