Price$0.99

Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure

Sorcery // Land

LegalRemovalRank #734

Destroy target land. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. Creatures without flying can't block this turn.

As this land enters, you may pay 3 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.

{T} : Add {R} .

Why is this card good?

Why it's good: This is a modal double-faced card (MDFC), which is the real selling point. You get a flexible Strangle-the-stride spell that doubles as a land you can play when you're mana-flooded or screwed. That flexibility reduces your "dead card" count and effectively thins decisions — a huge deal in singleton Commander. The spell side is weak, though. Destroying a land that lets the opponent ramp into a basic (tapped) is barely a setback in multiplayer EDH, where most pods have more lands than they need. The "creatures without flying can't block" rider is the actual value — it's a finisher enabler for aggressive or flying-tribal decks pushing lethal commander damage. Who wants it: Mono-red aggro, voltron/flyers decks (Isperia-adjacent strategies), and any list that values land-count flexibility. Niche targets: hitting a manland, a key utility land, or a lone basic to soft-screw someone. Skip it in slower ramp/control decks — the land mode rarely justifies a card slot over a real ramp piece or removal spell.

Related cards

Bedrock Tortoise

Both reward attacking with creatures unblockable boosts.

Strip Mine

Land-based land destruction alternative.

Wasteland

Nonbasic land destruction that taps for mana otherwise.

Ghost Quarter

Land that destroys a land while giving them a basic.

Demolition Field

Land destruction land that fetches basics like Eruption's clause.

Field of Ruin

Land destroying nonbasic lands, gives opponents basics.

Stone Rain

Classic red sorcery land destruction at three mana.

Printings (1)

mh3Modern Horizons 3 · #248U$0.99Buy

Rulings (9)

2024-06-07
If the target land is an illegal target when Sundering Eruption tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. That land's controller won't get to search for a basic land card, and creatures without flying will still be able to block this turn.
2024-06-07
If the target land isn't destroyed by Sundering Eruption's effect (perhaps because the land has indestructible), its controller still gets to search for a basic land card, and creatures without flying still can't block this turn.
2024-06-07
The effect of Sundering Eruption prevents all creatures without flying from blocking that turn, including creatures that lose flying after Sundering Eruption resolves and creatures without flying that enter the battlefield later in the turn. Creatures without flying that gain flying later in the turn will be able to block if they have flying when blockers are being declared.
2024-06-07
To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you're playing and ignore the other face's characteristics. For example, if an effect stops you from casting creature spells, you can't cast Disciple of Freyalise, but you can still play Garden of Freyalise.
2024-06-07
If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than "play") a specific modal double-faced card, you can't play it as a land.
2024-06-07
If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. For example, if an effect allows you to play lands from your graveyard, you can play Garden of Freyalise, but you can't cast Disciple of Freyalise.
2024-06-07
If an effect allows you to put a card with particular characteristics onto the battlefield without instructing you to play or cast it, you consider only the characteristics of a modal double-faced card's front face to see if that card qualifies. If it does, it enters the battlefield with its front face up. For example, if an effect allows you to put a creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield, you can put Disciple of Freyalise onto the battlefield. However, an effect that lets you return a land card from your graveyard to your hand won't let you return Garden of Freyalise to your hand, as that card has only its front face's characteristics while in the graveyard.
2024-06-07
The mana value of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that's being considered. On the stack or the battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the mana value of a transforming double-faced card is determined.
2024-06-07
A modal double-faced card can't be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.

Discussion (0)

Why is this card good?

Rulings (9)

2024-06-07

If the target land is an illegal target when Sundering Eruption tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. That land's controller won't get to search for a basic land card, and creatures without flying will still be able to block this turn.

2024-06-07

If the target land isn't destroyed by Sundering Eruption's effect (perhaps because the land has indestructible), its controller still gets to search for a basic land card, and creatures without flying still can't block this turn.

2024-06-07

The effect of Sundering Eruption prevents all creatures without flying from blocking that turn, including creatures that lose flying after Sundering Eruption resolves and creatures without flying that enter the battlefield later in the turn. Creatures without flying that gain flying later in the turn will be able to block if they have flying when blockers are being declared.

2024-06-07

To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you're playing and ignore the other face's characteristics. For example, if an effect stops you from casting creature spells, you can't cast Disciple of Freyalise, but you can still play Garden of Freyalise.

2024-06-07

If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than "play") a specific modal double-faced card, you can't play it as a land.

2024-06-07

If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. For example, if an effect allows you to play lands from your graveyard, you can play Garden of Freyalise, but you can't cast Disciple of Freyalise.

2024-06-07

If an effect allows you to put a card with particular characteristics onto the battlefield without instructing you to play or cast it, you consider only the characteristics of a modal double-faced card's front face to see if that card qualifies. If it does, it enters the battlefield with its front face up. For example, if an effect allows you to put a creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield, you can put Disciple of Freyalise onto the battlefield. However, an effect that lets you return a land card from your graveyard to your hand won't let you return Garden of Freyalise to your hand, as that card has only its front face's characteristics while in the graveyard.

2024-06-07

The mana value of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that's being considered. On the stack or the battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the mana value of a transforming double-faced card is determined.

2024-06-07

A modal double-faced card can't be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.