@Mudbutt_on:
Getting 5 mana on turn two was a trick that used to work until WotC changed the timing of the enters-play cost. Now, you have to sac the Swamp before the Lake enters play, but back then, the Lake came into play first. That meant that if you didn't sac a Swamp to keep it in play, you could still use the Lake's mana abilities before the Lake got buried.
Posted By:
A3Kitsune
(2/28/2011 1:28:45 AM)
I use this in a mono-black EDH deck with previously mentioned Crucible of Worlds. This card is absolutely amazing.
Posted By:
endersblade
(6/25/2011 11:55:01 AM)
I can definitely see how this card has potential- but Gilgamesh, it's hardly 'under-rated'. It's in the Top 100 Lands on Gatherer. More than 4.5 stars. That's not under-rated.
Unfortunately, the kinds of decks this works best in (Phyrexian Obliterator/Urborg/Cabal Coffers) are not the kind of deck I want to build (Kaalia of the Vast R/W/B)
It is terribly difficult to find truly solid, FLEXIBLE, COLORED mana ramp outside of green. (Black and Artifact ramp are everything else Except flexible)
After reviewing a ton of cards trying to find The One, I do believe I'm justified in saying that after various sources of bonkers mana, Land Tax is hands down the best non-green Go-To card for land/mana fixing needs.
Posted By:
DarthParallax
(11/1/2011 8:29:04 AM)
@Mode,
"as opposed to most other lands with such a cip/etb drawback (like Balduvian Trading Post), you won't even have less mana as if you played a regular that turn"
You're right as a general rule, but none of the lands in this specific cycle from Alliances made you have less mana than you would have if replaced with a basic land. They either allow you to tap the land for mana before sacrificing it (Heart of Yavimaya, Kjeldoran Outpost, and this) or make you sacrifice an untapped land but provide an extra {1} themselves (Balduvian Trading Post and Soldevi Excavations).
Posted By:
nemokara
(3/6/2012 10:48:24 AM)
So it's a land that is also a Dark Ritual, which can fuel a hand full of Dark Rituals.
Posted By:
atemu1234
(3/21/2012 4:12:30 PM)
I freaking love this card! Combo this with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth , and laugh at your friends when you sac a Teramorphic Expanse for BBBB....just because u can! Priceless!
Posted By:
Sedris_is_my_homie
(4/20/2012 2:53:51 PM)
{B}{B}{B}{B}!
Perfect for a certain Obliterator.
Posted By:
Kryptnyt
(5/1/2012 12:08:09 AM)
What I see when I look at this and some of the other cards mentioned is a potentially convoluted method of mana-ramping.
Ingredients:
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Flagstones of Trokair
Crucible of Worlds
Lake of the Dead
Plains in your library.
Whenever you're required to sac, sac the Flagstones and dig up a Plains which, thanks to Urborg, is also a Swamp. Would work okay in a deck heavy on White/Black split costs, I think, but may be limited in utility outside of that.
Posted By:
Keldane
(10/23/2012 6:13:42 AM)