[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Mines of Moria

[DirkGently]

I haven't run it much in my own decks, but it's in some precons and honestly it's usually pretty strong there. Solves as many problems as you need to at a pretty reasonable cost. It usually has better options in other colors, but if you're in mono or UG I could definitely see running it even in 2025.

[ISBPathfinder]

I like Curse of the Swine. I used to play it a bit more. Its really not bad and I wouldn't say it shouldn't be in a deck but power creep has come a long ways recently and sorcery speed removal is a little sketch even if it does target remove several problems. There is nothing wrong with the card and I still consider it fairly regularly in blue decks.

There was a day though where I would push harder to include it. Its still totally fine I just tend to run it less when not on some sort of spellslinger or some other random thing with some synergy with it though.

[3drinks]

Wednesday, September 24th 2025; Mines of Moria|83422

I want to believe this belongs in the format. Especially in mono-r where you're converting a free resource (no real 'Yard interaction there) into mana. Fairly trivial to come untapped.

[Sinis]

The "pay 5 mana to bank 2 mana" is pretty... tame? I feel like there are probably better ways to use the graveyard fuel (Ox of Agonas?). I think if you're activating this because you 'have nothing else to do', your deck probably needs some help, or you've had an atrocious draw. There's few universes in which you want to actively do this as a game plan (hoovering up cards discarded from Cathartic Reunion or Faithless Looting). If you really wanted to bank mana, I think Mage-Ring Network or one of the Time Spiral storage lands is probably better (though, the TS lands are 2-colour).

I will cede that the opportunity cost is low, and there's no particular reason to play a mountain over this. Also, the extended art looks really dope: Mines of Moria|84041

[Toshi]

I think it's fine and obviously not overly pushed.

I think its major drawback is where to fit in. You need to fill your yard consistently, but not have much to do with the discarded cards themselves and at best be a deck to hold up mana until eot before your turn or something, while not running too many colors.
That narrows it down quite a bit.

I think mono red and Izzet control are some generic fits.

I run it in Grenzo, Dungeon Warden and was thinking about including it in Captain Howler, Sea Scourge, but that deck rarely holds up mana.

[3drinks]

I will cede that the opportunity cost is low, and there's no particular reason to play a mountain over this. Also, the extended art looks really dope: Mines of Moria|84041

Yeah I think this is a mountain that sometimes makes extra mana every 2-3 games. That's probably the healthiest, most conservative way to place it. Like it uses one turn to build to a balloon turn — very r thing to do.

[Sinis]

I will cede that the opportunity cost is low, and there's no particular reason to play a mountain over this. Also, the extended art looks really dope: Mines of Moria|84041

Yeah I think this is a mountain that sometimes makes extra mana every 2-3 games. That's probably the healthiest, most conservative way to place it. Like it uses one turn to build to a balloon turn — very r thing to do.

Yeah. For the use case of "the big turn," I wonder if you would get more mileage out of something like Treasure Vault|AFR or Mage-Ring Network.

Whenever I say "the opportunity cost is low" the truth of the matter is that the opportunity cost for these kinds of lands is rising. We compare Mines of Moria to a mountain, but comparing it to a mountain is easy. We should actually be comparing it to Spinerock Knoll, Arena of Glory, Castle Embereth, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle (which also asks that we play more mountains), Flamekin Village, plus all the colourless utility lands, etc.

I'm still not certain it's worth the slot.

Edit to add: Mines of Moria could be used to game certain random selection cards, like Charmbreaker Devils, where you exile cards you don't want at three per activation. c.f. Delve, Collect Evidence mechanics.

[tstorm823]

This is maybe the lowest opportunity cost card for exiling Mirror of Fate before it's own ability resolves. Not the best at that purpose, but easy to justify inclusion.

[Sinis]

This is maybe the lowest opportunity cost card for exiling Mirror of Fate before it's own ability resolves. Not the best at that purpose, but easy to justify inclusion.

Mirror of Fate mentioned!

[PrimevalCommander]

I tried Mines of Moria in mono-red with some middling treasure synergy and @Sinis already described my experience. Paying 5 mana to bank 2 is a pretty bad rate. The only time I activated it was to create 2 treasures for a Professional Face-Breaker to turn it into impulse draw. But after 5 mana I dind't have much left to actually cast the cards. Still it felt pretty good to get 2 more cards off a couple treasures. Only play this if you have a decently strong treasure synergy where the trinket tokens provide more value other than adding 2 mana.

Another place I play this is in Shanid, Sleeper's Scourge since it is a colored legendary land that enters untapped. Pretty much a staple there.

[MAGUSZANIN]

Only thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that it's an instant speed ability. Holding 5 open for answers, not needing to answer anything, and then converting that into 2 treasures for "free" isn't bad. Most red decks don't behave like that, but some Rxx decks can.

Otherwise you need something else to justify this. Maybe you make extra Mana/benefits with treasures, maybe you are playing every Ingenious Artillerist effect in your deck, or you're doing Dihada, Binder of Wills and want to be able to make your land drops and draw cards from the Legendary typeline.

That's still a lot of decks for a utility land.

[yeti1069]

Tuesday, September 23rd 2025; Curse of the Swine

I remember when this was first printed. I was beside myself "I can't believe u gets a board wipe now!" And I've never seen it in the wild (probably because it's bad).

I've run Curse of the Swine in plenty of decks!

Exile removal is strong, and being entirely 1-sided is really good as well.

[aliciaofthevast]

Yeah. For the use case of "the big turn," I wonder if you would get more mileage out of something like Treasure Vault|AFR or Mage-Ring Network.

Hmmmmmm!!! I think, maybe this looks stronger than treasure vault! The Vault gives you a one-time conversion rate of 2:1 and then you lose the land. You can also lose the land to opportune Reclamation Sages before you're ready to go. If you want 2 from Vault, it costs 4 + tap, + a sacrifice. Mines will cost 4 + a tap + exile some cards you don't care about. At more than four the Vault scales poorly after (like we're paying 6 for 3 treasures for real?! seems sketchy). I think I like the Mage-Ring Network more, but it's slower and you can't "balloon up" right, it's just 1 counter/turn and I don't think it's the right tool for "the big turn". It's also just c and that's a real cost if you needed those treasures to produce certain colors right?

[Sinis]

Yeah. For the use case of "the big turn," I wonder if you would get more mileage out of something like Treasure Vault|AFR or Mage-Ring Network.

Hmmmmmm!!! I think, maybe this looks stronger than treasure vault! The Vault gives you a one-time conversion rate of 2:1 and then you lose the land. You can also lose the land to opportune Reclamation Sages before you're ready to go. If you want 2 from Vault, it costs 4 + tap, + a sacrifice. Mines will cost 4 + a tap + exile some cards you don't care about. At more than four the Vault scales poorly after (like we're paying 6 for 3 treasures for real?! seems sketchy). I think I like the Mage-Ring Network more, but it's slower and you can't "balloon up" right, it's just 1 counter/turn and I don't think it's the right tool for "the big turn". It's also just c and that's a real cost if you needed those treasures to produce certain colors right?

You know, I hadn't done the math closely with Treasure Vault and I take your criticism, here. Maybe I'm hoping for too much out of these lands. I've honestly considered running cards like Bottomless Vault|FEM, Dwarven Hold|FEM etc. partly for nostalgia, but also because they can make 'big turns' happen.