It’s now been over two weeks since Reality Fracture’s official release, and it’s clear just how impactful the set has been on Constructed and Commander. Even still, there are some powerhouses that continue to fly under the radar despite their high power level. Carnivorous Cultivator certainly fits the bill, emerging as a multi-format threat yet still remaining quite cheap.
MTG Carnivorous Cultivator
As a 2/3 with Deathtouch for two mana, Carnivorous Cultivator is pushed on rate alone. While this statline makes this creature a great blocker, it also makes it hard for the opponent to block down profitably. It even outsizes some typical burn spells like Burst Lightning
Burst LightningKicker {4} (You may pay an additional {4} as you cast this spell.)
Burst Lightning deals 2 damage to any target. If this spell was kicked, it deals 4 damage instead., further improving its chances of survival.
These factors give you a strong chance to connect in combat, and while resurrecting a land may not seem super high-value, it’s more valuable than you might expect. In Standard Landfall shells, repeatedly drawing Fabled Passage and Elven Passage makes Earthbender Ascension and Sapling Nursery more consistent. You can even use the Enroot spell to search for utility lands like Ba Sing Se to bring back.
Similarly, in Pioneer Golgari Midrange decks, regrowing Boseiju, Who Endures or Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire{T}: Add {B}.
Channel — {3}{B}, Discard this card: Mill three cards, then return a creature or planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control. gives you a late-game engine. Of course, simply being able to hit your land drops every turn is also a big deal for a deck that relies on beefy win conditions like Unholy Annex/Ritual Chamber.
Interestingly, the Enroot spell only gets more important as you move to older formats. In Legacy Bant Depths, tutoring for either Dark Depths or Thespian’s Stage, whichever is missing, is quite powerful. Then, even if Carnivorous Cultivator dies before you can turn it sideways, you can still rebuy the land with Icetill Explorer
Icetill ExplorerYou may play an additional land on each of your turns.
You may play lands from your graveyard.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, mill a card. later. If your Cultivator can survive the early turns in legacy, you can even loop Wasteland
Wasteland{T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land., potentially locking your opponent out of nonbasic lands.
If that wasn’t enough, Carnivorous Cultivator even shockingly appears in Vintage, Magic’s oldest and most powerful format. Vintage Sultai Midrange decklists sometimes incorporate Cultivator to loop Strip Mine or Wasteland, destroying important lands like Mishra’s Workshop. It’s incredible how much utility is packed into this small creature, and we’ve just gotten started.
Going Deeper in Commander
As impactful as Carnivorous Cultivator is in Constructed, it has even more uses in Commander because of how many powerful lands it can tutor from your deck. In a cEDH setting, for example, this creature can reliably grab Gaea’s Cradle
Gaea’s Cradle{T}: Add {G} for each creature you control. in Thrasios, Triton Hero decks.
Even in a bracket-four Commander setting, grabbing lands like Glacial Chasm
Glacial ChasmCumulative upkeep—Pay 2 life. (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
When this land enters, sacrifice a land.
Creatures you control can't attack.
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you. to buy time or Field of the Dead to take over games is highly beneficial. Plus, many Lands Commanders, including Lord Windgrace and Teval, the Balanced Scale, feature built-in ways to get lands back. As a result, you just need to fire off the Enroot spell the turn Cultivator comes down, and you’ll get your value guaranteed.
Moving past its Lands appeal, this Deathtouch body is a common addition to Fynn, the Fangbearer and The Serpent Society decks, where Cultivator is both a synergistic body and a great way to hit land drops. Carnivorous Cultivator also has Elf Typal synergy with Thranduil, Sindarin Liege, while fueling its Landfall ability.
There’s truly no shortage of decks that make great use of this two-drop. With copies only $0.44, this card could be a steal. If Lands decks are your thing, consider giving this card a shot.
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