Bloodfell Caves

Land

Bloodfell Caves enters the battlefield tapped.

When Bloodfell Caves enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.

{T}: Add {B} or {R}.

Set March of the Machine
Rarity Common

Why Play Bloodfell Caves

Budget Rakdos decks rely on Bloodfell Caves as an accessible dual land option when premium alternatives like Blood Crypt are too expensive. The small life gain can matter in aggressive matchups, helping stabilize against burn strategies or other red-based aggro decks. While entering tapped is a significant drawback, decks with higher mana curves or those prioritizing budget considerations over speed can afford this tempo loss for reliable mana fixing.

Format Notes

Bloodfell Caves sees its most competitive play in Pauper, where it's often the best available dual land option for black-red strategies due to the format's common-only restriction. In Commander, it's a reasonable inclusion for casual Rakdos decks, though most optimized lists prefer faster alternatives. The card has never faced any ban considerations across any format due to its balanced risk-reward profile.

Combos & Synergies

Landfall strategies can extract additional value from Bloodfell Caves, making cards like Akoum Hellkite or Steppe Lynx more appealing despite the tempo cost. The life gain trigger pairs well with cards that care about gaining life, such as Ajani's Pridemate or Soul Warden effects in multicolor lifegain strategies. Blood Artist and other aristocrat pieces benefit from having stable mana while the incidental life gain can offset their sacrificial costs.

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Land