Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle — Magic: The Gathering card

Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

Land

This land enters tapped.

Whenever a Mountain you control enters, if you control at least five other Mountains, you may have this land deal 3 damage to any target.

{T}: Add {R}.

Set Zendikar
Rarity Rare
Mana Value 0
Artist Kieran Yanner
Collector # 228
Scryfall

Why Play Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

Mountain-heavy red decks and ramp strategies embrace this land as both a mana source and powerful win condition. Once you control six total Mountains, each additional Mountain triggers 3 damage to any target, turning land drops into Lightning Bolts. The versatility of targeting creatures, planeswalkers, or players makes it excellent for controlling the board while pressuring opponents' life totals.

Format Notes

Modern sees the most competitive play in dedicated "Scapeshift" combo decks and Titanshift strategies that ramp into game-ending land combinations. Legacy and Vintage applications are more limited due to faster formats, while Commander values it highly in mono-red and Mountains-matter builds. Historic maintains its relevance through various ramp shells, and its lack of ban history across all formats speaks to its balanced power level.

Combos & Synergies

Scapeshift creates explosive turns by sacrificing multiple lands to fetch several Mountains simultaneously, triggering multiple damage instances. Primeval Titan accelerates the Mountain count while providing board presence, often grabbing Valakut alongside a Mountain for immediate value. Ramping spells like Farseek and Nature's Lore in multi-color builds help reach the critical mass of Mountains needed for consistent triggers.

Learn More

Land Modern Commander Legacy