Ash Barrens
Land
: Add 
.
Basic landcycling 
(, Discard this card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
- CMC
- 0
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Tales of Middle-earth Commander
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #191
Ash Barrens enters untapped and taps for colorless, so it costs you nothing on the turn you play it — the Basic Landcycling ability is pure upside you cash in when you need a specific color. In decks like Gavi, Nest Warden that want to cycle cards for free on your turn, Ash Barrens does double duty as both a land drop and a free cycle trigger.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gavi, Nest Warden
Gavi, Nest Warden makes the first cycle each turn free, which means Ash Barrens can fetch an untapped basic while triggering Gavi's engine at zero mana cost — that's why it shows up in nearly 69% of Gavi lists.
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar cares about discarding cards and fueling the graveyard, and Ash Barrens gives that deck a land that can pitch itself into the bin while fixing mana — clean value with no opportunity cost.
Winter, Cynical Opportunist
Winter, Cynical Opportunist triggers off drawing and cycling, so Ash Barrens cycles into a basic while feeding Winter's ability — a land slot that pulls double duty as an engine piece.
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge rewards spending mana on instants and mechanics like cycling, making Ash Barrens a flexible land that can shift from mana source to cantrip-style trigger whenever the color fixing isn't needed.
Galadriel, Elven-Queen
Galadriel, Elven-Queen cares about scrying and card selection, and Ash Barrens slots in as a land that converts into a library-sculpting tool the moment you'd rather have a colored source than a colorless one.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Ash Barrens is a Commander staple first and foremost — the combination of an untapped colorless land and a Basic Landcycling ability is uniquely valuable in a format where color fixing and card selection both matter across a 99-card singleton deck. In Pauper, Ash Barrens sees real competitive play in decks that want cheap cycling triggers or need to smooth out a two-color mana base without paying much for the privilege. Legacy and Vintage have access to strictly more powerful fixing options, so Ash Barrens doesn't carve out meaningful space there. Modern, Pioneer, and Standard are all off the table — it's simply not legal in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Ash Barrens is bulk in every sense — a card that overperforms its price tag in Commander and Pauper alike. It's safe to pick up multiples without a second thought; wide reprinting keeps the floor low and there's no realistic price spike to chase.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Gavi, Nest Warden
- Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
- Winter, Cynical Opportunist
- Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
- Galadriel, Elven-Queen
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.