Cataclysmic Prospecting
Sorcery
Cataclysmic Prospecting deals X damage to each creature. For each mana from a Desert spent to cast this spell, create a tapped Treasure token.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #10998
Cataclysmic Prospecting wipes the board of artifacts and enchantments while putting a land from your graveyard onto the battlefield — meaningful board impact stapled to landfall setup. In Yuma, Proud Protector specifically, the graveyard land doubles as a Desert trigger, making this a removal spell that also fuels your engine.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Yuma, Proud Protector
Yuma, Proud Protector runs Cataclysmic Prospecting because every land hitting the graveyard is a Desert trigger waiting to generate a Warrior token — the board wipe half is almost incidental to the value loop it enables.
Hazezon, Shaper of Sand
Hazezon, Shaper of Sand wants the artifact and enchantment sweep to clear the way for a Desert-fueled Sand Warrior board state, and Cataclysmic Prospecting delivers that while putting a land directly into play to immediately ping Hazezon's trigger.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Cataclysmic Prospecting is a Commander card through and through — the effect is too slow and situational for Vintage or Legacy, where it's technically legal but irrelevant. In Commander, artifact and enchantment hate hits every table at some frequency, and the land-from-graveyard rider means Cataclysmic Prospecting pulls real weight in Naya or Mardu landfall shells. Outside of dedicated Desert or graveyard-land strategies, it's outclassed by cheaper, cleaner options like Cleanfall or Crush Contraband, so the slot is only correct when you're actively cashing in that land trigger.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Cataclysmic Prospecting is bulk — easy to pick up without a second thought. Bulk rares with narrow homes tend to stay right here, so don't expect movement unless Desert synergies spike in popularity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Yuma, Proud Protector
- Hazezon, Shaper of Sand
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.