Graven Cairns
Land
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- CMC
- 0
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BR
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Shadowmoor
- Price
- $5.58
- EDHREC rank
- #586
Graven Cairns enters untapped and converts a single black or red mana into both colors at once — that's real fixing, not just color access on a slow land. In Terra, Herald of Hope decks, where hitting double-black and double-red on the same turn is a genuine constraint, it's an automatic inclusion.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Terra, Herald of Hope
Terra, Herald of Hope demands both black and red mana in quantity on the same turn, and Graven Cairns converts either color into both — it's one of the cleanest fixes the deck can run.
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls needs reliable black mana early and red mana later, and Graven Cairns lets a single red pip become two black without sacrificing tempo.
The Lord of Pain
The Lord of Pain runs a tight Rakdos curve where untapped dual lands matter, and Graven Cairns slots in as flexible fixing that never enters tapped.
Celes, Rune Knight
Celes, Rune Knight operates in a color identity that prizes efficiency, and Graven Cairns provides the kind of no-compromise mana fixing that keeps the curve smooth.
Rakdos, Lord of Riots
Rakdos, Lord of Riots needs double-red to cast its commander on curve and black mana available immediately after, and Graven Cairns handles both sides of that equation from a single land slot.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Graven Cairns is a reliable staple for any Rakdos or Mardu build — it enters untapped, fixes both colors simultaneously, and costs almost nothing in tempo. In Legacy and Vintage, it sees fringe play as a filter land in decks that need black and red but can't always produce both naturally, though the competition from fetchlands and dual lands limits its role. Modern treats it similarly: viable in budget Rakdos shells where true duals are out of reach, but edged out by faster options at higher budgets. Graven Cairns is not legal in Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper, which keeps its demand squarely in the eternal and Commander markets.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
The closest budget replacement is Shadowblood Ridge, which does the same filter trick for identical colored mana at a fraction of the price — the only real trade-off is that it's slightly less known and thus occasionally harder to locate. If you want something that simply produces both colors without filtering, Rakdos Carnarium and similar bounce lands cost nearly nothing but enter tapped, which is the meaningful downside Graven Cairns avoids entirely.
Price Context
Current price
$5.58 mid tier
At $5.58, Graven Cairns sits in the mid tier — affordable enough to include without guilt, but not so cheap that it's an obvious bulk pickup. It holds that price because filter lands have a narrow but consistent demand from Rakdos Commander builders who don't want to pay fetchland prices.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.