Lay Waste
Sorcery
Destroy target land.
Cycling 
(, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Onslaught
- Price
- $0.10
- EDHREC rank
- #23507
Lay Waste destroys a land and cycles if you don't need it — that flexibility is real, but four mana to kill one land is a steep ask. It sees play almost exclusively in dedicated land destruction builds; everywhere else, it's outclassed by cheaper, permanent removal.
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 |
In Commander, Lay Waste occupies a narrow lane: land destruction decks helmed by commanders like Numot, the Devastator or Zo-Zu the Punisher, where attrition against specific mana bases is the game plan. Casual tables treat land destruction harshly, so running Lay Waste invites social friction that most decks can't offset with results. In Pauper, the cycle ability gives it marginal consideration in control shells that need late-game flood insurance, though four mana is still a lot for the effect. Legacy and Vintage have access to far more efficient land disruption, so Lay Waste doesn't register in either format competitively.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.10 bulk tier
At $0.10, Lay Waste is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any dollar bin without looking hard. The price reflects exactly what it is: a narrow card with a small, dedicated audience, and it's unlikely to climb without a significant shift in how land destruction is perceived at Commander tables.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.