Yasharn, Implacable EarthHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Yasharn has two distinct roles. First, it serves as a tutor for two basic lands—specifically a Forest and a Plains—ensuring you don't miss your land drops. Second, it imposes a restrictive tax: players are strictly forbidden from paying life or sacrificing nonland permanents to cast spells or activate abilities.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When Yasharn enters the battlefield, its triggered ability goes on the stack. As it resolves, you search your library for one basic Forest and one basic Plains. You can choose to find both, only one, or even zero cards if you wish. After revealing them and putting them into your hand, you shuffle your library. Once Yasharn is on the battlefield, its static ability immediately prevents all players from using life or nonland sacrifices as costs.

Common Mistakes

It is important to note that Yasharn only stops these actions when they are part of a 'cost.' If a spell or ability causes a player to sacrifice a permanent or lose life during its resolution, Yasharn does not prevent that. Additionally, Yasharn only protects nonland permanents; players can still sacrifice lands to pay for costs unless another effect says otherwise.

When to Play It

Cast Yasharn when you need to stabilize your mana or when you are facing decks that rely on sacrifice outlets or life-paying mechanics. It is particularly effective against strategies that use Treasure tokens or cards that require sacrificing creatures as an additional cost to cast powerful spells.

Interaction examples

Securing Your Resources

Solemn Simulacrum

If you play Solemn Simulacrum while Yasharn is on the battlefield, you still get to search for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Yasharn does not interfere with enter-the-battlefield triggers that search the library.

Recovering Key Pieces

Eternal Witness

If Yasharn is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, you can use Eternal Witness to return it to your hand. When you cast Yasharn again, its enter-the-battlefield ability will trigger once more, allowing you to search for another Forest and Plains.

Solo Efficiency

On its own, Yasharn ensures that if you have four mana to cast it, you will likely have your fifth and sixth land drops ready in hand. Meanwhile, it prevents opponents from using popular fetch lands or sacrificing creatures to activate their own abilities.