

Printed in Scars of Mirrodin, this cycle is awaiting the enemy counter parts for completion. Every card in this cycle has seen high level tournament play, and will likely continue to play an important role any time they are reprinted. However, they are still great because they provide two colors of mana without a penalty later on. The biggest problem with Check Lands is that they will never enter the battlefield untapped on your very first turn, which can be incredibly crucial in faster formats. They function just like Tri-Lands in certain decks!Ĭheck Lands are so named because you'll need to "check" if you have the required land type when it enters the battlefield. These lands offer you mana of both colors immediately, and if you find other mana sources later on, you will stop bleeding because they can also add colorless mana.Īs a matter of fact, the Pain Lands got better with the introduction of "colorless mana" cards such as Thought-Knot Seer and Kozilek, the Great Distortion. They're a little painful sometimes, but it is a cost that most tournament players are willing to bear. If you've ever played with any of these, you'll know why they're called Pain Lands. There will rarely be any taplands this good, and we daresay it will remain the best Tri-Lands for a long time to come! Is that a bad thing? Far from it! When they were introduced in Shards of Alara, they saw very heavy play and when the cycle was completed in Khans of Tarkir, the same phenomenon ensued. Tri-Lands provide 3 colors of mana, at the cost of entering the battlefield tapped.

They are used in color-intensive decks, especially decks which include cards with steep mana requirements.įor example, with Twilight Mire, you will be able to cast Liliana of the Veil if your only other lands are 2 Forests and with a second Twilight Mire you could be on your way to dropping Phyrexian Obliterator next! This property has also helped out many players in casting Cryptic Command, as well as converting excess Red mana (usually from Seething Song-styled cards) into Blue mana for use in combo decks. Also, they're great in Commander, since they are Commons and cheaply available, and most players will be happy to play these in their 100-card decks.įilter Lands never produce any colored mana on turn 1, but at least they never enter the battlefield tapped. These lands won't always be good in Standard, but don't we miss them a little now? They'll also never see Modern, Legacy or Vintage play, but offer support in Limited formats such as the upcoming Eternal Masters release. For example, Tranquil Cove has made Coastal Tower (Invasion), Meandering River (Oath of the Gatewatch), Boreal Shelf (Coldsnap) and Azorius Guildgate (Return to Ravnica) a little embarrassed. Gain Lands have set the benchmark for all future Tap Duals, and have even invalidated previous cycles.


We've seen a lot of good land cycles throughout two decades of Magic's long history, but have you ever wondered which are the best of the best? Here is a quick run down on the Top 10 Best Land Cycles, along with a little history and explanation of why they've made the list!
