Which Dual Lands Are the Best? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of which dual lands are the best in Magic: The Gathering is complex, dependent on format, budget, and desired deck strategy. However, the short answer is: Original Dual Lands like Tundra, Underground Sea, and Volcanic Island are generally considered the best, due to their ability to produce two colors of mana without any drawbacks. But, this comes with a steep price tag. Let’s delve deeper into the world of dual lands to understand why and explore viable alternatives.
Understanding the Power of Dual Lands
Dual lands, at their core, are lands that produce more than one color of mana. This ability is crucial in multi-color decks, allowing you to cast spells efficiently and consistently. They enable a smoother and more flexible game. The true power of the most sought-after dual lands lies in their ability to enter the battlefield untapped and without requiring you to pay life or meet other conditions. This is critical for maintaining tempo, especially in formats where quick, efficient plays are essential.
Original Dual Lands: The Gold Standard
The ten original dual lands, printed in early Magic sets like Alpha, Beta, and Revised, are the pinnacle of dual land design. They possess two basic land types (e.g., Tundra has both Plains and Island), and they tap for either of the corresponding colors. Crucially, they enter the battlefield untapped, without any drawbacks like life loss or conditional tap restrictions. These are the cards referenced when people speak of ‘OG duals’.
The importance of these lands stems from the fact they help you play the spells in your hand and not have to slow your mana development to play them. Unlike their cheaper alternatives, they never force a choice between a tapped land and an untapped one. This consistency means they are invaluable in formats like Legacy and Vintage, where speed is paramount.
However, the downside is their price. Since these lands are on the Reserved List, they will never be reprinted, driving up their cost due to their scarcity and high demand.
Fetch Lands: The Best Friends of Duals
Fetch lands like Flooded Strand, Misty Rainforest, and Arid Mesa are not dual lands themselves, but they are important in this discussion. They can be sacrificed to search your deck for a land with a specific basic land type. The fact that these can search for the OG dual lands is what helps them be so important. Their ability to find the best mana sources in your deck is why these lands pair well with duals and often see them in the same decks. They also provide a valuable shuffle effect.
Shock Lands: A More Budget-Friendly Alternative
Shock lands such as Hallowed Fountain, Steam Vents, and Godless Shrine are excellent alternatives to the original duals and in a lot of cases are a required inclusion. They also have the basic land types allowing them to be fetched by the fetch lands, which is a huge advantage. They enter the battlefield untapped if you pay 2 life, giving you the option of tempo at the cost of a small life point. This minor drawback is often worth it, especially in Commander, where players have a higher starting life total. The Shock lands are printed more often than OG duals and are a good balance of power and affordability.
Other Dual Land Options
While not as powerful as the original or shock lands, there are other dual land cycles that can be useful, particularly on a budget:
- Battlebond Lands: These lands, such as Sea of Clouds, enter untapped if you have two or more opponents. They are often used in the Commander format.
- Pain Lands: Lands like Adarkar Wastes enter untapped but cause you to lose 1 life each time they are tapped for color.
- Check Lands: These lands like Glacial Fortress enter untapped if you control a basic land of the proper type.
- Pathway Lands (MDFCs): These lands from Zendikar Rising, such as Hinterland Pathway, allow you to play one of two differently-colored lands.
- Filter Lands: These lands like Mystic Gate are dual lands that allow you to tap them and other mana to produce a color combo.
- Budget Options: If you are just starting and want to be able to have access to more dual land options there are cheaper options that can help in the early game. These lands include options such as Snarls, Bouncelands, Zendikar Creature Lands, Temples, Thriving Lands, Tango Lands, and New Capenna’s Hideouts.
Which Duals Are Best for You?
The “best” dual lands depend on the format you’re playing, your budget, and the specific needs of your deck:
- High-Budget: If you can afford it, the original dual lands are undeniably the best. They provide the most consistent and reliable mana fixing.
- Mid-Budget: Shock lands, combined with fetch lands, offer an excellent combination of speed and flexibility, and they are generally more affordable.
- Budget-Conscious: Check lands, Battlebond lands, and pain lands are good options that perform well for their cost.
- Commander: Shock lands are highly recommended. Many budget and mid-range options can also be useful in the Commander format.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions related to dual lands in Magic: The Gathering:
1. What are the 10 original dual lands?
The ten original dual lands are Tundra, Underground Sea, Badlands, Taiga, Savannah, Scrubland, Volcanic Island, Bayou, Plateau, and Tropical Island.
2. Why are original dual lands so expensive?
Original dual lands are expensive due to the Reserved List which prevents any new printings. As time passes their supply diminishes while demand remains high. Their usefulness, and history combined with the lack of reprints creates a high-value card.
3. Are dual lands basic lands?
No, dual lands are not basic lands. Basic lands are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest, and their snow covered counterparts, and wastes. While dual lands may have basic land types, they are not themselves considered a basic land.
4. What is the hierarchy of dual lands?
The general hierarchy is: Original Duals (best) > Shock Lands > Triomes > Other dual land cycles. However the “best” dual land really depends on what the player wants to accomplish.
5. Can fetch lands get dual lands?
Yes, fetch lands can get dual lands that possess the land type of what you are fetching. For example, a Flooded Strand can get a Tundra because Tundra has both the Plains and Island land types.
6. Are dual lands on the Reserved List?
Yes, original dual lands are on the Reserved List, which means they will never be reprinted.
7. How many dual lands should I have in my deck?
There’s no perfect number. You should have between 24-30 lands in a 60-card deck, with a balance of duals and basic lands. For a 100-card Commander deck, 35-40 lands are recommended. The exact number is dependant on the mana cost of your cards and the power of your mana base.
8. Are shock lands basic lands?
No, shock lands are not basic lands, but they have basic land types, enabling them to be fetched by fetch lands.
9. Do dual lands count towards devotion?
No, lands do not count towards devotion. Devotion is based on the color symbols in the mana costs of permanents you control.
10. Do dual lands count for landwalk abilities?
Yes, landwalk abilities such as “forestwalk” are triggered by dual lands as long as that land has the relevant type, such as a Taiga for forestwalk.
11. Can you play a basic land and a dual land on the same turn?
No, you can only play one land per turn, regardless of whether it is a basic land, a dual land, or any other type of land.
12. What is the cheapest dual land in Magic?
The cheapest dual lands are typically found in the cycles of lands such as Snarls, Bouncelands, Zendikar Creature Lands, Temples, Thriving Lands, Tango Lands, and New Capenna’s Hideouts. These are affordable budget options.
13. Will Wizards ever reprint the original dual lands?
No, Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that the original dual lands will not be reprinted due to their being on the Reserved List.
14. How do Triome lands compare to dual lands?
Triome lands have three land types and can be cycled. They typically enter tapped, so they aren’t as good as the best duals for fast, aggressive decks.
15. Can Evolving Wilds fetch dual lands?
No, Evolving Wilds specifically states that it can only fetch a basic land. Dual lands are not basic lands.
In conclusion, choosing the best dual lands depends on your specific needs and the limitations of your budget. If you have the resources, the original dual lands are unmatched. For more reasonable budgets, a combination of shock lands and fetch lands provides a very strong mana base. Understanding the different types of dual lands and how they work is crucial to building powerful and consistent decks in Magic: The Gathering.