Utility land

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A utility land is a land that has a effect or ability other than generating mana.[1] These vary from destroying permanents to giving creatures increasing power, toughness, and evasion, and even to milling cards. Oftentimes, tapping the land and/or other lands is required to activate the abilities of the utility land.

Examples[edit | edit source]

Example

Kessig Wolf Run
Land
{T}: Add {C}.
{X}{R}{G}, {T}: Target creature gets +X/+0 and gains trample until end of turn.

Land cycles[edit | edit source]

There have been a number of cycles of utility lands throughout Magic's history.

Common cycles[edit | edit source]

Some functionalities are so common or prominent that they have their own article:

Legends utility lands[edit | edit source]

An early set of utility legendary lands from with iconic Dominaria locations. Each has an otherwise uncosted ability alongside providing a colored mana.

Alliances utility lands[edit | edit source]

Another set of the earliest utility lands, Alliances had a cycle of lands that required the sacrifice of a land of appropriate type (untapped, if the land created two mana). While Lake of the Dead is by and large a mana land, the other four have relatively powerful repeatable effects.

Guildhomes[edit | edit source]

Main article: Guildhall

They represent the headquarters of the Ravnican guilds.

Innistrad utility lands[edit | edit source]

This is a mega cycle of utility lands from Innistrad block. Each land taps for {C} and has an activated ability with an activation cost that requires the two colors associated as well as a varying amount of generic mana. The allied colored lands represent a place or home for each main tribe on Innistrad.[2] The enemy lands are not connected to a tribe.

Utility taplands[edit | edit source]

Main article: Utility tapland

Utility taplands are taplands that provide a utility effect instead of the producing multiple colors.

An example are the cycling lands, which have the cycling mechanic as their utility effect.

Blighted lands[edit | edit source]

This is a cycle of utility lands from Battle for Zendikar set. Each lands produces {C} and has an activated ability which sacrifices the land with an activation cost that requires the colored mana as well as a varying amount of generic mana.

Banding lands[edit | edit source]

This is a cycle of utility lands from Legends set. Each land can't tap for mana and has as effect: [Color] legendary creatures you control have "bands with other legendary creatures."[3]

Eldraine Castles[edit | edit source]

This is a cycle of utility lands from Throne of Eldraine set. They enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a land with an associated basic land type.

Striplands[edit | edit source]

Main article: Stripland

They are lands that sacrifice to destroy other lands.

Tribal lands[edit | edit source]

Main article: Tribal land

Many tribal lands have utility components interacting with cards of the associated tribe.

Legendary lands[edit | edit source]

Main article: Legendary land

Many legendary lands have utility purpose, notably the cycle from Legends and Champions of Kamigawa.

Other utility lands[edit | edit source]

These are utility lands which are not part of a cycle. Most of them can add {C}. However, some of them produce colored mana and others have no mana production whatsoever.

One-shot (sacrifice) effects
Without mana production

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Sam Stoddard (October 9, 2015). "The Power of Lands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Magic Arcana (November 2, 2011). "A Bit of Atmosphere". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Magic Arcana (December 3, 2003). "Lands of bands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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