Verge lands or verges are Dual lands which can add one color of mana, but they can also produce another color of mana if their controller also Controls a basic land type that can add either of those two colors.[1]
Description[ | ]
There are twenty potential permutations of Verges because the color that requires basic land types can be located clockwise or counterclockwise of the other color on the color pie (as the shortest distance between them, which is relevant for Enemy colors). Notably, they are the second set of lands, after the Pathway lands, to be nominally superior to basic lands: they are a source of untapped colored mana on all turns and have the potential to tap for another color. They are not “strictly better” than basic lands since they lack the basic land supertype and subtypes, which are important for many spells and effects.
Since the card names of the original Verge cycle in Duskmourn: House of Horror all contained the word 'Verge', they are known as verge lands.
Clockwise verge lands[ | ]
These lands produce two colors of mana, where the color requiring basic land types is clockwise of the other color (as the shortest distance between them).
Allied colored[ | ]
The original verge lands were clockwise verge lands producing Allied colors, which were first printed in Duskmourn: House of Horror. They depict the five zones of Duskmourn bleeding into another, with the main region - which is mentioned in the flavor text - bordering into the region whose color requires basic land types.
- Floodfarm Verge: The Mistmoors () bordering into the Floodpits ()
- Gloomlake Verge: The Floodpits () bordering into the Balemurk ()
- Blazemire Verge: The Balemurk () bordering into the Boilerbilges ()
- Thornspire Verge: The Boilerbilges () bordering into the Hauntwoods ()
- Hushwood Verge: The Hauntwoods () bordering into the Mistmoors ()
Enemy colored[ | ]
These do not exist yet.
Counterclockwise verge lands[ | ]
These lands produce two colors of mana, where the color requiring basic land types is counterclockwise of the other color (as the shortest distance between them).
Allied colored[ | ]
These do not exist yet.
Enemy colored[ | ]
These do not exist yet.
Similar predecessor lands[ | ]
Though not verge lands, there were several lands previously printed that had a mana ability requiring basic land types for it to be activated. They can be considered prototypes of verges.
Tainted lands[ | ]
Introduced in Torment in 2002, these lands can tap for . However, they can add and another color of mana if you control a Swamp.
- Tainted Field (/)
- Tainted Isle (/)
- Tainted Peak (/)
- Tainted Wood (/)
Verges are different in that one of the colors can be produced freely, while the other color can be produced if its controller controls one of two basic land types, rather than just one (a swamp). Despite this, verges are not strictly better, as they do not produce colorless mana under any conditions. Still, in most competitive situations, verges can be considered better.
Nimbus Maze[ | ]
Introduced in Future Sight in 2007, Nimbus Maze was part of a cycle of futureshifted dual lands that each explored a novel idea for dual lands that Wizards of the Coast might eventually revisit. In particular, Nimbus Maze can be tapped for , for if its controller controls an Island, or for if its controller controls a Plains.
- Nimbus Maze (/)
Compared to tainted lands, this widened the criteria for colored mana to be produced from one to two basic land types, even though each color individually required only one basic land type. Nonetheless, verges are still better color fixing because one of the colors can be produced freely, while the other color requires one of two basic land types instead of one.
References[ | ]
- ↑ Duskmourn: House of Horror - Previews! (Video). Weekly MTG. YouTube (September 3, 2024).