Check land: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:09, 26 June 2024

Check lands (or checklands) are a 10-card cycle of dual lands.^[1]^[2]

Their name stems from the fact that they check if the player controls a land with a basic land type that corresponds with either color the land can produce. If this condition is not met, they enter the battlefield tapped.

Examples

Example

Glacial Fortress
Land
Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.
: Add or .

History

The first lands that checked for other lands were the Tainted lands in Torment, all of which checked for Swamps. Future Sight, as one of the Futureshifted lands, brought Nimbus Maze, which checked for Plains or Islands. While all of these entered untapped and could tap for two colors of mana, they are poor in multiples and are not conducive to three or higher-color mana bases.

Allied color check lands were introduced summer 2009 in Magic 2010. They have since been reprinted four times, namely in each of the three subsequent Core Sets up to Magic 2013 and in Ixalan.

Enemy color check lands were introduced fall 2011 in Innistrad. They have been reprinted in Dominaria and Dominaria Remastered.

Much later, mono-color check lands were printed in Throne of Eldraine, with a revisit in Modern Horizons 3. These lands only tap for one color and check for their matching subtype, but they produce a powerful utility effect if the conditions are fulfilled. The Horizon checklands all reuse an old mechanic as part of their utility.

Original check lands

Allied colored

Enemy colored

Utility Checklands

Eldraine Castles

MH3 Mechanic Lands

Notes

Check lands work with nonbasic lands that have basic land types. This makes them popular for budget players in Modern as one-of or two-of in decklists that otherwise only run shock lands and fetch lands as nonbasics, as this mana base usually offsets their potential drawback.
Throne of Eldraine also featured a cycle of typed commons that require three others of their type to enter untapped; if they did, they also grant a bonus.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth has a cycle of "legend check lands" which check for legendary creatures. They are monocolored utility lands much like the Castles.

Trivia

Allied color check lands have the same artwork in each of their Core Set printings.

References

↑ Sam Stoddard (June 26, 2014). "Making Mana". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2017). "Get Ready to Dual". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

[1] Sam Stoddard (June 26, 2014). "Making Mana". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

[2] Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2017). "Get Ready to Dual". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [[File:Allied checklands.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The [[cycle]] of allied color check lands from ''[[Magic 2011]]''.]]
-'''Check lands''' (or '''checklands''') are a 10-card cycle of [[dual lands]].<ref>{{NewRef|making-mana-2014-06-27 |Making Mana |[[Sam Stoddard]] |June 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/get-ready-dual-2017-02-27|Get Ready to Dual|[[Mark Rosewater]]|February 27, 2017}}</ref>
+'''Check lands''' (or '''checklands''') are a 10-card cycle of [[dual land]]s.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-mana-2014-06-27 |Making Mana |[[Sam Stoddard]] |June 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/get-ready-dual-2017-02-27|Get Ready to Dual|[[Mark Rosewater]]|February 27, 2017}}</ref>
-Their name stems from the fact that they check if the player controls a land with a basic land type that corresponds with either color the land can produce. If this condition is not met, they [[taplands|enter the battlefield tapped]].
+Their name stems from the fact that they check if the player controls a land with a basic land type that corresponds with either color the land can produce. If this condition is not met, they [[tapland|enter the battlefield tapped]].
-==Example==
+==Examples==
-{{examples|text=''
+{{examples|<c>Glacial Fortress</c><br/>Land<br/>Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.<br/>{{T}}: Add {{W}} or {{U}}.}}
-*<c>Glacial Fortress</c> <br/>Land<br/>Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.<br/>{{T}}: Add {{W}} or {{U}} to your mana pool.}}
 ==History==
+The first lands that checked for other lands were the [[Tainted land]]s in Torment, all of which checked for Swamps. ''[[Future Sight]]'', as one of the Futureshifted lands, brought <c>Nimbus Maze</c>, which checked for Plains or Islands. While all of these entered untapped and could tap for two colors of mana, they are poor in multiples and are not conducive to three or higher-color mana bases.
 [[Allied color]] check lands were introduced summer 2009 in ''[[Magic 2010]]''. They have since been [[reprint]]ed four times, namely in each of the three subsequent [[Core Set]]s up to ''[[Magic 2013]]'' and in ''[[Ixalan]]''.
-[[Enemy color]] check lands were introduced fall 2011 in ''[[Innistrad]]''. They been reprinted in ''[[Dominaria]].''
+[[Enemy color]] check lands were introduced fall 2011 in ''[[Innistrad]]''. They have been reprinted in ''[[Dominaria]]'' and ''[[Dominaria Remastered]]''.
+Much later, mono-color check lands were printed in ''[[Throne of Eldraine]]'', with a revisit in ''[[Modern Horizons 3]]''. These lands only tap for one color and check for their matching subtype, but they produce a powerful utility effect if the conditions are fulfilled. The Horizon checklands all reuse an old mechanic as part of their utility.
-==List of Check lands==
+==Original check lands==
 ===Allied colored===
 *<c>Glacial Fortress</c> ({{W}}/{{U}})
@@ Line 24: / Line 27: @@
 ===Enemy colored===
-*<c>Clifftop Retreat</c> ({{r}}/{{w}})
+*<c>Isolated Chapel</c> ({{W}}/{{B}})
-*<c>Isolated Chapel</c> ({{w}}/{{b}})
+*<c>Sulfur Falls</c> ({{U}}/{{R}})
-*<c>Woodland Cemetery</c> ({{b}}/{{g}})
+*<c>Woodland Cemetery</c> ({{B}}/{{G}})
-*<c>Hinterland Harbor</c> ({{g}}/{{u}})
+*<c>Clifftop Retreat</c> ({{R}}/{{W}})
-*<c>Sulfur Falls</c> ({{u}}/{{r}})
+*<c>Hinterland Harbor</c> ({{G}}/{{U}})
+==Utility Checklands==
+===Eldraine Castles===
+*<c>Castle Ardenvale</c> {{W}}
+*<c>Castle Vantress</c> {{U}}
+*<c>Castle Locthwain</c> {{B}}
+*<c>Castle Embereth</c> {{R}}
+*<c>Castle Garenbrig</c> {{G}}
+===MH3 Mechanic Lands===
+*<c>Monumental Henge</c> {{W}}, [[Historic]]
+*<c>Archway of Innovation</c> {{U}}, [[Improvise]]
+*<c>Spymaster's Vault</c> {{B}}, [[Connive]]
+*<c>Arena of Glory</c> {{R}}, [[Exert]]
+*<c>Shifting Woodland</c> {{G}}, [[Delirium]]
 ==Notes==
-*Check lands work with [[nonbasic]] lands that have basic land types.
+*Check lands work with [[nonbasic]] lands that have basic land types. This makes them popular for budget players in [[Modern]] as one-of or two-of in decklists that otherwise only run [[shock land]]s and [[fetch land]]s as nonbasics, as this [[mana base]] usually offsets their potential drawback.
-**This makes them popular in [[Modern]] as one-of or two-of in decklists that otherwise only run [[shock land]]s and [[fetch lands]] as nonbasics, as this [[mana base]] usually offsets their potential drawback.
+*''[[Throne of Eldraine]]'' also featured a cycle of typed commons that require three others of their type to enter untapped; if they did, they also grant a bonus.
-*[[Tainted lands]] are another cycle of dual lands that provide an upside if the player controls a land of a particular type — in this case exclusively a [[swamp]]. They enter untapped and always tap for one colorless mana, but can also be activated for colored mana if the player controls a swamp.
+*''[[The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth]]'' has a cycle of "legend check lands" which check for legendary creatures. They are monocolored utility lands much like the Castles.
 ==Trivia==
-*Allied color checklands have the same [[art]]work in each of their Core Set printings.
+*Allied color check lands have the same [[art]]work in each of their Core Set printings.
 ==References==