Land

File:FUT Land symbol.png

Future Sight symbol for Land cards.

Lands represent locations under the player's control, most of which can be used to generate mana. Because mana is needed to use almost any card or ability, most decks need a high number of mana-producing lands (typically between 33-40% of the total deck) in order to function effectively.

Lands are played on the player's own main phase, when the stack is empty, and only once per turn (though there are spells that can alter how many lands you can play a turn, like Exploration). Playing a land is not like playing a spell; it is a special action that does not use the stack, and does not require passing priority in order for it to resolve. When a player wants to play a land and has the opportunity, he or she simply puts it into play. Likewise, the activated abilities of lands to add to your mana pool do not use the stack, and cannot be responded to. Although many lands generate specific colors of mana, lands are colorless on their own.

Basic Lands

The most common lands are the five basic lands. Each have the supertype "Basic" (meaning there is no limit to how many cards of that name you can have in a constructed deck,) a subtype matching its name, and a single activated ability allowing you to tap it to generate one colored mana. The basic lands and the mana they generate are: Plains — white, Island — blue, Swamp — black, Mountain — red, and Forest — green. When an effect specifically refers to "basic land type," it is referring to any or all of these five subtypes.

Ordinarily, changing a card's subtype does not automatically change its abilities, but the basic land types are an exception. If a land gains a basic land type, it also gains the ability to tap for the appropriate color of mana (and loses all other abilities, unless the type-changing effect allows it to keep its original types.)