Fetch land

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Fetch lands are lands that can be sacrificed to search their controller's library for a land of a specific basic land type.[1][2] Aside from allowing multicoloured decks to selectively play a desired land type, fetch lands also remove a land from the library, reducing the likelihood of drawing a land instead of a more useful card later in the game, when mana is no longer an issue. Their ability to shuffle on command is also prized in older formats.

Mirage fetch lands

Fetch lands were introduced as a cycle from Mirage. Each of these original lands entered the battlefield tapped and can be sacrificed to search for a land card with at least one of two basic land types of an allied color pair.

Onslaught fetch lands

Onslaught's allied color fetch lands.

In Onslaught a new cycle of fetch lands was introduced. Each of these lands enter the battlefield untapped in contrast to their Mirage counterparts. They allow their controller to sacrifice them and pay one life to search their library for a land card with at least one of two basic land types of an allied color pair. These five lands were reprinted in Khans of Tarkir, and those printings also appear in Fate Reforged booster packs. They were also reprinted in Modern Horizons 3.

Zendikar fetch lands

In Zendikar the lands from Onslaught got their enemy colors counterparts. Each of these lands enters the battlefield untapped. They allow their controller to sacrifice them and pay one life to search their library for a land card with at least one of two basic land types of an enemy color pair. These lands were reprinted in Modern Masters 2017, Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition and Modern Horizons 2.

Impact

This cycle of fetch lands make up most of the land bases of Modern, Legacy and Vintage. With the shock lands, the combination made it easy to construct three- or four-color mana bases at the cost of 4-6 life at the beginning of the game; naturally, original dual lands are free to fetch untapped. Notably, the power of the formats meant that decks could run twelve fetch lands and only eight to twelve mana producing lands, as four mana was generally the top end, and the deck thinning became significant. This also slowed gameplay significantly with shuffling every turn, and was a fuel for many types of mechanics, such as Delve introduced in Khans of Tarkir, Landfall, Delirium, Revolt, and certain cards like Death's Shadow, Deathrite Shaman and Mishra's Bauble. The mana and supercharging of certain mechanics made up the texture of Modern, to some gameplay detriment.

The printing of the Battle lands demonstrated that, to an extent, Standard could not manage fetchable duals with fetch lands. However, land design was being used up and land types were a good space, making these fetch lands an increasingly risky reprint. These all contributed to the first-day ban of the Khans fetch lands when Wizards announced their new non-rotating format Pioneer. This would also be reflected in the split of Timeless with Historic (format) when Khans came to Arena.

Shards of Alara panoramas

Shards of Alara introduced a cycle of common Panoramas; one for each shard.[3] In addition to possessing the ability to tap for {C}, each of them have an ability costing "{1}, {T}, sacrifice CARDNAME:" that allow the land's controller to search their library for a basic land card of one of the three basic land types of that shard. For example, Esper Panorama says: "Search your library for a basic Plains, Island, or Swamp card".

New Capenna locales

Streets of New Capenna introduced fetch lands that sacrifice themselves when they enter the battlefield to gain a life and go find a basic land in one of the colors of the families. These are unusual as being lands with no activated ability.

Modern Horizons Landscapes

Modern Horizons 3 put a full double cycle of three-color fetchlands that are strictly better than the Panoramas; not only is the fetching ability free of mana, but they also cycle for their three representative colored mana. The presence of colorless mana costs gives players a second consideration as to when to sacrifice these lands.

Miscellaneous fetch lands

References

  1. ↑ Aaron Forsythe (July 15, 2005). "A Rainbow of Pain". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2017). "Get Ready to Dual". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Magic Arcana (October 21, 2008). "Panoramic View". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
Basic lands
Nonbasic lands
Unreleased lands
and test cards
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