Pathway land
Pathway lands are dual lands. They are modal double-faced cards which allow you to choose which of the two sides you want to play.[1][2]
History
The idea of "pick-a-color" dual lands was as old as Mirage, but the technology of double-faced cards was not available until Innistrad debuted them. In place of such a design, they eventually arrived at fetch lands.[3] Incidentally, the progression of Standard available dual lands that went from fast land-check land-shock land-scry land-fetch land in Scars of Mirrodin block-Khans of Tarkir block was repeated in Kaladesh block to Zendikar Rising, with the Pathways coming in at the same relative space as Fetchlands did (i.e. after the Temples).
R&D decided that these cards not having a basic land type (and not being a basic land) was enough to make them not “strictly better” than basic lands.[4]
Six Pathway lands were included in Zendikar Rising (three ally-colored and three enemy-colored cards) and not the usual cycle of five. Four of them follow the four tribes of the party (three of which are enemy pairs), and for color balance, the two allied 
pairs of 
and 
were added. The other four were flagged for Kaldheim.[5][6][7] Technically the cycle is asymmetrical as the cycle progresses clockwise, but there is little functional difference between them and their anticlockwise counterparts as such lands are indistinguishable when searching; this would only affect them if they were flickered.
Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition 2 is a boxed product that became available on May 7th, 2021.[8] It contains all ten Pathway Lands with alternate art. The six Pathways previously released in Zendikar Rising feature art set on Kaldheim. Inversely, the Pathways previously released in Kaldheim feature art set on Zendikar. All pathway lands were also reprinted in the Secret Lair Commander Deck: From Cute to Brute product.
List
| Set |  Frontside |
 Backside
|
|---|---|---|
| Kaldheim | Hengegate Pathway () |
Mistgate Pathway ( )
|
| Zendikar Rising | Clearwater Pathway () |
Murkwater Pathway ( )
|
| Kaldheim | Blightstep Pathway () |
Searstep Pathway ()
|
| Zendikar Rising | Cragcrown Pathway () |
Timbercrown Pathway ()
|
| Zendikar Rising | Branchloft Pathway () |
Boulderloft Pathway ()
|
| Zendikar Rising | Brightclimb Pathway () |
Grimclimb Pathway ()
|
| Zendikar Rising | Riverglide Pathway () |
Lavaglide Pathway ()
|
| Kaldheim | Darkbore Pathway () |
Slitherbore Pathway ()
|
| Zendikar Rising | Needleverge Pathway () |
Pillarverge Pathway ()
|
| Kaldheim | Barkchannel Pathway () |
Tidechannel Pathway ()
|
References
- ↑ The Zendikar Adventuring Party (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (September 1, 2020).
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 14, 2020). "Zendikar Rising Stars". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 7, 2020). "Zendikar Rising to the Challenge, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 25, 2020). ""Rule #1 – No Land Can Be 'Strictly Better' Than a Basic Land".". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 1, 2020). "Why is there six new pathways, as opposed to the usual cycle of 5 dual lands?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 7, 2020). "Zendikar Rising to the Challenge, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 11, 2020). "Will they still be "X Pathway // Y Pathway"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 3, 2020). "Announcing Secret Lair: Ultimate Edition 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04.
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