Tapland
Taplands is the nickname for lands that usually produce multiple colors of mana and generally enter the battlefield tapped during some point in the game and have no additional drawbacks, though mechanics to have these lands enter the battlefield untapped may be present.[1] This is the most common drawback given to lands, thus a multitude of cycles of such lands was created over several years. Strangely enough, however, such lands were considered "too good" for a long time, until Randy Buehler suggested them during one of his first development meetings for Invasion after joining R&D.[2]
Tapping circumvention
Many taplands can circumvent the drawback of entering the battlefield tapped; those are:
- Battle lands — If you control two or more basic lands.
- Check lands — If you control a land with a certain basic land subtype.
- Fast lands — If you control two or fewer other lands.
- Reveal lands — If you reveal a land of a certain basic land subtype.
- Shock lands — If you pay 2 life.
- Bond lands — If you have two or more opponents.
- Slow lands — If you control two or more other lands.
- Typal taplands — If you reveal creature of certain subtype.
Pure taplands
These taplands simply enter the battlefield tapped. They have no further effects or drawbacks.
Dual taplands
The first allied-color cycle of this kind appeared in Invasion and was promptly named for their drawback of entering the battlefield tapped.[2] These lands were reprinted in 8th Edition.
- Coastal Tower (
/
) - Salt Marsh (/
) - Urborg Volcano (/
) - Shivan Oasis (/
) - Elfhame Palace (/)
The above cycle was functionally reprinted in Oath of the Gatewatch and later extended to enemy-colors in Shadows over Innistrad. All 10 cards were reprinted as extras in Amonkhet and later Core Set 2019.
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Thriving lands
Thriving lands are dual taplands that tap for one fixed color and another color of your choice.
- Thriving Heath ()
- Thriving Isle ()
- Thriving Moor ()
- Thriving Bluff ()
- Thriving Grove ()
Snow taplands
A second allied-color cycle of taplands was added in Coldsnap. In addition, they had the snow supertype and therefore can pay the snow mana cost.
- Boreal Shelf (/)
- Frost Marsh (/)
- Tresserhorn Sinks (/)
- Highland Weald (/)
- Arctic Flats (/)
Snow dual lands were re-introduced in Kaldheim.[3] This time around, it was a full double cycle with added basic land types.[4]
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Artifact taplands
Modern Horizons 2 introduced a full cycle of artifact lands, each having indestructible.
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Guildgates
Return to Ravnica block included a cycle of taplands with the Gate subtype, one for each guild color combination. The subtype enables synergies with certain cards in the block for additional effects, which continued as a subtheme when they were reprinted in Guilds of Ravnica block. Rather than five lands, this mega cycle included ten cards.[5]
Thriving Gates
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate introduced a five-card cycle of taplands, each mechanically identical to the Thriving lands in that they tap for a specific color or another chosen color, but with the addition of the synergistic Gate subtype. Notably, the set also included Gond Gate, which removes the tapped downside of all subsequent Gates played.
- Citadel Gate ()
- Sea Gate ()
- Black Dragon Gate ()
- Cliffgate ()
- Manor Gate ()
Land-type taplands
Dominaria United introduced a non-snow cycle of taplands with basic land types.
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Triple taplands
The shard-colored taplands were added with Shards of Alara. The wedge-colored taplands were added with Khans of Tarkir.[6]
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Upside taplands
These are taplands that have some form of upside besides producing multiple colors.
Life-gain taplands
Zendikar includes taplands that have the upside of providing 1 life when entering the battlefield. These are also known as the Refuge lands or Gainlands.[7]
- Sejiri Refuge (/)
- Jwar Isle Refuge (/)
- Akoum Refuge (/)
- Kazandu Refuge (/)
- Graypelt Refuge (/)
In Khans of Tarkir the above cycle was functionally reprinted and expanded to ten lands.[8]
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The above cycle was reprinted in Fate Reforged with new artwork depicting the same locations in a different timeline,[9] and several times more using the same art as in Fate Reforged.[10] Updated artwork specific to other planes was featured in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty and March of the Machine.
Scry lands
Theros block included taplands that have the upside of letting the player scry 1 when they enter the battlefield.
Surveil lands
Murders at Karlov Manor included taplands that have the upside of letting the player surveil 1 when they enter the battlefield.
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Ping deserts
Outlaws of Thunder Junction included taplands with the Desert subtype that deal 1 damage to target opponent when they enter the battlefield.
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Drawback taplands
These are taplands that have a drawback when entering the battlefield.
Bounce lands
These are taplands whose drawback is bouncing one land you control back to its owner's hand.
Other variations
Taplands that have no ETB effects, but have other static abilities.
Utility taplands
Utility taplands are taplands that provide a utility effect instead of producing multiple colors.
Pain taplands
The very first cycle of taplands was an enemy-colored cycle of lands that appeared in Tempest, which have an additional drawback of 1 damage.[11]
Sac lands
With a few exceptions, all sac lands are taplands.
Sac-draw lands
Streets of New Capenna included five allied-color dual taplands that each can be tapped and sacrificed for four mana to draw a card.
- Skybridge Towers (/)
- Waterfront District (/)
- Tramway Station (/)
- Racers' Ring (/)
- Botanical Plaza (/)
Phyrexia: All Will Be One included five mono-color tapped sac-draw lands with the Sphere subtype.
- The Fair Basilica ()
- The Surgical Bay ()
- The Dross Pits ()
- The Autonomous Furnace ()
- The Hunter Maze ()
Tapped manlands
Manlands that produce any form of colored mana are also taplands.
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 27, 2017). "Get Ready to Dual". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Randy Buehler (August 2, 2002). "Tending the Land". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kaldheim Fest (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 25, 2021). "Kaldheim Storytime, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (Monday, September 17, 2012). "Return on Investment, part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (September 5, 2014). "The Khans of Tarkir Tri-Lands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Sam Stoddard (June 26, 2014). "Making Mana". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Erik Lauer (September 8, 2014). "Developing Khans". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (December 24, 2014). "A Fetching Look at Fate Reforged". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Andrew Brown (June 21, 2019). "Fire It Up". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Tom LaPille (January 29, 2010). "A Brief History of Tap Lands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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