Are Red's Nonbasic Lands the Worst? A Scientific Analysis

The Top 10 Most Played Landfall Cards in Commander

Technically Playable - Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

Aetherdrift Set Review - Artifacts &#038; Lands

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Confluence|EXP|042" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.howardlyon.com/">Howard Lyon</a></h6>
<h4><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-build-a-commander-deck" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article 1: How to Build a Commander Deck</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-commander">Article 2: How to Choose Your Commander</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beginner-content-how-to-win-a-commander-game">Article 3: How to Win a Commander Game</a> |</h4>
<p>Hello there, and welcome to the world of Commander, <em>Magic: The Gathering's </em>most popular format! My name is Brian, and I aim to be your guide for navigating this format that we at EDHREC know and love so much.</p>
<p>In this series, we're focused on helping out players new to the format get started. If you missed the previous articles, make sure to check out the links above.</p>
<p>Today, we're talking about mana curves. What is a mana curve, why it's important, how to examine your deck's curve, and what to keep in mind when you're adding or removing cards.</p>
<h3>What is a mana curve?</h3>
<p>If you're new to the game, you may have not heard of a mana curve before. A mana curve is the distribution of mana values of the nonland cards in your deck.</p>
<p>If that still doesn't make sense, that's okay. It's much easier to visualize. Here's the mana curve of a deck recently featured in my other series, <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-mary-read-and-anne-bonny-budget-combo">Brew For Your Buck</a>:</em></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143409 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png" alt="" width="1796" height="400" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03.png 1796w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-300x67.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-1024x228.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-768x171.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.31.03-1536x342.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1796px) 100vw, 1796px" /></a></p>
<p>Much better. You can see the "curve" on the graph, with most of the cards clustered in the 2-4 mana range.</p>
<h3>Why does it matter?</h3>
<p>Okay, so who cares? You should! Having a well-structured mana curve means you will be able to play out your cards, making your deck more effective, meaning you'll win more, which is ultimately more fun! I often see newer players struggle in games because they can't play enough of their cards.</p>
<p>It's a frustrating experience for them, and takes away from the dynamic gameplay of a multiplayer format, making it less fun for the rest of the table.</p>
<p>Here's another way to think about it: Let's assume that the average game of Commander lasts about 12 turns. How many five mana cards are you reasonably going to play in those 12 turns? Better yet, how many total cards will you see during the game? It's probably less than you think.</p>
<p>Adjusting your mana curve to maximize the effectiveness of your deck is one of the most important deckbuilding decisions you can make.</p>
<h3>Commander Matters</h3>
<p>There are many different ways and reasons to adjust your mana curve, and as usual, it starts with your commander. There are two reasons: 1) you probably want to cast your commander as soon as you get to that point in the curve, and 2) your commander's abilities will affect the other decisions around your mana curve. Let's take a look at two of my personal decks:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rose, Cutthroat Raider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belbe, Corrupted Observer"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/10673136/rosie_the_riveter">Rosie the Riveter</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143412 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png" alt="" width="1800" height="372" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16.png 1800w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-300x62.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-1024x212.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-768x159.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.16-1536x317.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/10673122/beldrazi">Beldrazi</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143411 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png" alt="" width="1808" height="390" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04.png 1808w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-300x65.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-1024x221.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-768x166.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-10.56.04-1536x331.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1808px) 100vw, 1808px" /></a></p>
<p>The mana curves for these two decks are wildly different. The first one is weighted heavily towards mana value 1-3, while the second has a huge spike after six mana. Why? It's all about the commanders.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rose, Cutthroat Raider" href="#" target="_blank">Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wants me to attack all three of my opponents so I can make the max amount of Junk tokens, so I focused on cheap creatures for turns one through three so that by turn four, I can cast Rose and get the maximum benefit.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belbe, Corrupted Observer" href="#" target="_blank">Belbe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (with the help of some key one drops) can pretty easily generate six mana as early as turn two, so I want to have plenty of Eldrazi haymakers to cast way ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>Despite the big difference in the mana curves, in both cases you can see the importance of the commander's mana value, and the resulting mana value of the cards around it. I love these examples since they showcase the extremes of how your mana curve can change based on the commander.</p>
<h3>Nuts and Bolts</h3>
<p>Okay, hopefully you've got the concept down, so let's get into some actionable things to consider during your deckbuilding:</p>
<h4><strong><em>In general</em><em> </em>it is better to lower your curve where you can</strong>.</h4>
<p>Belbe in the example above shows that doing so is not always the case, but if you're just starting out, keeping your curve low will yield the fastest results. There is a reason why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is played in nearly 810,000 decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Natural Connection" href="#" target="_blank">Natural Connection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is played in only 6,000.</p>
<p>Putting a bunch of 6+ mana cards in your deck might seem fun and powerful, but if you can only cast two of them in a game, drawing a bunch of them isn't very effective. Look for cards that do something similar but for less mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Natural Connection"></div></div>
<h4>Concentrate the majority of your cards between 2-4 mana.</h4>
<p>There are a lot of effective cards printed in this mana value range that can really swing the tide of the game. Keeping your cards in this range will also open up a lot more options during gameplay and let you react to different game scenarios.</p>
<p>If you're at five mana, you can cast two 2-drops, a 4-drop, or cast your three mana commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vadrik, Astral Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Vadrik</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and hold up a two mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vadrik, Astral Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Counterspell"></div></div>
<h4>Make sure your high mana cards are impactful</h4>
<p>On the flip side, when you do play one of your higher mana value cards, make sure it's something that's extremely impactful. A generic example is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will send opposing boards back to the stone age.</p>
<p>Something a little more niche might be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div></div>
<h4>Consider the "actual" mana value of your cards</h4>
<p>Many cards that are commonly played in Commander have cost reduction effects attached to them. The most common example of course is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It will show up on your curve as an 8+ mana card, but in reality you can cast it for a lot less than that.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, an X spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will show up as zero mana value, but you probably won't be casting it for no mana since it will insta-die.</p>
<p>An advantage of X spells is that they can slot in at multiple spots on the curve, but consider them at the mana value you'll be casting them most often.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hangarback Walker"></div></div>
<h4>Look for cards with "multiple" mana values</h4>
<p>Similar to the last point about X spells, there are also cards that have "multiple" mana values. These cards are often powerful because of their flexibility.</p>
<p>One of my favorite card types, Adventures, are a good example. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Persistence" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Persistence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is considered a seven mana card, but it helps offset its high cost by having Locthwain Scorn as a mode you can cast early while you wait to get there.</p>
<p>The mana value of split cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wear // Tear" href="#" target="_blank">Wear // Tear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is equal to the mana value of both halves (three in this case) but you can cast either (or both in this case) half for less than that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Persistence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wear // Tear"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Mana Curve Tools</h3>
<p>Now that you've got those mana curve concepts in your tool belt, you can apply them to your deckbuilding. The last thing to touch on are the tools available to help you mana all of these numbers. Look no further than <a href="https://archidekt.com/">Archidekt</a>.</p>
<p>The graphs I included above all game from my lists from Archidekt. Those screenshots are just of the basic and general mana curve, which is where you should focus your attention early. As you become a more experienced deckbuilder, you can dive even deeper, including filters by color...</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143416 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png" alt="" width="1812" height="1000" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15.png 1812w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-300x166.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-1024x565.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-768x424.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.15-1536x848.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1812px) 100vw, 1812px" /></a></p>
<p>...or by any number of other options, including personalized categories if you make them:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-143417 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png" alt="" width="1798" height="652" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35.png 1798w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-300x109.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-1024x371.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-768x278.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-30-at-11.59.35-1536x557.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1798px) 100vw, 1798px" /></a></p>
<p>If you have a deck that you feel like isn't firing on all cylinders, try plugging it into Archidekt and seeing what the mana curve section reveals. You might be surprised at the results, and you'll have a good starting point for improving your mana curve if necessary.</p>
<h3>Wrap Up</h3>
<p>Whew! We covered a lot today, and I hope it wasn't too overwhelming. The idea of a mana curve is really important for our game, and not just in Commander. It's even more of a focus in other formats that are much faster and more competitive than Commander, where even a tiny slip up might spell disaster.</p>
<p>If your decks aren't performing as well as you'd like, I highly encourage you to review your decks and check out your mana curve. And when you build a new one, make sure you take these ideas into account! I promise it'll lead to more plays and as a result, more fun.</p>
<p>Look out for more beginner articles from me soon, and if you're looking for cheap and effective decks, check out my other series <em>Brew For Your Buck</em> here on EDHREC. If you have any questions or comments, drop them down below and I'll be sure to address them. Until then, happy deckbuilding and watch out for the curve!</p>


Commander Mana Curves for Beginners

Brew For Your Buck - Six Permanents (more, actually) on a Budget

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snow-Covered Forest|SLD|5" href="#" target="_blank">Snow-Covered Forest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.alayna.net/">Alayna Danner</a></h6>
<p>Readers,</p>
<p>Maybe where you are, it doesn't snow. First of all, don't be smug, that will be everywhere soon. Secondly, you're missing out. It's not all sleigh rides and cocoa, as anyone who has ever spent an hour clearing their driveway to get out and go to work only for the plow to come by and dump a hard-packed, foot-tall berm at the end the driveway can attest.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adarkar Wastes|ICE|351"></div></div>
<p>Snow is coarse, irritating and it gets everywhere. Might I also suggest, however, that snow is very useful in <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>? Snow-covering was just one of many wild innovations in a set that featured not one but two cycles of lands that tap for two colors at rare, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravebind" href="#" target="_blank">Gravebind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at rare and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm|ICE|61" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at common, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Lumberjack" href="#" target="_blank">a 10-foot, mechanized Dr. Wily pod with a giant buzz saw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> capable of clearing an entire forest that was a 1/1 for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>Snow has been revisited a few times in <em>Magic's</em> history and by now there are more than enough Snow cards to build your entire deck around cards that benefit from a light dusting of powder. I probably wrote an article (I probably called it "<a href="https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/jasonalt-101515-let-it-snow">Let it Snow</a>") where I jammed 99 of them in a deck with like a <em>Coldsnap</em> commander and called it a day.</p>
<p>There is more to snow than just building a snow deck, however, and today I'm making the case for putting snow-covered lands into lots of different decks.</p>
<p>Snow lands don't just look pretty, they have different names! Also, there is a snow-covered plains! Furthermore, there is also a snow-covered mountain! Swamp-lover? You're not going to believe this, there is a snow-covered swamp. Sometimes snow lands are both! And<em> that's</em> why you should run snow lands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snow-Covered Plains"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snow-Covered Mountain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snow-Covered Swamp"></div></div>
<p>You don't seem convinced. I promise, those are all solid arguments, but I understand that some of you are nerds and you're going to make me show my work like you're my AP Calculus teacher. Fine, I will show my work, but you have to accept that the comb over isn't fooling anyone. I'm not saying you'll look better bald, you won't. Some people do.</p>
<p>You won't.</p>
<h2>They Have Different Names!</h2>
<p>The "H" in "EDH" stands for "Highlander" which is a fantastic film about an immortal man who meets an Egyptian guy from Spain with a Scottish accent who teaches him how to use a katana and, unfortunately, it has no sequels. The name of the format was later changed to "Commander" because Hasbro decided that it would be better to be sued by a football team than by a movie studio.</p>
<p>Like in that studio's movie, "There can be only one!" meaning that unless it's a basic land, you are only allowed to play one copy of the card (unless it says so on the card, like on the dozens of copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that my opponent put into play literally just this turn, wow, super cool and original deck idea, Kevin). You can jam as many basics lands as you can fit, but some cards punish you for running too many.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Necrobloom"></div></div>
<p>If you have seven lands out but five of them are basic forests, you're going to have a really tough time getting the copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you're somehow allowed to have in your command zone to do anything. A simple solution is to use a trick I learned from Japanese players who began including a snow-covered island into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gifts Ungiven" href="#" target="_blank">Gifts Ungiven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks in Eternal formats twenty years ago.</p>
<p>Snow-covered island plays a lot like island a lot of the time, but if the card specifically references different names, you can suddenly diversify your land base an awful lot by sprinkling in about half snow basics. This isn't going to be a big winner in every scenario - <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gifts Ungiven" href="#" target="_blank">Gifts Ungiven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is banned and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realms Uncharted" href="#" target="_blank">Realms Uncharted</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't require nor even encourage you to grab basics.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eerie Ultimatum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of the Dead"></div></div>
<p>However, if you're playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eerie Ultimatum" href="#" target="_blank">Eerie Ultimatum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll appreciate getting more value from your spells and landfall triggers. Anyone who has ever used a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in Commander and struggled to get even a paltry 2/2 rotter from a board lousy with basics will tell you that this quick, easy diversification makes your deck play a lot smoother and making your deck a real <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Perfection" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Perfection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><em>. </em></p>
<p>Still not convinced because it sounds a lot like I'm describing cards just for like one deck? Fine, I'll move on.</p>
<h2>There is a Snow-Covered Plains!</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Search for Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Search for Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a superlative tutor, costing about a dollar in dollars, which is the smallest number of dollars there are. I don't tend to suggest cards just because they are budget-friendly, but I build a lot of decks and I use a lot of cards and being able to upgrade the utility of a cheaper tutor rather than shelling out for a more expensive (and boringer) card by, and this is barely an exaggeration, changing some of our basics to lands with different art, appeals to me.</p>
<p>I get that this is an article about all of the times that it matters that something is a snow permanent, but I think it's worth pointing out all the times where a snow basic isn't any different than a snowless basic. Changing to all snow basics, or half, can give you more tutoring options with a card like Search For Glory, a card in 30,000 decks and counting.</p>
<p>Search for Glory being able to snag a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="On Thin Ice" href="#" target="_blank">On Thin Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can reward you for the minor inconvenience of playing a clunky tutor with a clunky <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by giving you a tutor that can now also get your Oblivion Ring. The more snow cards you add, the better the other ones get, and if there is no real downside to mixing up your basics and playing slightly novel removal spells, the upside becomes pretty clear.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Search for Glory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="On Thin Ice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Depths"></div></div>
<p>Did you know <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a snow permanent? You do now. You don't have to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gelid Shackles" href="#" target="_blank">Gelid Shackles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to have it be worth it, literally just sprinkling in some snow basics and maybe a card that replaces one Search for Glory can't ordinarily snag and I submit to you that it was worth it. They even have full-art snow basics so you aren't necessarily sacrificing style for substance.</p>
<p>I'm not done.</p>
<h2>There is a Snow-Covered Mountain!</h2>
<p><em>Ice Age</em> felt like they were trying to A:B test different mechanics and never intended for the entire <em>Ice Age</em> card pool to be united. Sometimes the cards are worlds apart in design, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sulfurous Springs" href="#" target="_blank">Sulfurous Springs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the, I swear this is true,<strong> RARE</strong> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lava Tubes" href="#" target="_blank">Lava Tubes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Other times, though, you get the same effect in two different colors.</p>
<p>Well, one different color. It's two cards, they're not the same color, but one of them has a color. I don't know why I'm explaining, you can already see the card art below this paragraph, you already know I'm talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glacial Crevasses" href="#" target="_blank">Glacial Crevasses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunstone" href="#" target="_blank">Sunstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glacial Crevasses"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunstone"></div></div>
<p>While red isn't the number one color you think of when someone says "What's your favorite <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?" red does have a second Sunstone. When I am playing red, I am doing shenanigans. Shenanigans involve cards that are kind of slow and clunky and you can sometimes struggle to keep up. The only decks I had with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> were, ironically, my fun, goofy decks that really couldn't keep up any other way.</p>
<p>When only your "worst" decks take a hit, you need to do something about it, and the something that I have found that works is using Sunstone and Crevasses to keep from getting murdered on the swing-back by a table of people you have just scared by using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blim, Comedic Genius" href="#" target="_blank">Blim, Comedic Genius</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give someone an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oath of Lim-Dûl" href="#" target="_blank">Oath of Lim-Dûl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><em>Ice Age</em> really is the gift that keeps on giving, isn't it? You don't HAVE to be playing red to use Sunstone - in fact I use it in some <a href="https://www.archidekt.com/decks/3612219/isu_the_abominable_113022">non-red-having decks</a> of my own, but if you are in red and you're in need of some Fog effects people have likely never had to play around before, adding a few snow basics is a small price to pay for peace of mind during combat.</p>
<h2>There is a Snow-Covered Swamp!</h2>
<p>If I have a one or two color deck with black in it, my basics will all be snow-covered. Why? This guy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Draugr Necromancer"></div></div>
<p>Is this one card worth changing all of your basics? Yes. More people are playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauthi Voidwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Dauthi Voidwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but if you will reread <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Draugr Necromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Draugr Necromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you are obliged to pay the mana for Draugr Necromancer because you get to keep the Necromancer. You can cast the spells whenever provided you use mana from snow sources.</p>
<p>If you are using Draugr Necromancer partially as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of the Void" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of the Void</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, keeping him alive is better, and getting to play their spells all game rather than once is an upgrade. If all you need to do to make your Voidwalker spammable is change up your mana sources, do that. I do. Notice I said sources, because...</p>
<h2>Sometimes Snow Lands Are Both!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sulfurous Mire"></div></div>
<p>There are also snow nonbasics and while they do enter tapped, some also have both basic land types making them easier to search for. A mana rock like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coldsteel Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Coldsteel Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are so far down on the depth chart these days that people who weren't playing five years ago will be surprised it used to be worth money, but it was actually playable outside of decks that cared about snow because there was such a dearth of two mana rocks.</p>
<p>My point is that we are only a few years removed from this rock seeing play, it's not a downgrade to a deck. Slightly obsolete rocks and comes-into-play-tapped duals aren't a huge price to pay for some of the upside that trifling with snow gives you.</p>
<p>You can add quite a bit of snow mana to a deck that wasn't running a ton of basics by adding a few other cards that tap for snow mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcum&#039;s Astrolabe" href="#" target="_blank">Arcum&#039;s Astrolabe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> terrorized Legacy players and those people face down a turn one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the regular.</p>
<p>Look, I'm done with the hard sell, I'd just like to thank you for reading. I have had a lot more fun since I started adding snow cards to my decks, and isn't that what it's all about? Now if you'll excuse me, a pickup truck just skidded 90 feet down my street and took out my mailbox.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Sleigh Ride"></div></div>


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