Ancient TombAncient Tomb | Art by Howard Lyon

Every deck needs lands. They are the fundamental resource system that Magic has built upon since the game's inception in 1993. Competitive Commander is no exception to this.

Fetch lands and dual lands, Command TowerCommand Tower, and more; the basics of building a mana base are pretty much settled. That said, there are some unique standouts that drive home an extra competitive edge across the format.

So, what are the best lands in cEDH? Let's take a look!

#5 - Emergence ZoneEmergence Zone

Kicking things off is one that's emblematic of the dual functions of lands in cEDH: mana and utility. Let's check in with Emergence Zone.

Emergence Zone has ": Add ." Additionally, it has ", , Sacrifice Emergence Zone: You may cast spells this turn as though they had flash."

First, the mana component. Like every land on this list, Emergence Zone can tap to add some sort of mana. Colorless isn't great, especially in the high-color piles that dominate cEDH these days (Blue Farm, Tymna and Thrasios, etc.), but it is infinitely better than adding nothing.

Needless to say, Emergence Zone entering untapped further helps it to clear the barrier to entry in cEDH, that barrier being that lands have to be usable when you play them. So, as far as Emergence Zone's mana production is concerned, think of it like clearing a hurdle, rather than a talking point.

Looking to the utility component, and this is where Emergence Zone proves itself as being worthy of competitive play. Flash is a versatile and potent mechanic, especially when combined with win conditions like NecropotenceNecropotence. The only problem is, flash is normally restricted to blue, like Borne Upon a WindBorne Upon a Wind or Valley FloodcallerValley Floodcaller. Emergence Zone breaks this restriction, letting non-blue decks have access to one of the most powerful mechanics in the format.

#4 - Shifting WoodlandShifting Woodland

Continuing our theme of high-utility lands, next up is Shifting Woodlands.

First, the elephant in the room - the "enters tapped" restriction. While Shifting Woodland is the only card on our list to have those words printed on it, it enters untapped frequently enough so as to just barely clear the hurdle. How? All you need is to control a Forest. So, think of it like entering untapped from turn two onwards.

As for providing mana, Shifting Woodland has ": Add ." Much better than only adding colorless.

As for utility, Shifting Woodland has the activated ability to become a copy of target permanent card in your graveyard until end of turn, which can only be activated if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.

While this has the ability to combo off with Aftermath AnalystAftermath Analyst and Zuran OrbZuran Orb (resulting in infinite landfall triggers, sacrifice triggers, and the like), the real power in this ability is to provide late-game inevitability when your win condition gets countered or destroyed. Need another shot at Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach? Just target it with a Shifting Woodland activation.

#3 - Boseiju, Who EnduresBoseiju, Who Endures

Here at the midpoint, we've reached the first legendary land on our list, one that also doubles as interaction as well as mana production.

Boseiju enters untapped, has ": Add ," and - most importantly - the ability ", Discard Boseiju, Who Endures: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs less to activate for each legendary creature you control."

Competitive Commander is awash with cheap legendary creatures, so Boseiju's activated ability usually costs . That reliable discount is huge, as it increases the flexibility on activating it substantially. Couple that with being essentially the only way to deal with lands in cEDH (Blood MoonBlood Moon rarely sees play, let alone proper WastelandWasteland effects), and you have yourself a true staple.

#2 - The Sol Lands

Coming in at second place is two cards with very similar effects - City of TraitorsCity of Traitors and Ancient TombAncient Tomb.

These lands, the "Sol Lands," make up two out of the three lands played in cEDH which are consistently played purely for their ability to add excess amounts of mana. Both Sol Lands enter untapped and have ": Add ," with City of Traitors' downside being that it's sacrificed whenever you play a land. Ancient Tomb, meanwhile, deals two damage to you when you activate its mana-production ability.

Reliably accelerating mana production is the most powerful thing a player can do in the early turns, and the Sol Lands allow for this regardless of deck color or strategy. They may lack the utility effects that have propped up the rest of the contenders on our list, but don't let that fool you.

Sometimes, all you need is a little extra mana.

#1 - Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle

Speaking of extra mana, here we are, the most powerful land in cEDH: Gaea's Cradle.

Gaea's Cradle is a legendary land with ": Add for each creature you control." Like Shifting Woodland, this effectively means that Gaea's Cradle enters tapped until turn two (assuming you use some other land to play your first creature on turn one). However, the upside is a land that scales rapidly as the game goes on, doubling down on every value creature played.

Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise, Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel, Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy - all of these cheap creatures suddenly add an extra just for existing, and that doesn't even begin to get into the ways to break Gaea's Cradle though untap effects.

Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle is the land in cEDH. If you see it, pay extra attention to all the innocuous Elves, Birds, and run-of-the-mill creatures ambling around the table. They'll rapidly generate an insurmountable amount of mana advantage.

Wrap Up

Not every cEDH deck plays blue, or red, or any one color. Every cEDH deck plays lands, however, and we shouldn't take that for granted. Whether your deck is leaning all-in on breaking the land slot with Gaea's Cradle or padding out your instant-speed toolkit with Emergence Zone, keep an eye on your deck's land pile.

There are plenty of options out there to do more than add a single mana.