I always start with 40 and mana rocks, then after about a month of getting the feel of how the deck runs, I usually end up with 35-37.
I understand how crucial land drops are turns 1-8, but being mana flooded can hurt really bad late game. Ive lost games thanks to drawing land when ANYTHING would of helped me.
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The EDH stax primer When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
I run about 32-33 lands in my decks, but the mono-white angels only have 29. It doesn't sound like a lot, but there are so many ways to ensure that I get land (Land Tax and tutors to get said Land Tax) and ways to double mana that I rarely have land problems.
All of my decks have a really tight land base -no more lands than are absolutely necessary. I hate having too much land (top-decking a land late game is the worst), and the balance that I've found in each of my decks works really well.
38 is my baseline. If I have a low curb my lowest is 36. If I have a high curve I just add around a dozen ramp spells. If I am playing Azusa I make it an even fiddy.
It depends on how much ramp and how many mana rocks are in the deck, but generally I go with around 40 lands and subtract one land for every two non-land mana sources in the deck.
With a curve that is heavily based around the three-drop slot (like many decks do), I start with 37 lands. Of late, though, I have been upping the count to 38. It's not a big difference, but I am tinkering with strategies to see what I can do to avoid the dreaded stuck-at-6-lands scenario that I see from time to time. I might even reach 39 in some decks, but 40 seems like a bit much for my decks.
I've often thought that I run a land or two light in my green decks, because both Adun and Animat want more creatures. So I run 8-10 assistants for fixing my mana (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Yavimaya Elder, etc.)
In Adun, if I can T2 SKE, I'm T3 Adun, turn four I start recurring the Elder until someone stops me. It would be cheaper to just play a cultivate, I know, but in an all-creature deck, what are you going to do?
In a nongreen deck, I won't go below 35.
I have never tried a deck at 40, and more than that, I'd have to be in Azusa or Hazezon Tamar or some such.
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I have 15 EDH decks...sorta kills the 'I only need one of a card' aspect of the format.
I went and started a Commander/EDH blog! Come see it at http://wordofcommander.blogspot.com/ and it includes all 15 of my custom super-art generals!
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My rule of thumb is: one colour 36, two colour 37, three colour 38 and five colour 40. This is a general rule and doesn't cover each and ever situation. Also, I only count land that produce mana .*cough*Maze of Ith *cough*
I make sure to always run "50" mana sources. I classify Armirillary Sphere and CMC 2 and under tutors as mana sources too though. The minimum I play is 33 lands that make mana by themselves, usually putting me at around 37 in total.
I always run 35 lands minimum. Normally I'm going up to 36-37, and this includes artifacts or ramp for more mana. I just don't want to get in those spots where you can't play your big spells or run out of tempo early on. Its better to have the resources within the first 5-6 turns of a game than to miss that turn 4/5 land drop and fall behind the rest.
Never less than 36. Even with a low curve, rocks, and ramp. In my experience, that's the starting point. I think most of my decks have ended up with 36-38. They're all very close and generally have identical mana rocks.
I've been wanting to do a land theme deck, though. Which would probably end up with like 60-70 lands. Lean heavy on green, use spells like Natural Affinity and such for beatdown. And of course too many man-lands to count.
It depends on the deck but usually 37-38. If it's green with a lot of ramp, then less. If its 5-color then more. If there are a lot of mana rocks, then I run less lands, etc etc. For every 2 rocks or 2 cheap ramp spells, I cut a land.
I think my low end is around 36, high end is around 39. In general, I try and devote somewhere around 45-50 slots to mana (lands, ramp, land search, etc).
This is how I roll, pretty much. 38 lands is normal, but then you have to support it with ramp, accel, etc.
I always feel good when I find room for a 39th land. It's so hard for me to do that but I get a warm fuzzy when I manage to cut an additional card.
I run ~38 in most of my decks. Animar is at 33 or 34 though but that deck is for 1v1 and wants to win on turn three. The correct number of lands really depends on the deck. A friend built a Talarand deck with basically all the cheap cantrips ever, and is cutting more lands from it basically every time he plays it.
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Standard: Humanimator
Modern: Jund, Wafo-Tapa UWR
Legacy: Witch-Maw Stoneblade
EDH: Ruhan of the Fomori, Hazezon Tamar, Maga, Traitor to Mortals
Wow. You guys all tend to run a lot of lands. I play about 33 lands in my Glissa combo control deck and I'm perfectly fine with it. I compensate this with a large number of mana artifacts. I want to win fast.
However, I rarely have any problems with my mana. Usually, I'm the one with the most mana at the table.
I understand how crucial land drops are turns 1-8, but being mana flooded can hurt really bad late game. Ive lost games thanks to drawing land when ANYTHING would of helped me.
The EDH stax primer
When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
All of my decks have a really tight land base -no more lands than are absolutely necessary. I hate having too much land (top-decking a land late game is the worst), and the balance that I've found in each of my decks works really well.
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Palladia-Mors of {The Spirit of EDH}
EDH
WLinvala, Queen of the AngelsW
WUThe Prison of the Grand ArbiterUW [Primer]
URNiv-Mizzet, Handcycling ComboRU
UTalrand, Drake-Slinging to VictoryU
WUGDerevi, Tactical ShufflingGUW
BCao Cao, Discard Stax of Absolute MiseryB
GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
WBVish Kal, Blood ArbiterWB
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR
UBGVorosh, the HunterUBG
WRGisela, Blade of GoldnightWR
WUGJenara, Asura of WarWUG
WBGTeneb, The HarvesterWBG
WUBRGHorde of NotionsWUBRG
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
I start with a 60-39 split and take it from there.
I've often thought that I run a land or two light in my green decks, because both Adun and Animat want more creatures. So I run 8-10 assistants for fixing my mana (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Yavimaya Elder, etc.)
In Adun, if I can T2 SKE, I'm T3 Adun, turn four I start recurring the Elder until someone stops me. It would be cheaper to just play a cultivate, I know, but in an all-creature deck, what are you going to do?
In a nongreen deck, I won't go below 35.
I have never tried a deck at 40, and more than that, I'd have to be in Azusa or Hazezon Tamar or some such.
I went and started a Commander/EDH blog! Come see it at http://wordofcommander.blogspot.com/ and it includes all 15 of my custom super-art generals!
If you're more into the finance section of the game, I write on Fridays for MTGPrice.com.
CommanderEDH Decks:CommanderEDH DecksWULavinia of the Blinking TenthUW RGURiku the Epic Experimenter’s StormUGR UBRThrax and his Super FriendsRBU RWUZedruu the Hard HeartedUWR
WBU Zur the UnstoppableUBW
Same. 60 creatures/spells, 39 lands and 1 commander.
Depending on the deck I cut a land or 2, but I never go above 39.
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Current EDH Decks
Braids
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Vorel
Tariel WIP
Horobi, Death's Wail
5c Horde Flashback - 39 lands just b/c of the flashback spells are expensive.
Jenara Enchantress - 37 lands, little acceleration.
Generally, I start with 61 spells/38 lands then go from there.
In 5-color I'll run 37, in my U/B I run 33 since I have a ridiculous amount of ponder and draw effects.
GWRUB[EDH] Reaper KingGWRUB
GW[Legacy] BEARS (#1 Threat in America)GW
UR[Legacy] Arcane MeleeUR
I've been wanting to do a land theme deck, though. Which would probably end up with like 60-70 lands. Lean heavy on green, use spells like Natural Affinity and such for beatdown. And of course too many man-lands to count.
Wanted Card List: (PM me)
1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1 Ravages of War
1 Swords to Plowshares (Judge)
1 Land Tax (Judge)
U
1 Mana Vortex
B
1 Desolation Angel (Foil)
1 Guardian Beast
1 Contamination
R
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
G
1 Food Chain
WUBRG
1 Rohgahh of Kher Keep
X
1 Charcoal Diamond (Foil)
1 Fellwar Stone (Foil)
T
1 Temple Garden (Foil)
3 Mutavault
1 Kor Haven
This is how I roll, pretty much. 38 lands is normal, but then you have to support it with ramp, accel, etc.
I always feel good when I find room for a 39th land. It's so hard for me to do that but I get a warm fuzzy when I manage to cut an additional card.
:symu::symr: Melek WheelStorm
:symw::symg: Trostani Enchantress (updated 6/5)
:symg::symr::symu: Unexpected Results.dec
Thada Adel Stax WIP
Modern: Jund, Wafo-Tapa UWR
Legacy: Witch-Maw Stoneblade
EDH: Ruhan of the Fomori, Hazezon Tamar, Maga, Traitor to Mortals
Isn't Disk/O-Stone problematic?
:symb:Seizan, Perverter of Truth:symb:
:symu:Kami of the Crescent Moon:symu:
:symr:Tahngarth, Talruum Hero:symr:
:symu::symg:Prime Speaker Zegana:symu::symg:
:symu::symr:Melek, Izzet Paragon:symu::symr: