I'd say that really depends on the deck you play, but if I brew something new (which is most often some midrangey 3 colour build with a twist) I usually start with 4 Basics, 8 fetches and 4 shocks and then add utility lands, manlands or other duals depending on the list.
I'd have to ask a lot of questions to arrive at an answer.
- How many colors is your deck?
- Are you playing fetches?
- Is your deck fast or slow?
- Are you playing Search for Tomorrow and Sakura-Tribe Elder?
Generally, if all you're afraid of is GQ/Path, 2 basics is sufficient. Affinity and Suicide Zoo get by with 1. Most decks play more than that because they play fetches as well.
Use these numbers as a guideline:
- mono-colored deck: as many basics as you need. Worst case, you start with all basics, then add nonbasics when you realize "wow a Cavern of Souls/Pendelhaven/manland/whatever would have saved me here" as you playtest.
- multi-colored deck with fetches: 4 (2-1-1 for 3 colors, 3-1 for 2)
- aggro deck: 2. Play shocks liberally, you can kill before the 2 life payment becomes consequential.
- multi-colored deck without fetches: 2
- Search/Elder ramp decks: at least 7, based on BTL Scapeshift numbers. Additionally, the safe Mountain count for Scapeshift into Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle is 10, but Mountain shocks/Cinder Glade count towards that too.
21 in mono G devo
30 in BW control
27 in Temur whirlygigs (personal name for a brew)
25 in mono black control
15 in mono red goblins
30 in UG eldrazi
20 in rakdos storm
As a rule of thumb I always run one of each basic in my deck's colours, then I add enough basics to play each card in my deck if blood moon drops. For example: imagine I'm running vendilion clique, lightning bolt, and supreme verdict - I would run two islands, two plains, and one mountain.
It really depends on the deck though. The more colours run the harder it is to fit in basics. Also, some strategies don't require much mana at all (e.g., dredge) so my rule of thumb certainly doesn't apple to all deck building.
Plato:
"Only the dead have seen the end of the war."
Modern 0Affinity
Modern Silverblack RRed Deck Wins
Tiny Leaders EDH RWUShu Yun
Commander RWGUril, the Sad Panda
Commander RDarretti, the Scrap Lord
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
4 for a 3 color deck?
6 for a 1 color deck?
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
Modern - Burn
EDH - Neheb the Eternal
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
URW PillowFort Stasis (costruction)
modern:
U Taking Turns combo
pauper:
UB Servitor Control
xenob8 : you know you are going to have a bad time when opponent starts with snow covered island
- How many colors is your deck?
- Are you playing fetches?
- Is your deck fast or slow?
- Are you playing Search for Tomorrow and Sakura-Tribe Elder?
Generally, if all you're afraid of is GQ/Path, 2 basics is sufficient. Affinity and Suicide Zoo get by with 1. Most decks play more than that because they play fetches as well.
Use these numbers as a guideline:
- mono-colored deck: as many basics as you need. Worst case, you start with all basics, then add nonbasics when you realize "wow a Cavern of Souls/Pendelhaven/manland/whatever would have saved me here" as you playtest.
- multi-colored deck with fetches: 4 (2-1-1 for 3 colors, 3-1 for 2)
- aggro deck: 2. Play shocks liberally, you can kill before the 2 life payment becomes consequential.
- multi-colored deck without fetches: 2
- Search/Elder ramp decks: at least 7, based on BTL Scapeshift numbers. Additionally, the safe Mountain count for Scapeshift into Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle is 10, but Mountain shocks/Cinder Glade count towards that too.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
30 in BW control
27 in Temur whirlygigs (personal name for a brew)
25 in mono black control
15 in mono red goblins
30 in UG eldrazi
20 in rakdos storm
It really depends on the deck though. The more colours run the harder it is to fit in basics. Also, some strategies don't require much mana at all (e.g., dredge) so my rule of thumb certainly doesn't apple to all deck building.
Cheeri0sXWU
Reid Duke's Level One
Who's the Beatdown
Alt+0198=Æ
"Only the dead have seen the end of the war."
Modern 0Affinity
Modern Silverblack RRed Deck Wins
Tiny Leaders EDH RWUShu Yun
Commander RWGUril, the Sad Panda
Commander RDarretti, the Scrap Lord