MTG Salvation

What do you consider an optimized land base?

For me it is (using my R/W deck as an example)


I am just looking for some input, I am aware off color fetch lands would add consistency. Are there any other good dual lands that don't come in tapped, or are just invaluable?

Can I generate the colors I need when I need it, can I ensure I curve out properly, and have I ensured I have the best possible fetchland and dual ratio that the deck needs to function?

My bugdet really low, so my ideal manabase is: allied checks, pains, Exotic Orchard, Command Tower, Evolving Wilds-like stuff and relevant utilities.

I play tower too not sure how I left it of the list, editing first post to include it.

what i find works best, is to avoid any specific formulas or algorithms when developing a manabase. figure out what the deck needs/wants and work from there. for example, a set formula for a 2 color deck would be fetch, dual, shock, filter, core dual, command tower, etc... while that may work for my wort deck, my saffi build is a completely different monster. each land had to be carefully selected to capitalize on every internal synergy possible, while not weakening itself to stuff like blood moon, ruination, wake of destruction and all that jazz.

another thing to keep in mind, is that nothing is really a staple. that term gets thrown around way to liberally. once you get into the mindset of nothing being sacred, you can avoid the pitfalls of playing certain "must play" cards and actually strengthen your strategy with synergy over raw power.

Quote from Gaka

Can I generate the colors I need when I need it, can I ensure I curve out properly, and have I ensured I have the best possible fetchland and dual ratio that the deck needs to function?

What do you consider a good fetch to dual ratio? If I'm only running the three applicable shocks, should I run all three on-color fetches? (Ignore the fact that the answer is probably yes since I also run Sun Titan)

You should check this website: http://manabasecrafter.com/

As for your choice of lands, it seems fine.

I would also add Ancient Tomb, Homeward Path, Reflecting Pool, Reliquary Tower, Temple of the False God.

You can also help your colors with Chromatic Lantern.

I think there is a thing as too much colored mana. You're missing things like wasteland, strip mine, high market, sunhome, fortress of the legion. Figure out how much you can get away with.

I run ancient tomb and several other utility lands. My list is severely out if date but I will update it soon.

Depnds on the split of Red and White cards

If have lots of double and triple coloured Red cards and no triple white cards you need an emphasis on red sources.
If you need white on turn one and double white on turn two for a consistent deck then you need more white lands to hit them early (or lots of fetches to cheat on white lands and keep your red count higher)

Consider what your curve is and when you need to cast the cards by consistently, what is your average mana colour are and go from there. There is no right or wrong answer.

Quote from cryogen

What do you consider a good fetch to dual ratio? If I'm only running the three applicable shocks, should I run all three on-color fetches? (Ignore the fact that the answer is probably yes since I also run Sun Titan)

Imo it's always worth running the max fetches for 2+ color decks (7 for 2 color, 9 for 3 color, 10 for 5 color).

For 2-3 color, I think it's worth running all the duals and shocks.

For 5 color I think it's worth running about 8 duals and 0 fetches, unless there's a certain color pair you really want to double up on. 8 duals still gives you any color from any fetch. Drawing a dual is usually a fairly mediocre land compared to many of the 5-color lands.

This is all doubly true for any deck that consistently recurs lands via crucible/lftl/sun titan/etc.

Quote from DirkGently

Imo it's always worth running the max fetches for 2+ color decks (7 for 2 color, 9 for 3 color, 10 for 5 color).

For 2-3 color, I think it's worth running all the duals and shocks.

For 5 color I think it's worth running about 8 duals and 0 fetches, unless there's a certain color pair you really want to double up on. 8 duals still gives you any color from any fetch. Drawing a dual is usually a fairly mediocre land compared to many of the 5-color lands.

This is all doubly true for any deck that consistently recurs lands via crucible/lftl/sun titan/etc.

Well the Sun Titan makes it a non-question, but that makes sense. I could easily run more, but at this point I'd be cutting into the basic land count, and I don't like running off-color fetches.

Quote from donfuan

Sure it's the best to have them, but seriously (and i got only 4 decks), how do you wanna afford them all? That's crazy. Two 2.colour and two 3-colour generals = 32 fetch lands. Anyone got 1000$ to spare?

Yeah, the Onslaught fetches are one card I will only own one of, and swap between decks if necessary.

Reflecting Pool?

Quote from cryogen

What do you consider a good fetch to dual ratio? If I'm only running the three applicable shocks, should I run all three on-color fetches? (Ignore the fact that the answer is probably yes since I also run Sun Titan)

This really only holds true for the 5-color decks. I'm obviously not using a perfect balance of colors, so many of the duals and shocks are useless to me. It really depends on how the rest of the deck is built, so that I can tune the manabase towards a specific color.