Pain lands or Check lands? That is the dilemma.

Commander Deck Help forum

Posted on June 15, 2016, 3:54 a.m. by hfvalenz

A question I got stuck on my mind.

I run a pentacolored slivers deck: Fragmentados FTW.

Currently I'm playing 38 lands:

  • 5 basics, one of each type.
  • 10 Shock lands.
  • 2 Tango lands from BFZ (both forests).
  • 8 Pain lands (The 2 missing I replaced with same color BFZ lands listed above).
  • 10 5 colored lands.
  • 3 colorless mana lands.

Also:

  • 4 colored mana rocks.
  • 3 colorless mana rocks.

So I'm wondering if I should ditch the Pain lands for the Check lands from Innistrad and M13.

I like the speed that Pain lands have, but I get hit a lot drawing colored mana plus the life paid for the shocks to untap them when ETB. I'm not sure if I can get the Check lands enter untapped consistently with the rest of lands I'm playing.

readerrw07 says... #2

Checklands. You have 17 lands with basic land types. Especially if you plan on adding fetches in the future, getting the checks to enter tapped shouldnt be a problem.

June 15, 2016 4:03 a.m.

zandl says... #3

10 fetches.

/topic

June 15, 2016 4:18 a.m.

zandl says... #4

In all seriousness, though, the checklands only enter untapped by giving you a color you already had available. The pains may hurt, but Slivers can gain life pretty quickly when it wants to. I think there's merit in sticking with the pains.

But for real about them fetches, though. I'd get at least the ones from Khans.

June 15, 2016 4:20 a.m.

DrFunk27 says... #5

I concur on fetches. They are more important in EDH than a lot of people realize but to answer your question, checklands/buddylands for sure.

June 15, 2016 10:11 a.m.

hfvalenz says... #6

Thanks for all the responses and I agree with zandl with the color issue he stated, but I'm also playing 3 forest-ramping cards: Skyshroud Claim, Ranger's Path and Hunting Wilds so I'm thinking that maybe if I start with the green colored check lands then maybe there shouldn't be a problem getting them untapped all the time. Also my deck is inclined towards green anyway.

As for fetchlands, those are a bit out of reach now, and I don't really know how to fit them in the deck hahaha they're like a mystery to me.

June 15, 2016 12:55 p.m.

This discussion has been closed