Could a deck with more lands than non-lands be competitive

Standard forum

Posted on June 7, 2020, 1:04 p.m. by biggestmtgnerd

It's almost unthinkable to imagine a deck that could competitively run more lands than non lands. But with Uro, Arboreal Grazer, Growth Spiral, and now azusa needing spare lands in hand to be effective, triomes that can be cycled away in the late game if topdecked, and companions that can be played once you're out of spells, I can see some players experimenting with unusual numbers of lands in simic or bant ramp. What do you guys think?

shadow63 says... #2

There isn't enough options in standard to make it worth it. You can have all the lands in the world but if you have nothing to play they're useless

June 7, 2020 2:45 p.m.

Vash13 says... #3

Run four nissas and this might be a good idea start turning them into 3/3s with vigilance, but I'd recommend combing this with a risen reef type element synergy deck so you can filter all those land out

June 7, 2020 2:49 p.m.

Flooremoji says... #4

The main problem with a strategy like that is almost all your cards will be extra lands, lands, and play extra lands. There won't be room for all the haymakers that most ramp decks play, and you will run out of cards pretty fast unless you take up more slots for card draw. Companions help, but at the end of the day they're just 1-2 extra cards when you need to stop drawsing lands. There just really isn't any point in going that hard ramp because you don't need that kind of mana to cast game-winning spells.

June 7, 2020 3:26 p.m.

1empyrean says... #5

I have built a couple lands decks and what they need is card draw and/or a way to play lands from graveyard, not more lands.

On topic, isn't this what Ad Nauseam decks do?

June 7, 2020 5:24 p.m. Edited.

Vash13 says... #6

You know I didn't even think of it you could just play this deck 11.7% OF THE TIME, IT WORKS EVERY TIME. awsome hilarity and almost pure lands, I'm not sure what format your going for tho so...

June 7, 2020 5:56 p.m.

TonyStark9001 says... #7

1empyrean no thats not what Ad Nauseam decks do lol

June 8, 2020 2:13 p.m.

So here I am, not a standard player ever. But hear me out: If you could integrate the cards you mentioned into a deck where it's worth it to run Yorion, Sky Nomad as your companion, you could run like 40 lands and still have 40 non-lands. I guess the according shell is hard to find with the new companion rule, though.

June 8, 2020 2:43 p.m.

1empyrean says... #9

TonyStark9001 Shows what I know. I must have been thinking of the way people build Maralen of the Mornsong decks.

June 8, 2020 3:40 p.m.

TonyStark9001 says... #10

1empyrean are you talking about commander then? when people say "ad nauseam deck" i automatically assume Modern where it was a prominent deck for a while. not sure why Maralen would require a deck thats more than half lands though.

June 9, 2020 12:57 p.m.

1empyrean says... #11

TonyStark9001 Yeah, sorry. For some reason I always forget people actually play other formats. The deck in question is a gimmick budget deck with only one line of play, if that answers your question.

June 9, 2020 8:03 p.m.

TonyStark9001 says... #12

1empyrean: calling it a gimmick deck with only 1 line of play doesn't really answer my question of which format.

June 11, 2020 12:23 a.m.

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