Do all land cards produce mana?
Asked by TheBlackRune 7 years ago
Do all land produce mana even if they don't say so on the card? For example, Cabal Coffers is a land card, with an activated ability, but can I also tap it for one colorless mana, if I am not using that activated ability this turn.
PayOneLife says... #2
An example of a land that does not produce mana is Maze of Ith. Note that it does not have a basic land subtype (Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains or Swamp) and that it also doesn't have a tap ability that says that it produces mana.
November 1, 2016 7:50 p.m.
And to put things a bit more in perspective - the reason that basic lands have abilities that aren't listed on the card, or that Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth lets you tap lands for regardless of their other properties, is this rule:
305.6. The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. If an object uses the words "basic land type," it's referring to one of these subtypes. A land with a basic land type has the intrinsic ability "T: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain that text or the object has no text box. For Plains, [mana symbol] is W; for Islands, U; for Swamps, B; for Mountains, R; and for Forests, G. (...)
You will notice that Wastes aren't listed in this rule, which is because they don't have a basic land type, even though they're basic lands. Instead, their ability is defined by their Oracle text, as can be found in the Gatherer rulings:
The mana ability of Wastes doesnt appear on the printed cards, but it is in its official Oracle text. (A cards Oracle text (in English) can be found using the Gatherer card database at Gatherer.Wizards.com.) The printed cards display a large colorless mana symbol in a design thats similar to other basic land cards.
With the exception of full-art promotional cards and altered cards that have paint covering the rules text, all non-basic-land cards in MTG have their abilities (or a shorthand thereof, such as a keyword ability) on them.
November 2, 2016 3:24 a.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #4
Some very old lands don't even have activated abilities: Glacial Chasm, Unholy Citadel
GearNoir says... Accepted answer #1
No. Non-basic lands do not produce mana unless they explicitly state otherwise or if they gain a basic land subtype from something like Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.
November 1, 2016 7:20 p.m.