5 best Dual Land types in Magic: The Gathering

Across Magic: The Gathering's history, there have been some genuinely extraordinary lands. Not all of them even generate mana, but no matter what lands players talk about, the most iconic and valuable are often dual lands. Dual lands in MTG are special lands that can be tapped to produce two different mana types.

Some of these Magic: The Gathering lands can produce two colors simultaneously. These lands are not created equal, however. More common dual lands come into play when tapped, while others have special powers besides the mana they generate for you.

Of course, this list will only focus on lands that generate two colors. That means no Triomes, none of the Homelands' tri-lands, or the lands that have useful, special abilities and only generate colorless mana. If you're looking for dual lands in Magic: The Gathering, these archetypes are worth having.

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Which Dual Land types are the most useful in Magic: The Gathering?

5) Bounce Duals (Karoo lands)

Simic Growth Chamber in Magic: The Gathering (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

The first Bounce Duals came from the Magic: The Gathering Visions cycle, and there was one for each color. Besides being tapped for a color, it also generated 1 colorless mana. They will come into play and will immediately be sacrificed unless you return the land to you.

They would make a return for the Ravnica block, with one being created for each guild. Like Karoo lands, they do come into play tapped, and you have to bounce a land back into your hand. These are amazing, cheap dual lands for people who can't afford expensive ones or want them for casual play.

In addition, they are often found in Commander matches or other formats where you have practical untap abilities. That way, you can put it in play, bounce a land to your hand, untap the dual land, and have access to all the mana you would normally have. Besides being great cards, each time you tap these, you gain 2 mana. It's worth bouncing them back for that alone.

Examples

• Coral Atoll
• Selesnya Sanctuary
• Boros Garrison
• Golgari Rot Farm

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4) Creature Lands (Manlands)

Celestial Colonnade in Magic: The Gathering (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

One of my favorite types of dual lands has to be Magic: The Gathering's Creature Lands. Often called "Manlands," these dual lands can also become a creature if you pay the amount of mana to trigger the ability.

There are also Manlands that do not tap for two colors - so they are not on this list. Sorry, Inkmoth Nexus and Faceless Haven. Though these Magic: The Gathering lands also come into play tapped, they're frequently used in control decks to have a useful win condition. Manlands are a fantastic turn-1 drop. If you have nothing, you can play, so you don't have to wait to use them.

The White/Blue/Black ones are most often used in control decks for Magic: The Gathering - in particular, I'm partial to Creeping Tar Pit because it becomes an unblockable creature. These are still lands, so they can be affected by abilities that make lands tap/untap, so that's worth noting for your Magic: The Gathering strategies.

Examples

• Stirring Wildwood
• Creeping Tar Pit
• Celestial Colonnade
• Shambling Vent

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3) Shocklands

Hallowed Fountain in Magic: The Gathering (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

Shocklands also originated in the Ravnica blocks of the Magic: The Gathering universe. They are powerful, rare lands that will not enter play tapped unless you paid 2 life. On your first turn, it was perfectly acceptable not to pay the toll if you knew you had no options. However, it's also an excellent bluff to pay the life cost on turn 1. Some players might be fooled into thinking you have responses to them.

Another amazing thing about Shocklands is their typing within. Most special lands are just listed as "Land." Shocklands do not suffer from that same fate. Godless Shrine, for example, is "Land - Plains Swamp." This means that any card that would let you fetch a Plains or Swamp card will let you find this. Unless, of course, it specifies "Basic Land."

Shocklands have become increasingly popular in high-speed, two-color decks. Even if you pay the 2 life, you can access two colors right out of the gate.

Examples

• Hallowed Fountain
• Watery Grave
• Godless Shrine
• Sacred Foundry

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2) Fetch Lands

Polluted Delta in Magic: The Gathering (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

Technically, these aren't dual lands, but I decided they belonged when you consider what they do for the game. The Fetch Lands originated in the expansion Mirage, which came into play tapped. You can then tap them on a later turn to sacrifice them and find one of two land types. That was changed in future versions of these cards.

Some allowed you to find one of three lands (Shards of Alara, New Capenna), but the majority focused on two colors. More often than not, you also have to pay 1 life to sacrifice and fetch these. One thing that makes Fetch Lands so powerful is you can use them to find non-basic lands, as long as they have a basic land in their typing.

You can turn 1 a Polluted Delta and find a Triple Land/Triome, such as Indatha Triome. While they do not generate mana, they generate value for your deck.

Examples

• Verdant Catacomb
• Marsh Flats
• Arid Mesa
• Misty Rainforest

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1) Original Dual Lands

Volcanic Island in Magic: The Gathering (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

Of course, the originals top the charts. They were friendly, simple, and unique. Showing up in the first sets of Magic: The Gathering, they would come into play and could be tapped for one of two types of mana. This was before lands had a "typing," so the wording was a little clunky.

They stated that If a spell were to destroy one of the two land types these tapped for, the dual land would be destroyed. The other type would be unaltered if it alters the mana type it generates. They were, and still are, cards in high demand. They're worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, and they will never be reprinted again.

That makes them expensive, and if you want to play in some of the most challenging Eternal formats (Legacy, for example), you need playsets of these. The original dual lands offer premiere mana fixtures without extra costs or requirements.

Examples

• Scrubland
• Taiga
• Volcanic Island

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There are many other dual lands available in Magic: The Gathering, though. You could also run Artifact Lands, Temples, or the Painlands. No matter what lands you run in your decks, these dual lands will be your best bet.