fetchland substitutions

[Sek'Kuar]

I'm not sure if there is a thread about this yet, but I was wondering if there was a suitable substitute for fetchlands for players who have no local card shop (I have to drive an hour for mine, and she doesn't sell singles), or players on a budget. I was thinking stuff like Farseek or something. Perhaps you have some suggestions. I know there is no true substitute, but maybe something can stand in while I look for a place that will sell me some fetchlands...

[Elficidium]

When taking something else you immediately lose a lot of efficiency. The only one I can think of right now is Terramorphic Expanse, which only gets basics and puts them into play tapped.

[Brushwagg]

@Ishan:You did leave out some details. Are you planning on getting Dual lands, Rav or the originals (doesn't matter) or are you on a real budget and looking for basics?? Also are you looking for just lands or spells?

Some options though

Terramorphic Expanse: As said great for basics.

There was a cycle of "fetch lands" in Mirage. They do the same thing as the Onslaught ones except they come into play tapped and don't cast you a life. But the lands citp untapped. Kinda meh but can be had on the real cheap.

Krosan Verge: Comes into play tapped and costs you 2 to activate but gets you a PLains and Forest into play, tapped.

Terminal Moraine: You can tap for a mana. 2 tap sac look for a basic and put it into play tapped.

[kabal]

I'm not sure if there is a thread about this yet, but I was wondering if there was a suitable substitute for fetchlands for players who have no local card shop (I have to drive an hour for mine, and she doesn't sell singles), or players on a budget.

Does this store that is an hour away have Legacy tournaments? I would assume so, if not I'm not sure why you are looking to obtain budget substitutes of fetchlands.

You may want to see about building up a monocolored deck. There are some good ones out there.

Goblins
White Stax
Dragon Stompy
MUC
Pox
WW/Angel Stompy

Or maybe even Dredge, which most version run the rainbow lands. There is always Affinity, which definitely fits nicely for players working with a budget.

I'm not sure what cards you already own, so it is hard to determine what would be the best deck for you if you have a financial cap.

[rleader]

In addition to what Kabal outlined (i.e. deck choice) think it depends what you want the fetchlands for:

1. Interactions with shuffle effects
2. Mana fixing

If you're primarily concerned about the latter, there's lots of budget options, many of which don't even require "come into play tapped."

If you're playing black, the Tainted cycle from Scourge is fantastic, especially combined with an Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or two in the deck. The Odyssey "egg" lands combo with this well, depending upon the spells you want to cast. All of these are very inexpensive and work well together. Of course, they're probably as hard to get for people without internet/credit card as fetchlands, even though they cost much less, so this might not be of any use to you.

OTOH, there's not much you can do about the momentum you lose by not being able to get added functionality out of brainstorm or divining top (but then ponder and portent become more worthwhile). This is something you have to consider during deck choice and design.

[Goaswerfraiejen]

There are also the old fetchlands that come into play tapped--Bad River and company.

[AngryTroll]

For just mana fixing, there are the painlands, like Yavimaya Coast. Come into play untapped, tap for colorless for no cost, and tap for either of two colors for a life. These are medium-priced, but if you have them sitting around somewhere, or see a great deal on them, they're great.

[Elficidium]

For just mana fixing, there are the painlands, like Yavimaya Coast. Come into play untapped, tap for colorless for no cost, and tap for either of two colors for a life. These are medium-priced, but if you have them sitting around somewhere, or see a great deal on them, they're great.
Actually, they became a hell lot cheaper with Xth. They're now blackbordered and come up way more often than before in boosters. I collected myself a full set by trading with new players when Xth released, to use in T2. They have no appeal for casual players, as they don't see the importance of land that taps for 2 colours and dislike the lifeloss, and as such can easily be traded. Also the Ravnica Shockduals have become quite a bit cheaper with them being out of T2, so they've become semi-affordable.

[mercenarybdu]

There are not many subs unless you are running a lot of basic lands in the MB. Otherwise you are out of a lot of luck.

[from Cairo]

There are also the old fetchlands that come into play tapped--Bad River and company.

QFT.

Bad River, Flood Plain, Grasslands, Mountain Valley, and Rocky Tar Pit. If you are looking to fetch duals, and would be making use of the shuffle effects, these are probably the next best thing to the Onslaught fetches. If you are playing a deck that cant afford the comes into play tapped or that has no use for the shuffling effect, painlands or rav duals might be better.

[MattH]

The Graven Cairns cycle coming up in Shadowmoor are really really good at manafixing, in some cases even better than revised Duals*.


*Such as mountain, Cairns vs. mountain, Badlands - the first can get you BB which the second can't.

[Nihil Credo]

The Graven Cairns cycle coming up in Shadowmoor are really really good at manafixing, in some cases even better than revised Duals*.


*Such as mountain, Cairns vs. mountain, Badlands - the first can get you BB which the second can't.
Too bad they're likely going to be chase rares...

[xsockmonkeyx]

We went over this quite a bit in the Budget Thresh (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8509)thread. Basically, your best options are Terramorphic Expanse and City of Brass. Expanse is infinately more playable than the Mirage fetches, because you can play around Wasteland. City is a good land in general, and is cheap as dirt. The rainbow mana production help 2-3 color decks, giving you more color flexibility when the rest of your lands are basics or basic grabbers.

[jamest]

Land Grant if you're playing green.

[MattH]

Land Grant if you're playing green.

Tithe if you're playing white!

[DeathwingZERO]

Just go with Land Tax. Only the judges will care. Maybe.

One thing I thought was interesting is that people went straight for painlands over the the taplands from Invasion. CiPT sucks, but it'll tap for either friendly color without the ding of life loss, which makes up for it in the long run. I used them over painlands for a long time, just because most decks I played didn't need the mana right away anyway.

[iceage4life]

Just go with Land Tax. Only the judges will care. Maybe.

One thing I thought was interesting is that people went straight for painlands over the the taplands from Invasion. CiPT sucks, but it'll tap for either friendly color without the ding of life loss, which makes up for it in the long run. I used them over painlands for a long time, just because most decks I played didn't need the mana right away anyway.

Pain lands are much better, taplands are awful.

[DeathwingZERO]

There's a number of things that would dictate whether or not the painlands are better or worse than the taplands. They were consistently being played in Invasion-Odyssey Standard both alongside the painlands, and in some cases instead of them.

They are much better geared for the longer games, where the difference between the two is that the painlands are no better than a City of Brass. It's especially obvious looking at control builds that went for the late games intentionally. Various builds of Tog, for example, usually went with a 3-3 split, just for consistency without constant dinging. The Undergrounds were there for backup purposes, mostly.

[Sanguine Voyeur]

Coming into play tapped is hardly a minor drawback. Those can't even consistently tap for more then one colour.

[Anusien]

I would never play a CIPT land (except the cyclers, which aren't really lands) in Legacy, because that way it can't get Wastelanded before you get at least one use.

[kirdape3]

The Invasion sacrifice lands have one purpose in life, to enable combination decks. You don't play them because you lack the resources to acquire Revised duals, you play them to make 8 or 10 mana when you want to kill somebody.