Enchanted lands>Mana cylix?

Modern forum

Posted on Sept. 17, 2013, 5:50 p.m. by Luminous.Animus

I'm aiming for semi competitive, mostly casual modern decks and have started off on a small budget. While creating my own style of black/blue mill/burn deck I was wondering why i should choose an enchanted mana like Dimir Guildgate over Mana Cylix ?

The only reason i see is that the land is targeted by less counters, but is that really a huge deal?

Epochalyptik says... #2

Wait, I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Dimir Guildgate is not an enchanted land. It's just a land that can produce multiple types of mana.

Mana Cylix is bad because it takes up a spot in your deck and doesn't ramp.

Also, you can't counter a land. Lands aren't spells.

September 17, 2013 6 p.m.

Barandis says... #3

The reason is speed. Modern is a fast format, even casually, because the card power is there to make it fast. If you're going to be playing a card that deals with mana, you must ensure that it gives you more mana than you had before.

Lands do this. When you play a land, you have access to one more mana than you had before you played it. It's true that Dimir Guildgate makes you wait until next turn to have that mana, but at least you will. This is also, incidentally, why competitive UB Modern decks will play Watery Grave , Sunken Ruins , Darkslick Shores , and/or Drowned Catacomb instead...because they can give you the mana this turn.

Accelerators also do this. These are non-land cards like Birds of Paradise , Talisman of Dominance , or Dimir Signet . In each case, you're left with more available mana after playing them than you had before playing them. In fact, you end up with more mana than you could have possibly had by playing lands alone, which is why they're called accelerators. In various decks, all of these are reasonable Modern cards.

Mana Cylix never gives you extra mana. After you play it, you have the same amount of mana available as before you played it. It does nothing but take up space in your deck. Space that could be used for something impactful.

September 17, 2013 11:06 p.m.