In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, certain phrases and effects can completely redefine the landscape of the game. One such statement All nonbasic lands are Mountains is both fascinating and game-changing. It doesn’t just hint at a color shift or mana manipulation; it fundamentally alters how players interact with their lands and resources. Whether you’re a seasoned player or someone exploring the layers of Magic’s land mechanics, understanding this effect can enhance your deckbuilding strategy, gameplay awareness, and competitive edge.
What Does ‘All Nonbasic Lands Are Mountains’ Mean?
Basic vs. Nonbasic Lands
In Magic: The Gathering, lands are divided into two major categories: basic lands and nonbasic lands. Basic lands include Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and Forests. Each provides one type of mana and can be included in any quantity in a deck. Nonbasic lands are all other lands, often with special abilities or the potential to tap for multiple colors of mana.
When an effect states that all nonbasic lands are Mountains, it means every nonbasic land loses its original abilities and types and becomes a Mountain in addition to or instead of its previous land types. Depending on how the effect is worded particularly whether it uses are or become this transformation can either replace the lands’ types or add to them.
Common Sources of This Effect
This phrase is most famously associated with cards likeBlood Moon, which states: Nonbasic lands are Mountains. The effect is static and applies as long as Blood Moon remains on the battlefield. All nonbasic lands lose their abilities and become basic Mountains. This can have massive implications for decks that rely heavily on color fixing or utility lands.
Strategic Impact in Gameplay
Mana Disruption
The most immediate effect of turning all nonbasic lands into Mountains is disrupting an opponent’s mana base. Many competitive decks use a variety of nonbasic lands to access multiple colors. Turning those into Mountains locks them into red mana, making it difficult or even impossible for them to cast spells outside the red color pie.
- Decks with only a few basic lands may find themselves unable to cast their key spells.
- Multicolor control or combo decks may stall entirely due to the lack of blue, green, or black mana sources.
Removal of Land Abilities
Many nonbasic lands come with additional abilities such as card draw, damage prevention, or creature generation. Once they become Mountains, those abilities are lost. This shuts down engine pieces and locks out utility plays that are central to certain strategies.
Deck Archetypes That Benefit
Mono-Red Aggro and Prison
Mono-red decks, especially those in Modern and Legacy formats, often include cards like Blood Moon as mainboard or sideboard tech. These decks already rely primarily on basic Mountains, so the effect has no negative impact on them. On the contrary, it hampers opponents while leaving their own game plan untouched.
Land Destruction Strategies
Land destruction decks may use all nonbasic lands are Mountains effects in conjunction with spells that target specific land types. Cards likeBoil(which destroys Islands) orFlashfires(which destroys Plains) become stronger in decks that can alter land types first.
Stax and Control Variants
Control decks that focus on locking opponents out of the game also make great use of land-altering effects. They reduce the opponent’s resource access and combine this with other taxes or limitations to create a slow, suffocating lock that’s difficult to break out of.
Interaction with Other Effects
Layer Rules and Dependency
Magic uses a system of layers to determine how continuous effects apply. The type-changing effect of turning nonbasic lands into Mountains takes place in layer 4 (type-changing effects). This means that other effects applying in the same layer must be evaluated in terms of dependency and timestamp. For instance, if another card makes a land a different type, you must determine which effect was applied more recently or whether one depends on the other to resolve properly.
Effects That Add Abilities
Some cards give lands additional types or abilities without replacing existing ones. These can sometimes override or coexist with the all nonbasic lands are Mountains clause, depending on how the effects are structured. Cards likeUrza’s Sagamay lose functionality under a Blood Moon effect because they rely on being enchantment lands, which they no longer are once transformed into Mountains.
Deckbuilding Considerations
Protecting Against This Effect
If you’re playing a multicolor deck or one that relies on nonbasic lands, you must account for the possibility of running into effects like Blood Moon. Here are some ways to mitigate the damage:
- Include more basic lands in your deck construction to ensure access to other colors.
- Run enchantment or artifact removal in your sideboard to get rid of problematic permanents.
- Utilize mana dorks or artifact mana sources (like Mana Crypt or Birds of Paradise) that aren’t affected by land-based changes.
Maximizing the Benefit
If you’re building a deck that includes the all nonbasic lands are Mountains effect, you want to ensure it supports your primary win condition. Common strategies include:
- Running a mono-red shell that remains unaffected by the land type change.
- Combining land alteration with hand disruption or creature control to reduce your opponent’s ability to respond.
- Adding redundancy with cards likeMagus of the Moon, which mirrors the Blood Moon effect on a creature.
Format Relevance
Modern Format
Blood Moon is a frequent sideboard inclusion in Modern due to the prevalence of nonbasic lands. Decks like Tron, Amulet Titan, and Four-Color Omnath are heavily reliant on their land bases and are vulnerable to being turned into red-only mana providers.
Legacy and Vintage
In these formats, where mana bases are even more intricate, cards that alter land types can break open games. However, the presence of Force of Will and other free counterspells often means these effects must be timed perfectly or backed by disruption to stick around long enough to matter.
Commander (EDH)
In multiplayer games, turning all nonbasic lands into Mountains can be a bold move. While it can severely hinder some opponents, it can also paint a large target on you. In Commander, cards like Blood Moon are more effective when played tactically rather than aggressively.
All nonbasic lands are Mountains is a deceptively simple effect with far-reaching consequences. It changes the nature of the battlefield, alters player decisions, and demands a shift in strategy. Whether you’re using this mechanic to gain an edge or defending against it, understanding its place in the broader meta will help you play smarter and build stronger decks. In a game where mana is the foundation of every spell, turning the lands themselves into a weapon is one of the boldest tactics a player can employ.