Card Breakdown for Fetch Lands
Mana Cost, Abilities, and Key Mechanics
- Mana Cost: 0 (land cards)
- Abilities:
- “Pay 1 life, sacrifice [this card]: Search your library for a land with a specific basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.”
- All are tutor effects for lands, enabling mana fixing and deck thinning.
- Mechanics Involved:
- Landfall synergy
- Deck thinning
- Graveyard fill (self-sacrifice)
- Shuffle triggers
Examples:
- Scalding Tarn – Searches for an Island or Mountain
- Verdant Catacombs – Searches for a Swamp or Forest
- Polluted Delta – Searches for an Island or Swamp
Why It’s Powerful/Unique in MTG’s Ecosystem
- Fixes mana by fetching dual lands or shock lands
- Improves consistency in multi-color decks
- Enables synergies with cards like Brainstorm or Delve spells
- Deck thinning statistically increases draw quality over time
- Essential in 3+ color builds
Print History and Price Trends
- First Printed: Onslaught (original 5: Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath, etc.)
- Zendikar / Modern Horizons reprinted the enemy and allied cycles
- Price Trends:
- Most fetch lands range from $20–$80+
- Premium foils and OG Onslaught copies can hit $100+
- Price dips after reprints are temporary—long-term demand remains high
- High-end versions may be cost-prohibitive for casual players or budget brewers
- Proxy Solution: Abyss Proxy Shop offers premium replicas indistinguishable in sleeves
Check current prices on mtggoldfish.com or view all versions on scryfall.com
Competitive Play Analysis
Best Formats
- Commander – Almost auto-includes in 2+ color decks
- Modern – Ubiquitous in competitive decks
- Legacy – Mandatory for any deck running multiple colors
- Vintage – Legal and synergistic with fast mana and Brainstorm
- Pioneer – Not legal
- Standard – Rare, except during Zendikar or Khans-era rotations
Top Deck Archetypes That Use Fetch Lands
- Commander:
- Atraxa, Grand Unifier, Kenrith, the Returned King, Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
- Modern:
- Rakdos Midrange, Jund Saga, 4C Omnath, UR Murktide
- Legacy:
- Delver, Storm, Death and Taxes (for techy fetch use)
Synergies with Other Popular Cards
- Shock lands (e.g., Watery Grave)
- Brainstorm / Ponder – Shuffle away bad draws
- Deathrite Shaman – Fetch lands fuel graveyard
- Tarmogoyf – Fills graveyard with land types
- Landfall cards – Omnath, Lotus Cobra
- Delve spells – Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time
Combos and Interactions
Most Powerful Interactions
- Fetch + Brainstorm – Clear topdeck duds, draw live cards
- Fetch + Delve – Free graveyard fuel
- Fetch + Deathrite Shaman – Instant mana and drain combo
- Fetch + Omnath, Locus of Creation – Triggers landfall multiple times in a turn
Budget Alternatives
- Evolving Wilds / Terramorphic Expanse – Slower fetch alternatives
- Fabled Passage – Similar effect, with a delay
- Slow Fetches (e.g., Bad River) – Enter tapped
- Panoramas – Fetch basics with mana cost
How to Counter Fetch Lands
- Stifle/Disallow – Stop the activation
- Blood Moon/Magus of the Moon – Turn fetchable lands into Mountains
- Aven Mindcensor/Opposition Agent – Disrupt or steal the fetch effect
- Pithing Needle – Name the fetch land
- Wasteland – Kill a fetch in response to activation (rare, high-risk)
Meta Relevance
Current Tournament Performance
- Modern: Nearly every top 8 deck runs 3–6 fetch lands
- Legacy: Tier 1 decks (UR Delver, Storm, 4C Control) rely heavily on fetches
- Commander: Essential in optimized and competitive pods
- Vintage: Supports Brainstorm, Ponder, and fast combo setups
Ban List Status
- Legal: Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Modern
- Not Legal: Pioneer, Pauper, Standard
- Proxy Popularity: Due to cost and deck redundancy, proxies are widely accepted in casual Commander, cube drafts, and local testing
Try high-quality fetch land proxies at Abyss Proxy Shop – perfect for testing or budget playgroups
Proxy Considerations
When Proxies Might Be Appropriate
- Casual Commander groups
- Cube drafts needing land redundancy
- Playtesting Modern or Legacy builds
- Budget-minded brewers avoiding $300 mana bases
How Our Premium Proxies Maintain Gameplay Integrity
- Printed on casino-grade cardstock
- Color-matched to original artwork
- Sized accurately for sleeved play
- Passes casual deck checks and playtest scrutiny
Proxy vs. Original Comparison
| Feature | Original Fetch Land | Abyss Proxy Version |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $25–$100+ | $4–$6 |
| Tournament Legal? | Yes | No (casual/cube only) |
| Visual Quality | Excellent | Nearly identical |
| Sleeve Playability | Identical feel | Identical feel |
| Risk of Theft/Damage | High | Low |
FAQs
Can I use fetch lands to get shock lands?
Yes. For example, Scalding Tarn can grab Steam Vents because it counts as both Island and Mountain.
Are fetch lands legal in Commander?
Yes—all fetch lands are legal in Commander and widely used.
Do fetch lands trigger landfall twice?
No. You fetch a single land into play, so it only triggers landfall once.
Where can I get fetch lands or proxies?
- Original versions are available via scryfall.com or mtggoldfish.com
