How many lands, and how many sources of each colour
Land counts by average mana value and the colour sources needed to cast a card on curve 90% of the time, from draw probabilities
The land count follows the average mana value (MV) of your non-land cards: the more expensive, the more lands. Cheap card draw lets you cut a land. This table uses the same formula as this site's tools; treat it as a starting point and compare with winning lists.
| Average MV | Land / 60 |
|---|---|
| 1.8 | 22 |
| 2.2 | 23 |
| 2.6 | 24 |
| 3.0 | 25 |
| 3.4 | 26 |
| 3.8 | 26 |
Total lands are not enough: each colour needs enough sources. This table shows how many sources of a colour a 60-card deck needs to have that many coloured symbols by the turn you want to cast the card, 90% of the time (on the play). Hybrid symbols ({W/U}) can be paid with either colour. These numbers include the chance of missing land drops, so they are higher than tables that assume you have the lands; a card with three symbols of one colour on turn 3 cannot reach 90%, which is why such cards live in mono-colour decks or come down a turn later.
| Coloured symbols | Turn | Sources needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 1 | 3 | 13 |
| 2 | 2 | 24 |
| 2 | 3 | 22 |
| 2 | 4 | 20 |
| 3 | 3 | not 90% even with 24 |
| 3 | 4 | not 90% even with 24 |
| 3 | 5 | 24 |
The typical list of the most played archetypes right now:
| Archetype | MV | Land |
|---|---|---|
| Dimir Aggro | 2.16 | 23 |
| Mono-Green Landfall | 2.77 | 26 |
| Izzet Elemental | 3.31 | 20 |
| Orzhov Lifegain | 1.81 | 23 |
| Dimir Midrange | 3.41 | 25 |
| Azorius Control | 2.27 | 26 |
| Jund Aggro | 2.00 | 22 |
| Izzet Spells (Elusive Otter) | 1.59 | 20 |
Data as of 2026-10-16