What a Waste!

I've discussed lands in several articles already on this blog. Maybe this is because land selection for a Commander/EDH deck is both objective and subjective at the same time. This makes it both scientific and heart felt which makes for a great source from which to obtain material for this blog.

This week I wish to discuss something new. So new that, at the time of writing, it hasn't yet been released by Wizards.

May I introduce Wastes:

This has been confirmed as being a card and it needs some discussion.

Take a look at this:

This is cropped from another land that has been spoiled for the upcoming Oath of the Gatewatch set.

What this tells us is that the <> symbol represents colorless mana.

So Wastes taps for colourless mana.

We can also see that it is a Basic Land. However, just as important is the fact that it DOES NOT have a basic land Type.

"So what does this mean for Commander/EDH?" I hear you ask.

In all honesty not a lot, is my reply, except (isn't there always an exception) when you're playing a colourless deck.

In case you're unaware there a small number (5 at the time of writing) of colourless legendary creatures in Magic.

Cards like Karn, Silver Golem;

If you choose Karn as your commander not only must your creatures and other spells be colourless but your lands must only produce colourless mana as well.

Up to now that has meant you played 40 or so lands that could produce colourless mana but also will have had a secondary use.

Like Thespian's Stage for example:

This has been fine but it has robbed colourless decks of one particular tool that pilots of other Commander decks have been making good use of.

Allow me to digress for a moment to illustrate my point.

There are very few true Commander Staples, that is cards that would go in every deck.

Sol Ring? I think that goes without saying and it's why Wizards includes it in ever commander deck they've so far released.

Command Tower? Yes if your Commander has coloured mana in their casting cost. 

Temple of the False God? Maybe a land that produces 2 mana is never to be sniffed at after all that's why Sol Ring is so beloved.

Solemn Simulacrum? Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, as the saying goes, but it's a great card. Especially if you're not playing Green and sometimes even if you are.

The key here is that he lets you search your library for a basic land card. Up to now that's been a Plains, Forest, Mountain, Island or Swamp. With the release of Oath early in 2016 that list will also include Wastes.

While the Simulacrum offer reasonable returns, especially as he replaces himself when he dies, he gets better when used with other cards.

Mimic Vat for example:

Put him into the Vat and you can go hunting for a land every turn. If you have a way to sacrifice the token as well you'll get a free draw every turn as well.

This might seem obvious to seasoned players but it's Commander-tech that's been denied to players of colourless Commanders.

If I go back to EDH Staples what about these two?

Functionally identical I've always got them both in any EDH deck that isn't mono-coloured. Even in mono-coloured decked they offer the option to go and get a land, so reducing the number of lands in your library (which has minimal effect in reality) but they also let you shuffle your library.  Which can be useful if you've been scrying or similar.

An interesting point I raised earlier can be demonstrated if you take a look at Myriad Landscapes.

Myriad Landscape clearly refers to 'two basic land cards that share a land type'. Remember that Wastes does not had a basic land type. Therefore Myriad Landscape is still of no use to the colourless commander pilot.

There are couple of cards, however, that will do a similar job.

I'm not the greatest fan of Armillary Sphere, sure it gets you a pair of basic lands but it puts them into your hand so you're still limited to playing one per turn.

Burnished Hart on the other hand is a great card. If you play this with Mimic Vat you have a creature you can sacrifice to get the lands before the Vat's exile trigger comes into play.  Although it does cost six mana in total which will inevitably have better uses.

Sword of the Animist. I think this is self explanatory, however, it's a reusable effect. Equip a creature and attack and go hunting for a basic land.

There are quite a number of cards that will fetch basic lands and return them to your hand but, as I've said before, that's not that useful.

Unless that is you play:

Again this might seem like an expensive combo but that's the price you pay for playing colourless cards. Artifacts and lands can allow you to do things that would not normally be part of the colours you are playing.

So those are my thoughts on how Wastes will change things when they are released next year.

Phil