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9th Painlands

Pain lands is the term that typically refers to the land cycles first printed in Ice Age and Apocalypse. However, the term can be applied to every land, which deals "pain" damage to you every time you tap it for colored mana.

Original pain lands[ | ]

The lands providing allied colors were printed originally in Ice Age, those providing enemy colors in Apocalypse. These lands were first referred to as pain lands, even though City of Brass was printed earlier. The former were reprinted in Fifth Edition, Sixth Edition, and Seventh Edition, the latter in Magic 2015 and Magic Origins. The complete cycle of ten lands were reprinted in Ninth Edition and Tenth Edition. Dominaria United and The Brothers' War collectively reprinted the cycle, but with a 6/4 split instead of an ally-enemy split.

They provide two different colors of mana for 1 damage, but can also be tapped for colorless mana without taking damage.

Allied colored[ | ]

Enemy colored[ | ]

Pain taplands[ | ]

There is a cycle of five lesser-known pain lands from Tempest. They work exactly like the original pain lands, but are also taplands.[1]

In addition, there exists the Grand Coliseum, which can tap for mana of any color.

Pain talismans[ | ]

In Mirrodin, five artifacts were printed that resemble the original pain lands from Ice Age.

Modern Horizons continued the pain talisman cycle with an enemy colored set resembling those from Apocalypse.

Threshold pain lands[ | ]

Odyssey had a cycle of mono-colored pain lands with a threshold ability. They cannot produce colorless mana, but can be sacrificed for their threshold effect.

Spell Deserts[ | ]

Hour of Devastation has a cycle of mono-colored Deserts. They can produce colorless mana and can be sacrificed for their ability.

Horizon lands[ | ]

Introduced in Future Sight, Horizon Canopy ({G}/{W}) can produce one of two colors when you pay 1 life, or can later be sacrificed to draw a card.

Modern Horizons added the enemy cycle, which gave them the nickname as Horizon was in both the set and the prototype's name.[2] They are also sometimes called "canopy lands".

Enemy colored[ | ]

Other pain lands[ | ]

  • Ancient Tomb can only be tapped for {C}{C} for 2 damage.
  • City of Brass can't tap for colorless, but can produce any color. The damage is a separate ability, which lets it be exploited by opponents through land-tapping effects, but also exploited by its controller floating the mana and winning with an instant or ability.
  • Murmuring Bosk ({W}/{B}) has the basic land type Forest. It can be tapped for {G} (instead of {C}) without taking damage.
  • Tarnished Citadel can produce any color for 3 damage, but can also be tapped for {C}.
  • Tomb of Urami produces only {B} for 1 damage if an Ogre is not controlled, but can also generate a 5/5 Flying Demon Spirit token at the cost of {2}{B}{B} and all one's lands.

Pay life[ | ]

Most pain lands deal damage to you when activating. This damage is a separate effect and can be prevented without losing the mana. However, some pain lands require you to pay the life, before getting the mana. The Deserts and the Horizon lands follow this template, along with a few others:

  • Corrupted Crossroads can tap for colorless or produce any color by paying 1 life to cast Devoid spells.
  • Mana Confluence can't tap for colorless but can produce any color by paying 1 life.
  • Spire of Industry can tap for colorless or produce any color by paying 1 life given the player controls an artifact.
  • Voldaren Estate can tap for colorless or produce any color by paying 1 life to cast Vampire spells.
  • Thran Portal's mana abilities cost 1 life to activate, which include those granted by external sources. It naturally gains a basic land type, chosen upon entry, to give it a mana ability.
  • Havengul Mystery can only tap for {B} for 1 life, but could tap for colorless if transformed back.
  • Mount Doom taps for {R} or {B} for 1 life alongside two other utility abilities.
  • Forgotten Monument gives other Caves the ability to produce any color by paying 1 life.

The following lands from Kamigawa block are three colorless-producing, life-payment lands that all enter tapped:

References[ | ]

  1. Tom LaPille (January 29, 2010). "A Brief History of Tap Lands". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (May 21, 2019). "Land on the Horizon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links[ | ]

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