Why Are Fetchlands So Good In Magic: The Gathering?

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This episode was written and edited by Patrick Lickman
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[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Be sure to check out my review of the new GameGenic Cards' Lair 400+ Deck Box here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qImckoSViZyppJY

[@pablopopo7891]

Unrelated, but are you planning to make a video talking about The Calling Dallas like you did for Vegas?

[@Spiqaro]

One really interesting thing you can do with Fetch Lands is flick your friend's nose with them while giving them a smug grin. I find this to be one of the most important reasons to play these cards.

[@karlgrylls2406]

Nice video Prof. I started with Onslaught and couldn't understand why everybody is so hot on them. I found it was no difference to play one instead of a Forest or a Plains. I have to pay 1 Life in order to get a basic land? How dumb is that? i can play a basic instead! So was my thinking back in 2003. That's surely because i didn't know anything about utility lands or special lands at that point. However i found the lifeloss a big downside and i missed the part in the video where this point i covered. Explaining to newer players, that in high competitive formats this lifeloss doesn't really matter, even when you shock yourself after it. Even less important in Commander because of the higher life total and the slower gameplay. And maybe a more graphic comparison to Evolving Wilds would've been nice. A table like sacrifice trigger: both yes. Enters tapped: yes and no. restricted to basics: yes and no and so on

[@TristamWolf]

@@pablopopo7891 If he is, I see no reason not to wait an extra week and include the Calling Cincinnati in the video as well.

[@Hohmies86]

You should now do a give away of a rare fetch land if your next video reaches X amount of views within X amount of time

[@evilmonkey2184]

Man I can't believe fetches are still going for [inset price here], it's ridiculous

[@MrAskmannen]

The budget fetch lands (Mirage) are like 3 bucks a piece. It's of course not optimal to play slowly, and in the case of those lands you might as well play 4x terramorphic instead. But the Mirage fetches function as a way to thin your deck in the same way as terramorphic does in commander when you can only play one terramorphic and one evolving wilds

[@tuongpham7609]

High or low prices, fetches' price will always be ridiculous. Ridiculously low or ridiculously high.

[@ThePlayplay64]

I played back in the mid 90's- early 2000's. I cant believe a person's Mana base still seems to be a massive road block and not the cards that do the thing. Every time I wanted to play a new deck it was hell to get ahold of dual lands, and at my card shop, you really did need that edge as those with it would beat you down. It still seems like Mana is a roadblock for people and that boggles me.

[@emperorsakis]

Every time fetchlands get cheaper people will buy more for each individual deck they own, or until they complete all playsets. So the price will always go up.

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Eh the enemy fetches cheap rn lol. Some are under 20

[@The5lacker]

A minor but unmentioned benefit to fetchlands is that they also reduce the total land count in your remaining library, making you more likely to draw nonland cards and keeping you from stalling out in grindier matches. So many little advantages to those obnoxiously expensive little buggers.

[@hugmonger]

They also reduce the total number of cards in your deck by between 0 and 1 meaning you are more likely to draw clutch cards at the right moment.

[@KowalskiStyL]

Yeah immediately came to the comments looking for this one

[@simonteesdale9752]

@@KowalskiStyL The reason he didn't mention it is that the benefits of thinning are negligible.

[@OGNoNameNobody]

"If I draw a land, I lose!" For as common as this thought is, Fetchlands do, in fact, cause you to lose LESS.

[@gregormartin5145]

Yep that’s why land tax is awesome

[@Elazul.Lapislazuli]

I once asked a friend that question: "I dont understand why those are so expensiv, with evolving wilds I can search for all basics and dont pay life" he answered:" but with it you can fetch the original duals and shocklands, and it doesnt tap. life is a resource - its about speed" that short discussion instantly made me a better player.

[@antonisashitteragain6993]

I bet you enjoy more play yugishit than Magic, right shitter?

[@dantheman4876]

Yeah when someone opened my eyes to the fact that life is a resource and should be used I had a sort of epiphany

[@yohanesparuntu4980]

When I realized life is a resource I became a death shadow player

[@maxbodifee3263]

And a poorer person 🤣

[@saccoli4919]

@@antonisashitteragain6993 toxic

[@igenator]

I don't usually comment on the prof's videos but this one really struck a chord. Brilliantly explained with concise information and stellar editing. Thanks a lot Prof!

[@mobsie101]

There is also the benefit of the whole "sacrifice" factor. Korvold and other "when you sacrifice a permanent" cards love fetches because its extra triggers at no extra cost and no losses (minus the 1 life).

[@GreenFenril]

Not to mention cracking a fetch also triggers revolt. I'm not sure how much play Fatal Push sees in Modern, but that's a pretty solid selling point

[@czajda]

​@@GreenFenril Not as much as used to be, because of printing Prismatic Ending and Unholy Heat, but It was important when Uro was legal or against Thought-Knot Seer etc.

[@dac314]

Korvold sho' does love his fetchlands.

[@mTommya]

Jason is correct. And fatal push is very much played in modern for that reason

[@mTommya]

Prismatic ending is really not that good and unholy heat is pretty much only good in delirium decks

[@caioo08]

Huge downside: having to shuffle a 100 card commander deck

[@jeffnorris211]

Underrated comment

[@lucaslahlum6331]

Hopefully by the time you crack a fetch, your deck isn’t 100 cards.

[@Novenae_CCG]

@@lucaslahlum6331 Hopefully by the time you put your commander in the command zone, your deck isn't 100 cards.

[@thedicehavespoken6234]

@@Novenae_CCG Hopefully, by the time you put your commander out, draw 7 cards and then crack a fetch and take yet another card out, your deck is closer to 90 cards than 100

[@ultra2019]

Technically the act of shuffling involves the cards in hand and in play, as to keep them separate respectfully.

[@RazgrizAce67]

I remember when we were first starting Magic, my buddy cracked his first ever booster pack and the rare slot was an Arid Mesa. We were both like, "da fuq is this?! An Evolving Wilds you have to pay life for?!" He immediately traded into the LGS for $13 and we were both still bewildered as to why it would be worth so much.

[@henryeberman6342]

Probably a good decesion for low power games

[@NGDemonSlayer12]

I mean, it can fetch for a Plains or Mountain, not just a basic land. So dual types or tri types count.

[@galacticgamer6635]

@@NGDemonSlayer12 Congrats, you watched the video.

[@brianpendleton2674]

Oof, sad day. Much regret. Lol

[@RazgrizAce67]

@@NGDemonSlayer12 yes, we know that NOW but that is a subtlety that new players won't likely understand. Again, back in the day we thought Evolving Wilds looked better because it could fetch any basic land, we didn't understand the difference between "Basic Land" and "Basic Land Type".

[@zacharymorris1694]

It triggers Revolt nicely. Fetch for a swamp and then cast Fatal Push for that one swamp, activating revolt, and kill a CMC 4 creature

[@KingBobXVI]

Triggers Morbid as well, Fatal Push hits 4 drops if you have a fetch land!

[@hugosaldanha3768]

@@KingBobXVI fetchs don't trigger Morbid. "Morbid - If a creature died this turn... (...)"

[@SaintSoba]

@@hugosaldanha3768 it does if your land is a creature too, not something that comes up often, but it has happened

[@megaduc]

Proff, those card animations and transitions are extra 𝓼𝓷𝓪𝔃𝔃𝔂.

[@BigMoai]

This is a certified hood classic.

[@buttwipe108]

I remember opening a booster pack from a fetch land way back during Zendikar. At first I thought it was a scam that a rare slot was taken up by a dumb land when I had 10 "Terramorphic Expanse" common cards. I was such a noob back then lol

[@ChrirTFM]

I feel you, did the same thing :D

[@GreenFenril]

Same here

[@TheKrakhor]

Yeah I think that's a MTG rite of passage, haha. "I have to PAY LIFE to get a land? This could just be a mountain"

[@Bigmackenzie]

If it makes you feel any better we used to think that a dual land in a pack was a waste of a rare card back in the day too. Only the "lace" cycle of cards would elicit more groans than a dual land pulled from a pack

[@skillganon606]

Almost did that back during Onslaught, then my music teacher caught me trying to trade them. He scolded me for playing slivers and not seeing thier usefulness and then he tried to sell me his old duals, should have taken him up on that.

[@silvanobianchini6924]

Also, by fetching a land from your deck, you reduce the numbers of lands in the deck, an thus you have a higher chance of drawing non-lands cards later in the game

[@wesmoorer3638]

I 100 percent agree. They are kinda broken 😅

[@AminAliyar]

Probably should've mentioned that if you don't need to use the mana right away, you can crack it just before your next upkeep on your opponents endstep. That way you don't need to shock yourself as the land will untap during your untap step (he actually does briefly mention this, and it's a good habit to get into). In green decks, you can also choose to use it during an opponent's combat phase as you move to blocks to fetch up a Dryad Arbor and block in specific situations. In commander games you could even sacrifice that Dryad Arbor to a Phyrexian Alter (assuming you had one in play) to produce any color mana. Honestly, lots of powerful effects require you to sacrifice creatures, so situationally this type of play can be really good (Consider using Natural Order on a Dryad Arbor). Not to mention they functionally "thin out" your deck, increasing the probability that you'll draw a non-land card which is usually always good.

[@satansamael666]

Speaking of shocks, one deck is always wet for the life loss; death’s shadow. By fetching and shocking, he grows 3 whole sizes. Add Scourge of the Skyclaves and the Goyf and we have the core of Jund Shadow.

[@a.velderrain8849]

He did mention that. 2:39

[@AminAliyar]

@@a.velderrain8849 Oh darn he totally did too. That's why he's the prof and I am but a student.

[@ajones0916]

1) Retrieving a land with a basic subtype and putting it on the battlefield untapped is great, incredible when its a dual land. 2) Shuffling your library is good. 3) Populating the graveyard with a land is good. 4) Multiple land drops from a single land is good. 5) Sacrificing a land can be good. 6) Paying a life can be good. All of these things being text ON A LAND is straight bonkers.

[@stephanwyrsta376]

Not to mention lands are colorless and therefore can be used in basically any deck

[@drew-id]

Thins out the deck as well

[@shadyoakum9978]

This comment should be pinned to the top of the list.

[@janeblogs324]

@@drew-id this, wasn't even in the video ffs

[@jordanlane2819]

Fetch lands are good cause it actually fetches something when I ask, unlike my dog.

[@FasFas160]

Watch out! There might be an opposition agent around you and your dog

[@megaduc]

can I Bolt the dog?

[@timcurtis1601]

Or Ashiok, Stranglehold, or even Aven Mindcensor.

[@imdead7355]

Sticks just have shroud. Can't fetch target stick if it's got shroud.

[@simonboucher5170]

A stick equiped with swiftfoot boots, what a nightmare

[@seth2077]

Threshold, interaction with Sensei's Divining Top, interaction with Muldrotha, losing a life in a Death's Shadow deck, triggers Gravestorm ability

[@Heriarka]

Scroll rack

[@sladewright5779]

Revolt :)

[@RickHardpack]

A very minor interaction, but an important one when it comes up: the triggered ability of cracking the fetch allows you to retain priority during an opponent's turn. Say your opponent is on Storm and has just cast Past in Flames and your hand is counterspell and surgical extraction. If you counter the past in flames while they have enough mana to fire it again, they will get priority back and still kill you. A fetch land allows you to crack your fetch while holding priority and cast your counterspell, resolve the counter, and then with your fetch trigger still on the stack, cast surgical targeting PiF. Definitely a niche case, but an important type of interaction nonetheless

[@jakefantin5881]

This is super cool. Thank you for this information.

[@Bhiraata]

Besides very niche, it is a pretty hidden interaction that many people would miss. It happened at the championship recently, but without fetches: Somebody cast Ox of Agonas, which was responded with a kill spell on an innkeeper, then responded with drown in the loch countering Ox, and then Cling to dust exiling Ox from the gy with the kill spell on the stack.

[@k1ngTony]

Minor? Basically you can retain priority?? Which means crack -> cast a spell (priority does not change?) -> resolve fetch? Would make an uncounter-able move, or not?

[@privatevendetta]

Minor correction: the ability of the fetchland is an activated ability. And this interaction has nothing to do retaining priority. The after resolving the counter spell, the stack is not yet empty, hence the active player cannot cast sorceries.

[@VinniePaul91]

It doesn't retain priority, it just means the next time opponent gets priority they cannot cast a sorcery because there's still an ability on the stack.

[@graysonblackmon1675]

Don't forget about the subtle but statistically significant benefit of Thinning Your Deck! Less cards in your deck means a better chance to draw some real gas!

[@alex-_-w]

I was just about to write that! I think this is an important fact to mention.

[@deolamitico]

it has been proven time and time that the statistical advantage is soooo small. But it's still there lol i will take any advantage I can get

[@joca3885]

Not to mention there are some interesting ways to play cards directly from your graveyard

[@ForeverDayGreen]

This is my number 1 reason.

[@cmoore6547]

The more you play the odds increase drastically. 8-12 fetches CAN make perfect mana and effectively make your 60 card deck play like there are only 48-52.

[@hunterstephens3671]

I remember selling my first fetch, a nearly torn Windswept for $10, and as a bonus, the guy explained why fetches were so good.

[@tuongpham7609]

I remember starting a little before khans and I pulled like 2 fetches. Bloodstained and delta. Like the dumb kid that I was, I sold them to the store for $5 each to buy 2 more packs. Both of which contained garbage.

[@krisdaschwab912]

@@tuongpham7609 I did basically the same. Brutal.

[@MrPizzamoe]

I think another aspect of fetch lands (and evolving wilds for that matter) is the thinning out of your deck. If you play three fetchlands in your first three turns and crack them, you get rid of six land cards in your deck, making it less likely to draw lands later on in the game, where they could end up as "dead draws"

[@kylepeck776]

Or. And hear me out here. Replace those fetch lands with cards that provide win conditions or synergy to the theme of the deck. Then you don't need to thin the deck, you just need to draw 1 of 3 more cards.

[@SuperbFairy]

@@kylepeck776 this is a take that entirely fails to understand what fetches do, they thin the deck while still giving you options and access to the mana types you need untapped, you've not only fixed your colours but also reduced the total land count in the deck. In this regard fetchlands function more as nonland cards, replacing themselves with much more powerful land selection and guaranteeing that you draw your win conditions more frequently AND you can play them. A deck doesn't need more win conditions, it needs to be able to play the ones it already has. Fetches give fixing, speed, versatility and enable other cards, there's nothing you could replace them with that would perform better

[@SloppySyntax]

I actually just got into magic and asked this exact question to my group. Great timing!

[@jonathanmasek7814]

Hey Prof! Just wanted to say this video did an AWESOME job visualizing the benefits of fetch lands! Really great editing!

[@mollywillis14]

Tolarian Fetch Land Expert Certification. Thank you for the honor professor. I'll use it wisely.

[@CortanaX]

Gonna use it to shit on people not using them with "AKTUALLY A FETCHLAND WOULD BE SO GOOD HERE"

[@DemonstrativePronoun]

Great editing! I loved the animations of the fetches turning into the basic lands tapped and untapped. Also the brainstorm visual was very well done.

[@MAAscan]

Great video! The only other biggie I can think of is the inherent deck-thinning aspect of the fetchland - in how it pulls another land card from your deck, thus increasing your chance of pulling nonlands down the stretch ect.

[@carlwitt3934]

As a 40-something who just played his first game 3 days ago...more videos like this, please.

[@tbone6704]

the channel is full of them. look around. i learned to play here many moons ago. may all your spells resolve

[@hugmonger]

Hey welcome to the hobby, good luck ever having money again XD

[@carlwitt3934]

@@hugmonger After buying 3 modern horizons 2 booster boxes.... I feel this.

[@mdchiesi]

Welcome to the community, from a 40 something who played in the 90's and just got back into it a few years ago. I agree with tbone, this channel really does a good job of breaking things down. I will say, set a budget for yourself and do your research. It's EASY to waste money in this game. But it's fun to collect, sell, buy and trade and make decks. These cards (the enemy fetchlands) were recently printed and you should be able to find them in the 20's instead of the 50s and 60s like they've been. Also, they will slowly go back up in value for sure.

[@itzdm0r3]

Another good channel if you're new is mtg judge's corner

[@stevenoneil8563]

Fetchlands are also functionally -1 card to your minimum deck size for each one you include since they pull another land out, but that's another effect they share with Terramorphic Expanse.

[@WillisPtheone]

This is not true in the slightest. More likely to die from the life cost then win from the "thinning". Focus on things that will advance your game plan rather then something so small that it really does not matter.

[@rainbowdeathjam4231]

@@WillisPtheone i have to disagree with this point... there's a reason we all run 60 card decks fetch lands essentially makes ur decks 56 cards assuming your only running 4

[@animehater27]

This was a really neat video. I hope it gets enough traction that the Professor is able to make more in the same vein, where things are not clear to beginning players that more experienced players just take for granted.

[@fudgeman362]

Great video! The only thing I would add is that in aggressive decks you want to run fetch lands -- even in mono-colored decks because the fetch lands are pulling lands out of your deck so you don't draw them, thereby allowing you to be drawing more threats in future turns. This is why you often see Red Burn decks running Bloodstained Mire with no black cards, etc. Keep up the great work Prof!

[@scottmacadams9129]

Fetches can also been seen as a tutor in certain decks for combo pieces that abuse things like Mystic Sanctuary in an Orvar deck. All the fetchable utility lands from Eldraine are pretty neat and can work in some decks I think another significant advantage of a fetch is just how important instant speed land selection is. If I have a Scalding Tarn in play maybe I need blue but only if I need to counter something and if I don't maybe I could use red to bolt something. Leaves your opponent guessing as well, the less information an opponent has the better, which is why they are typically only cracked when needed or at the last moment possible like the endstep before your turn if it etb's tapped He's the professor and he's here to say Fetch lands are powerful in more than one way Mana fixing is true but not all that it is There's shuffling and fetching for combo pieces It also thins your deck out so you don't have to pass And helps to ensure that your next draw is gas

[@javierpatag3609]

Professor, I am so grateful for this video. All this time, I thought it was about deck thinning. I'd look the topic up and the discussion would be focused on thinning the deck even though the improvements to your draws were always so small.

[@johnmraz4332]

Deck thinning is a very minor bonus on top of it. It's negligible but it's a bonus on top of the real utility of them.

[@leress]

Deck thinning are the sprinkles of the 'How good are fetchlands' sundae.

[@javierpatag3609]

@@johnmraz4332 @leress What surprises me is that not only is deck thinning what people focus on in those discussions I'd look up, they were the only thing talked about. The Prof pointing out that fetchlands are so good for perfectly fixing your mana by using them with other dual lands is- I kid you not- the first time I've heard it explicitly.

[@JackalPaws_]

Editing was on point for this video! Also I really love the insight you gave about the Fetchlands. I knew they were good, but this puts it in a whole new perspective. Thanks Prof!

[@glenconolly6559]

The drawbacks to fetchlands: that their effect can be Stifled but you have to pay the life and sacrifice it to activate (meaning the land is gone and you get nothing for it) and that the land they fetch could be targeted with non-basic land destruction like Wasteland (if you don't grab a basic with its effect). One additional benefit to fetchlands is that they pull extra cards out of the list of cards you could possibly draw, so you're less likely to draw lands.

[@Maccabeus87]

Yeah, the deck-thinning is an important aspect of their benefits, though in Commander it's slightly less helpful than in other formats. Still, every little bit helps.

[@Bigmackenzie]

excellent point! They do have some weakness to them and there are some specific cards out there to mess with them and their function

[@joshuaanderson2239]

The tri-lands are also really good options in Commander. I use fetch lands, such as Krosan Verge, for example as well as the "normal" fetches.

[@spideysquestionablyusedcha5069]

Thank you so much for this video! Ive been finally getting back into magic ever since I realised just how valuable some of the cards I pulled when I was 13 are, and have been trying to make an ur-dragon commander deck. This vid really helped me understand a lot!

[@jacob3521]

Another benefit is that: since they grab lands from your library to replace themselves, any landfall deck using cards that let you play additional lands no longer has to worry about making sure they draw enough lands to make full utility of that effect. Just have a card in play that says "you may play lands from your graveyard" and recycle the fetch. Now your azusa or whathave you is never whiffing on its extra value

[@suttin]

They have another benifit; the slots used by fetch lands help essentially make your deck smaller. I played a mono red hyper aggro deck that played 5 fetches to improve the spell to land ratio in my deck.

[@Psychicxfish]

I do that with my mono white token deck

[@kudohlol9379]

was thinking the same thing, its essentially 2 land slots instead of 1

[@Canahedo]

The card animations are really well done.

[@TheAzulon]

Thanks Professor. I'm pretty sure I asked this question here (among other channels) and it is nice to see such comprehensive answer.

[@tonypower9315]

Wow, amazing info thank you. Very thorough. Cleared up a big mystery for me as I am new to magic

[@StraightSnag]

One thing you didn't mention that makes fetch lands extremely strong in certain decks is playing lands from your graveyard. Just one fetchland in your graveyard almost means unlimited lands in your graveyard with effects from a card like Sun Titan or Ramunap Excavator.

[@RobRuckus65]

Which is amazing with landfall especially when you can play multiple lands per turn. Even having just an evovling wilds in the grave turns into quite a few landfall activations. Love doing it in my Obuun deck

[@StraightSnag]

@@RobRuckus65 Yup! It gets real nasty in my Windgrace deck.

[@derekfranz7660]

Another effect of fetchs is to help thin your deck, making it more predictable in some cases. Don't forget about the interactions with the trap cards that allow you to cast for free if your opponent searched their library for any reason. 4 archive traps turn 1 is a pretty rough time

[@peterdavis7557]

That's an alright argument in limited (40 cards), a vaguely passable argument for 60-card formats, and irrelevant for EDH/Commander. For the sake of the opening hand, a few turns, and a couple of draw spells, I'll knock 15 cards off the size of each. Limited becomes 25 cards. That's a 4% thinning. Not bad, but not the biggest of impacts. Constructed becomes 45. About 2%. Not really that impressive. EDH becomes 84. Just slightly bigger than 1%. Okay, so can we make a better argument about the ratios of land in a deck after the fetch? Limited has an average of 16 lands. At 25 cards, you'd average 10 lands left. Removing one is a land reduction of 10%. A decent argument. Constructed, 24. Down to 18. Just over 5%. So-so. EDH, I think, tends to be 35. Which goes down to 30. About a 3% drop, which in a library that size is not worth noting. Deck thinning is not really a good argument.

[@macaiebo]

Great video man, it explained everthing that i wanted to know about The interactions with other types of lands

[@just.cody.]

Great video, and one I wish I saw when I first got into modern. Activating Revolt, Death's Shadow, and "Deck Thinning" all come to mind as added features as well!

[@angelx9724]

This is really the most Community College video I've seen on here for a while. Such a concise and thought-through explanation of what is really a complicated concept. Top job prof! I'm sure you'll get tenure one day XD

[@ProrokLebioda]

Nice informative video! As a pauper myself I can't justify buying "true" fetches, so I'm buying "slow" fetches. The only gripe I have with them is that Wizards doesn't want to give us reprints of the other 5 (enemy ones? I always confuse them). They enter tapped, but other than that are like fetches. Slow? Yes, but still better than Evolving Wilds/Terramorphic Expanse (at least I think so).

[@RedRuneblade_Alt]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make videos like this! I'm not even starting Magic yet and it's still really nice to be a little more familiar. (I'm new and starting Flesh & Blood)

[@JacobSmith-jw3mf]

Great video, definitely will be a go-to if this chat starts up around the shop!

[@danielr.7289]

I'm shocked that you didn't mention the panoramas as alternatives for these more expensive fetch lands. They are 100 times less than the price of these cards, fetch for an additional land type, come into play untapped and can tap for 1 generic before you crack them, and the only real downside is that once you do crack them the lands come into play tapped. Absolutely a no brainer for budget decks or people who don't want to pay $40+ for one card.

[@bondeulv]

While I agree the panoramas are pretty sweet, they only search for basics. A better alternative is the slow fetches from Mirage.

[@danielr.7289]

@@bondeulv Wow...I've been playing these cards incorrectly for years now because I misread them because I never saw the word "basic" till now. No one in my pod ever noticed it either, so thanks for the correction!

[@JRPRussell]

Though the slow fetches aren't legal in modern

[@erenjager4698]

@@JRPRussell true, but modern is way too fast to run them over the regular fetches unless you're just playing with your friends on the kitchen table or a very casual lgs. idk about you but even at my lgs modern is very fast and powerful, although id be curious if yours in any diff

[@justanotheremptychannel2472]

Worse evolving wilds?

[@mlernout]

Similar to the brainstorm interaction, fetches can shuffle away junk you spotted coming up with sensei’s diving top. One other niche use is to shuffle away anything your opponent happened to return to top of your deck if it’s beneficial for you to do so (memory lapse, plow under)

[@bringUrTowel]

Great video professor! I wish it had been there when I started out with MTG, really explains a lot ^^

[@straultzee]

I love the clean graphics and transitions, what an awesome video, thanks Prof!

[@MechEngDommo]

A hugely understated value of fetches is that they thin out your library. Every time you play a fetch, you're pulling out 2 cards effectively (the fetch and another land). This means that you are rapidly pulling out lands from your deck so that your future draws will have relevant cards rather than lands.

[@jonathanpeterson1]

Minimal deck thinning as well, although I feel like sometimes it’s a little overhyped in this regard. But basically “drawing” two lands out of your deck instead of the one, does mean you’re less and less likely to continue drawing only land. The life loss and a permanent going to the yard are also relevant to certain decks as well. They really do, do too much for so little. Yet, WoTC continues to refuse to reprint them in any meaningful way. Yes, they definitely warp mana bases around them, as do shock lands to a lesser extent. So why continue to let cards that are warping the format continue to be legal, at least in Modern? Modern is supposed to be a powered down Legacy, after all. Well, sorta anyway. But my friend and I were talking. It would be controversial for sure, but why not ban the RL in Vintage, Legacy and Commander? This would immediately shatter a barrier of entry for these formats for many players. Similar to how banning fetch lands would for Modern. No RL legality would likely also quiet down cries for it to be abolished, just so players can play with said cards. Collectors would still want them, and with the secondary market in its current state, that’s the only people who can realistically afford them anyway. It would help quiet the have nots, and further enforce the sanctity of the RL for those who have them. Bannings can lower value of cards, but I think the RL cards would be an exception to the rule. You could even have a separate format where they are legal, if there is too much pushback. I know that would ultimately kind of make the band questionable, but think of it as a standard legality of being banned, and maybe an unlimited format where you can still use them normally.

[@DeathxThexKid100]

I see your point. But banning cards from the only formats they are legal in is *not the answer.* Banning cards like the moxen, or black lotus from the only format(s) that it's legal in removes the ability to actually *play* with your cards outside of the kitchen table with decks of equal strength. We remove the barrier to entry by allowing easy access to digital iteration of any given format, like on MTGO. Decks on MTGO are *infinitely* cheaper than real life cards and you can play as many games as you want immediately with people who want to play.

[@uwtartarus]

Glad to hear it all explained, kind of learned a lot of it secondhand and so having it outlined was nice!

[@Shannon_Vlogs]

Best explanation I have seen on these! Thank you for posting this very educational content!

[@DimT670]

Hot take: fetch lands should never have been printed They make mana trivial, make plays linear, and make the magic the shuffling joke genuinely true

[@ForeverLaxx]

I agree and disagree. Fetchlands let you play more varied decks and with the right duals, can be relatively balanced with cheaper options like Evolving Wilds. The problem is that Shock Lands also exist. If only one of these existed then it would probably be fine: either there's no way to easily search a dual land that can ETB untapped, or there are no dual lands that can be searched via fetch that ETB untapped with more strict conditions than a simple 2 life payment. Consider the video example of the dual lands with basic land types not being good enough for Modern because they ETB tapped every time or their untap clause is tighter. Without Shocks, those cards would be more viable but we'd also probably see less 4-5 color decks as a result. Without fetches though, decks become much more subject to variance and competitive decks would probably just be two colors stuffed with basics, 4 Evolving Wilds and 4 Terramorphic Expanse (Prismatic Vista wouldn't have a reason to exist as it's the "basic land" version of the modern fetchland). So I think the issue is more nuanced than "fetchlands were a mistake." I think it's a combination of fetches and shocks that are a collective mistake and one of them probably shouldn't exist.

[@DimT670]

@@ForeverLaxx but see heres the thing. Shocks are fine. But fetches fetch all lands with land types. Any land that has 2 colours and comes untapped makes the fetches too good. Same for other lands that have types like the one that gets you back an instant or sorcery From a design prespective that's a terrible constrain. Every time they design lands with land types they have to either let fetches get even stronger or not make em If we go purely by your logic, which albeit not wrong doesn't adress the other issues with fetches (like the ubiquity the deck thinning which results in them seeing play in even mono coloured decks the shuffling), fetch lands are still the problem because they constrain design so much, while shock lands are just good lands

[@ForeverLaxx]

@@DimT670 Shock Lands are only "good lands" because of the fetches. They're "fixed perfect duals" for a reason, and while that doesn't make them bad it doesn't make them good either. Without fetches, their value drops because you can't easily find them (barring stuff like Flagstones, of course) so decks would likely use more of the Fast Lands and Check Lands to have smoother land drops. By themselves, they aren't actually that much different than other dual that have Come Into Play Untapped clauses. However, without the Shocks, Fetches lose a lot of their strength outside of Vintage because the only lands they could grab are inherently worse than a Shock when searched for. This is why I think that if either Shocks or Fetches were removed, things would be better overall. I just don't think it's as clear-cut as you do regarding Fetches specifically.

[@reformed1trick739]

TLDR: They give you perfect mana and losing 1 health doesn't matter unless you hit 0

[@Whitemanasniffer]

I loved the card animations. Gorgeous video!

[@erictauer]

Great comprehensive video covering fetchlands! Thank you again for the quality content TCC! I would add one benefit of fetchlands that I didn't notice in watching the video. Fetchlands thin your library as you crack each one, resulting in a higher likelihood of drawing desired spells. I almost always crack a fetch before the next draw, unless the shuffle, or some other effect is more important in a particular deck.

[@SageDarktalon]

ill never forget giving away a verdant catacombs to my "friend" because i couldnt figure out why it was good back when i first started

[@anthonydelfino6171]

yeah... I did the same with a Scalding Tarn. I still don't use them in any deck I have now as I mainly play commander and just don't consider the benefits to be worth the financial cost in the format... but now I feel like I was taken advantage of at the time since he knew was it was worth and I did not. I feel like he traded me an Insurrection or some other vastly cheaper card for it.

[@nelsikegaming]

I was playing 10 minutes ago and fetched my OG dual lands and thought to myself "damn fetches are good..."and then I got the notification for this video 😂

[@Troglodytemtg]

Professor your videos never get old! I love the booster box game, info vids like this, and especially your commander card vids

[@tetrisgoat]

One aspect that you missed, is that there are decks that value the life loss that both the fetch land and the shock land provides, and leading one into the other is often good. Death's Shadow, for instance.

[@alexschomer6232]

It is a rite of passage to not understand why fetchlands and shocklands are good, only to later get the A-HA moment when it all clicks.

[@AdmiralSpooby]

My favorite part of fetch land power is how easy it is to trade them for cards I actually want

[@ty_sylicus]

Yo! Can we give applause to just how great the graphic editing is here? Wow!

[@travisrose2277]

One of your best videos yet, Prof. I have a lot of friends newer to the game than myself and we mostly play commander and anything goes tabletop Magic. They often struggle to grasp the finer points of mana fixing and upgrading the mana bases in their preconstructed commander decks. I'll use this video as a quick ~10 minute primer in the future for new players. Thanks for the great content as always.

[@_lex_ndre]

Very enlightening. Thanks for sharing!

[@berserkerah1336]

Great video! Very useful for building multicolored decks! Thanks, Sean Bean of MTG

[@vespertine_]

A niche use that I really Like: you can fetch for dryad arbor in response to a Liliana of the veil -2 in a deck like bogles

[@ImDissonance]

I started MTG this week and I've been wondering exactly this. Thank you!

[@crypto727]

The card animations are super smooth. Loved watching this video even though I already knew about it lol.

[@Satanickus]

I love to learn stuff like this. Excellent episode!

[@turbo2763]

I absolutely love these videos man. As a relatively new player, alot of these cards like fetches or chariot that people say are busted I usually don't understand why. More vids like this please :D

[@jasonc.399]

Thanks Prof! This video is perfect to show my friend who is learning magic!

[@NoRushpk]

Great video! Thanks for teaching 👌

[@CrazyPierreReduxed]

Aaaah Tarmogoyf, I remember when you were an All-Star. :-) Great video Prof, explained things well and was quite concise.

[@Phe0nix1986]

Beautiful edit & graphics.

[@pneuma7202]

Thank you Professor. I've been asking this for a while and all I ever get are snarky, sarcastic remarks from people in the know. I appreciate you.

[@icedemon2769]

Prof, that whole suit ensemble is fantastic. Great color choices and all that. Any chance you could give us a "Professor's budget and best fashion tips" video in the future? I can't be the only one who would watch every one of those while furiously taking notes, right?

[@ghostware6057]

killer video, Prof! A minor thing usually, but I love that Fetches trigger Revolt for free 😁

[@Rafikichu]

10/10 intro. Will definitely use as directed. Thank you.

[@cptmachine]

I’m coming across this video 2 years late it does help a lot. It also explain why when I want to dip my toe into Modern I’m largely going mono colour or possibly two colour.

[@chrisw4175]

I appreciate your use of the summer dual lands.

[@loszhor]

Thank you for the information. Another good use of a fetch land is that you can voluntarily put it in the graveyard at any time and if you have an ability at hand, such as "Landfall", that activates when you play a land you can revive it and play it again. PLUS since you are getting another land on the field it can potentially be activated it twice in one go. Also, there are many other cards that either require a land in the graveyard to activate. Additionally, if you do have the ability to bring cards back from the graveyard you can keep bringing it back and use it as a way of filling up on lands in the order that you want which can potentially save space in your deck that would otherwise be filled with land search cards or just add an extra utility at hand. Better to have it an not need it, yes?

[@RaisingJackal]

You got a 😱 wow from me at 4:30. Never thought about that.

[@nathanhundley5347]

Been collecting for ages but just started trying to play in the last 2ish years. I knew they were good but i hadnt thought of how many ways you can use that other than just the extra land especially if youre in non green. I only thought of it in terms of the land you get not the shuffle or graveyard aspects. Thanks alot so happy i found this channel!👏🙌

[@guillaumepages4429]

very useful explanations thanks prof.

[@dude11579]

Deck thinning and sacrifice effects are both additional upsides. Also Prof, I appreciate the tutorial-esque-without-being-a-tutorial nature of this. I hope you continue with these because they seem great for like a 201 level understanding of mtg. Other recommendations: common lingo, what format should I play, rummage vs looting, tutors: the glue holding your jank together, basic archetype wincons (i.e. what to look out for when someone says "this is an aristocrats deck" or spellslinger, etc)

[@dac314]

Great video, thanks for the info! Any chance you could follow this up with a video explaining some or all of the different cycles of non-basic/fancy/chase lands and their relative power and value?

[@joecarr6790]

hey prof i want you to know that you are awesome. i know that you are always trying your best to produce quality content and I want you to know we appreciate you and your work! sorry that all i can do to support your content is to watch and like your video. Have a good day prof! thanks for all the years that you have spent with us!

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

I appreciate that!

[@CianDelano]

I already kind of knew all this, but it is good to have a refresher course, and never pass up an opportunity to watch a video from the Professor =)

[@madsfrederikfischer-mller1575]

Just bought My first playsets of misty and scalding tarn for My first. Modern deck. Looking forward to playing next week!

[@BrakkoJanus]

Thank you Professor, this was incredibly informative to an equally incredibly casual player like me. I din't really see all that value in fetch lands, you hav eopened my eyes!

[@forgottonpast6847]

Deck thinning comes to mind as a thing that wasn’t mentioned or not given enough attention have less lands in your deck to draw later is very beneficial and helps you prevent flooding late.

[@krotchy6667]

I really enjoyed this lesson Prof!

[@Vex-MTG]

Great video, prof! The one thing that I felt you missed out on mentioning was the "deck thinning" effect and how, while it's frequently touted as a big benefit of fetches, it's actually a fairly minimal effect. Then again, that's probably an entire separate video's worth of discussion.

[@BMoser-bv6kn]

It depends on the format. In constructed every card put in a deck is hopefully good. In limited, not having to put some garbage in your deck (of 40 cards) is a nice little boost. A 2.5% improvement is still something.

[@joeferreti9442]

- fix mana - find dual lands with basic land types, might also save you money because you can play with less dual lands (especially useful with the original dual lands) - thin the deck, making it less likely to draw lands in further draws - populate the graveyard, having lands in graveyard for certain effects or mechanics, among other things Delirium, Threshold, Delve, ... - extra landfall triggers - sacrifice triggers (e.g. Korvold), Revolt triggers, 'land put in graveyard' triggers (e.g. Gitrog) - let you shuffle your deck at instant speed (for almost no cost, especially no cost of slots and needing to play bad cards for the shuffle effect), especially useful with "Brainstorm"

[@darilcorsner1780]

I've always love the interaction with Denver of secrets trigger also!

[@conkyjoe8932]

Ahhhhh, yes . The quite unassuming (yet vastly powerful) "John Denver of Secrets", a staple in any Legacy deck with a tempo-centric gameplan. "Turn 1, Flooded Strand, crack it to fetch up a Volcanic Island, tap the Volcanic for one💧, John Denver, end my turn". The above play is responsible for making our little, blue, flying friend Denver of Secrets one of the most feared and efficient opening plays of the past decade.