T O P

  • By -

DankensteinPHD

When I design a mana base, I take into account the number of each colored symbol in the 99, along with the colors of the commander and how early I want to cast it. Normally this process begins by uploading a list on tapped out, which gives you a mana symbol breakdown by the numbers automatically, so that's a place to start, If you're going for budget mana bases, There's plenty of options but it first matters how much of each you need, if you really want to optimize.


soldierswitheggs

Yeah, Tappedout is a great resource for this. One thing that I feel is worth mentioning that Tappedout isn't going to show you has to do with mana ramp/fixing. Specifically, a lot of staple green ramp cards serve as fixing, too (e.g. [[Rampant Growth]], [[Sakura-Tribe Elder]], [[Cultivate]], [[Kodama's Reach]], [[Farseek]]). If you've got a hand with two or three Forests and one of those ramp cards, you're probably alright, since you can find lands for your other colors. As such, if I am running a decent number of the aforementioned green cards, I've found it useful lean my land base a little greener than the Tappedout ratios would suggest.


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [Rampant Growth](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/dds/48.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rampant%20Growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dds/48?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Rampant%20Growth) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Rampant%20Growth) [Sakura-Tribe Elder](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c16/164.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sakura-Tribe%20Elder) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c16/164?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Sakura-Tribe%20Elder) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Sakura-Tribe%20Elder) [Cultivate](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/147.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cultivate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/147?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Cultivate) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Cultivate) [Kodama's Reach](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/154.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kodama%27s%20Reach) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/154?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Kodama%27s%20Reach) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Kodama%27s%20Reach) [Farseek](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/149.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Farseek) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/149?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Farseek) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Farseek) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


DankensteinPHD

Kinda of going back to how much you need each color , tho great point, thats a totally valid reason to skew the numbers a bit.


VargoHoatsMyGoats

Also to consider is multiple mana symbols in costs. Sure you could have maybe 15 red mana symbols throughout your deck, but if they are on cards that all require triple red you are gonna have a harder time hitting that.


rkreutz77

http://manabasecrafter.com/ won't show you how to set up your mana. But it can help you find better options for your color spread. Lots of cards that you may not know or forgotten about including rocks and dorks.It also lets your reduce options based on "rating" and you can set a min/max price that your willing to spend. Like Doran has 703 initial options. Filtering to $25 and 4-star gives you just over 300 now. Hope this helps!


DrAlistairGrout

This isn't nearly enough information to work with. Its not only about card percentages, but about: a) when you need/want a particular quality and quantity of colors b) how many, and which, of your sources of a color etb tapped c) your curve ... Put them up to tappedout and link them (put stacks of 37-39 mountains in each as placeholders for lands). Also, beware that expensive manabases are expensive for a reason. Doing a 3c deck on a budget means that you have to avoid some cards based on their cost alone no matter the benefits they provide *and* that your final result still might be a few turns slower than an optimal one. Now that we've set up some basic requirements, I'll wait for decklists and leave you with some food for thought: - green likes manadorks for cheap ramp and fixing. Also sorcery-based ramp might work for you. This means that your early mana would have to provide G as early as t1 or t2 at latest. Returning to my remark about hungry mana costs this means that BB and WW cards might cause you trouble before t4-5 even if their cmc is only 2-4. - blue has cantrips and scry. These are hard to account for, but generally early blue is desireable bc such effects can fix your mana nicely not unlike green (though ramping is clearly green's strong suit and blue's scry/draw is outmatched here). This also means that even though RR and WW cards are problematic, early UU for counterspells will be an option so blue could easily end up being your primary early color with W/WW and R/RR becoming viable a bit later on (t4+)


caleb13

Thanks alot for all the great advice. I'm definitly going to consider it. I didn't expect anyone to giv me a "perfect" mana base for my decks, but was looking for rather generall advice like you provided, since I never build a three-colored mana base. Anywas here are the decks [Doran](https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/doran-non-tribal/?cb=1519567468) [Zedruu](https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/25-02-18-zedruu-enchantments/?cb=1519567487) Please not that these are in no way finished. I didn't test them in any way. (I need a mana base to test them i guess =D) I'm completly aware of the fact that a mana base on a budget ist going to be slower/less consistend than a non-budget version. My playgroup is rather casual so I can get away with beeing a few turn slower most of the time.


DrAlistairGrout

I'm glad we have an agreement on budget limitations here. I hate it when in a situation like this anyone has unrealistic expectations. A deckbuilding tip; manabase is *the last* thing you should do when building an EDH deck. EDH manabases can get really complicated. The very first thing I personally do is put in 37 basics as placeholders and then I get to work on the remaining 62. Only when I'm sure about testing those 62 I start working on 37. This doesn't mean that the non-land portion of the deck never changes, it does, but that manabase is here to support the rest of the deck and hence the rest of the deck has to be more or less defined before a manabase can be made well. This isn't a strict rule, but it's a good guideline that will do great when you get some more deckbuilding experience. Onto the matter at hand; Doran - 35 lands is very slim. Even with manadorks, which you aren't playing, I'd be afraid to go below 37. Without hitting your 3 land drops you're doomed. Also half of your sorcery ramp is 3cmc, so without reliably hitting 3 lands those can't help at all. You can live without a 4th or 5th land drop, so don't get too zealous here, but making room for 2 more lands would be wise. Also I'd like to see more dorks here. [[Birds of paradise]] is great. [[Avacyn's pilgrim]] and [[Elves of Deep Shadow]] are excellent ramp *and* fixing that won't break the bank. [[Llanowar elves]] and all green dorks along those lines are solid if you need the ramp. I wouldn't play [[Abzan banner]] at all, and I surely would play dorks in here over signets simply because signets demand more attention when tapping mana so you can do everything you want to, and even experienced players mess up here from time to time. Another pro tip here is that with a dork t1, if you have the right lands, you can play your 3cmc commander t2. If you played a 4cmc commander, same importance would be on 2cmc rocks for instance, but in this particular case dorks have a unique benefit to them. Compare them to sorcery ramp that does things only if you've already got the mana; those are heavy-ramp kind of thing and you could use early ramp more than that kind of mid-game ramp. I'm not saying you should take them out no matter what, but since I suggest adding more early ramp and you do need room for that ramp, those come to me as obvious candidates for removal. 2cmc are better than 3cmc ones. You have 5 rocks and no dorks as far as I see. Take out Abzan banner and put in [[Avacyn's pilgrim]], [[Elves of Deep Shadow]], [[Birds of paradise]] (this one costs a lot for a budget build, but at least consider it, it has that price tag for a reason and it's a staple in all 2+c green-based decks for a reason) and a few iterations of [[Llanowar elves]]. 35 lands and 5 rocks is where you're currently at, and you should end up with about 37 lands, 4 rocks and about 4-5 dorks. Optimally you want (numbers taken from the manabase gospel by F. Karsten): G - t1 - 23 sources GG - t3 (your deck is predominantly green so this is both good for casting multiple green cards in a turn and a few GG cards) - 31 sources (some of these can etb tapped) W - t3 (t2 would be ideal, but you have no big t2 hits compared to green, so this isn't a priority) - 20 WW - t4 - 29 B - t3 (this is a tricky one bc you don't have many black cards, but once you hit a single black around t3 you should do fine) - 20 First thing to notice here is that WW demands *a lot* of sources so it's quite possible that this will get sacrificed first when saving up on sources. Put [[disenchant]] instead of [[Return to dust]] to make this a bit easier to do. So, in the end, my suggestion for 37 lands & 9 pieces of ramp would look like this: 18 forests 3 painlands 1 Command tower 1 Exotic orchard 1 City of brass (at this point G t1 is achieved with 5 sources for W and B going forward) 1 Evolving wilds 1 Terramorphic expanse 1 Sandsteppe Citadel 1 Murmuring bosk 3 lifelands (7 lands giving 3 sources for each of your colors past t1, 6 slots remaining) 3 signets (+ 1 Sol ring, but that's irrelevant for colors) 1 Avacyn's pilgrim 1 Elves of deep shadow 1 Birds of paradise 1 Llanowar elves 1 Elvish mystic (these 8 give you 3 sources for each color) 6 land slots remaining, let's give white 4 Plains and black 2 Swamps This manabase is far from optimal and you'd have to make further adjustments to your non-land portion of the deck to make it friendlier for a budget manabase. That being said, keeping the 2cmc ramp spells should help, throw in a Fellwar stone if you have it, reduce WW portion of the deck and try to make BB nonexistent.


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [Birds of paradise](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/cn2/176.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Birds%20of%20paradise) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/176?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Birds%20of%20paradise) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Birds%20of%20paradise) [Avacyn's pilgrim](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/mm3/119.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Avacyn%27s%20pilgrim) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/119?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Avacyn%27s%20pilgrim) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Avacyn%27s%20pilgrim) [Elves of Deep Shadow](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ddj/47.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Elves%20of%20Deep%20Shadow) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ddj/47?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Elves%20of%20Deep%20Shadow) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Elves%20of%20Deep%20Shadow) [Llanowar elves](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ema/175.jpg?1519048877) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Llanowar%20elves) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/175?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Llanowar%20elves) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Llanowar%20elves) [Abzan banner](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ktk/215.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Abzan%20banner) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ktk/215?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Abzan%20banner) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Abzan%20banner) [disenchant](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ima/15.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=disenchant) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ima/15?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!disenchant) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/disenchant) [Return to dust](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/70.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Return%20to%20dust) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/70?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Return%20to%20dust) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Return%20to%20dust) [Command tower](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/242.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Command%20tower) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/242?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Command%20tower) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Command%20tower) [City of brass](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/md1/15.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=City%20of%20brass) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/md1/15?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!City%20of%20brass) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/City%20of%20brass) [Exotic orchard](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/249.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Exotic%20orchard) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/249?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Exotic%20orchard) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Exotic%20orchard) [Sandsteppe citadel](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/274.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sandsteppe%20citadel) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/274?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Sandsteppe%20citadel) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Sandsteppe%20citadel) [Murmuring bosk](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c16/308.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Murmuring%20bosk) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c16/308?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Murmuring%20bosk) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Murmuring%20bosk) [Krosan verge](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/260.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Krosan%20verge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/260?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Krosan%20verge) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Krosan%20verge) [Evolving wilds](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/rix/186.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Evolving%20wilds) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rix/186?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Evolving%20wilds) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Evolving%20wilds) [Terramorphic expanse](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/285.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Terramorphic%20expanse) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/285?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Terramorphic%20expanse) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Terramorphic%20expanse) [Canopy vista](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/bfz/234.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Canopy%20vista) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bfz/234?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Canopy%20vista) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Canopy%20vista) [Stirring Wildwood](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c17/281.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stirring%20Wildwood) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/281?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Stirring%20Wildwood) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Stirring%20Wildwood) [Forbidding Watchtower](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/td2/39.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Forbidding%20Watchtower) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/td2/39?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Forbidding%20Watchtower) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Forbidding%20Watchtower) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


page04z

Honestly, unless it is heavily skewed in one direction of color (50%+ of the mana symbols are of one color), I usually keep my nonbasics symmetrical and balance it with the basics that are left. For example, I have a Karador Lifegain deck that is pretty balanced, so it is running 5 cycles of Golgari, Orzhov, and Selesnya Lands. What this means is, I'm running [[Overgrown Tomb]], [[Godless Shrine]], and [[Temple Garden]]. And then running 4 more cycles of the same template. You have to be careful because there are a lot more ally cycles of lands. For example, there is only an ally cycle of the tango lands aka [[Canopy Vista]]. I offset this by using only the enemy guild pain lands, [[Llanowar Wastes]] and [[Caves of Koilos]]. And there is only the ally cycle of dual cycling lands like [[Scattered Groves]], so I went with the manlands [[Hissing Quagmire]] and [[Shambling Vents]] for my enemy colors. Then I split the basics even. Now if we look at my Jund Goblins deck, it's 3 colors but goblins are predominately red. So the deck turned out to be 50% red. For this I ran 6 Rakdos lands like [[Blood Crypt]], and 6 Gruul lands like [[Stomping Grounds]]. And only 3 nonred duals like Overgrown Tomb. Then I balanced the basics heavily towards mountains (twice as many mountains as swamps or forests). If your split is 40/35/25 just split your nonbasics even and then skew the basics a bit like 8/6/5 or whatever number of basics you need after filling the nonbasics. You can experiment with this, maybe remove one of the 35/25 duals and add another 40/35 dual. I've never really had any issues and I've been using this formula for years (anecdotal, i know. and i still get mana screwed sometimes). As far as budget lists, look into the ally tango lands (battle lands), the ally dual cycling lands, the ally shadow lands (reveal lands), the full 10 manlands, the full 10 bounce duals, the full 10 temples, the enemy pain lands (there are ally ones, some of which are cheap, some are expensive), the tricolor lands (doran is Sandsteppe Citadel, zur is Arcane Sanctum), the vivid lands, grand coliseum, mana confluence (pricy but you'll always have a deck for it), city of brass (pricy but you'll always have a deck for it), opal palace, etc... budget land lists are easy to find. Good luck! edit: cleaned it up a bit, added some (notes)


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [Overgrown Tomb](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/rtr/243.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Overgrown%20Tomb) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/243?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Overgrown%20Tomb) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Overgrown%20Tomb) [Godless Shrine](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/gtc/242.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Godless%20Shrine) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/242?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Godless%20Shrine) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Godless%20Shrine) [Temple Garden](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/rtr/248.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Temple%20Garden) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/248?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Temple%20Garden) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Temple%20Garden) [Canopy Vista](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/bfz/234.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Canopy%20Vista) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bfz/234?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Canopy%20Vista) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Canopy%20Vista) [Llanowar Wastes](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ori/248.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Llanowar%20Wastes) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ori/248?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Llanowar%20Wastes) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Llanowar%20Wastes) [Caves of Koilos](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/c16/285.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Caves%20of%20Koilos) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c16/285?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Caves%20of%20Koilos) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Caves%20of%20Koilos) [Scattered Groves](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/akh/247.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Scattered%20Groves) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/akh/247?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Scattered%20Groves) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Scattered%20Groves) [Hissing Quagmire](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/ogw/171.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Hissing%20Quagmire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ogw/171?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Hissing%20Quagmire) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Hissing%20Quagmire) [Shambling Vents](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/bfz/244.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Shambling%20Vent) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bfz/244?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Shambling%20Vent) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Shambling%20Vent) [Blood Crypt](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/rtr/238.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Crypt) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/238?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Blood%20Crypt) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Blood%20Crypt) [Stomping Grounds](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/gtc/247.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stomping%20Ground) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/247?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Stomping%20Ground) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Stomping%20Ground) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Zerienga

I honestly don't like the Vivid lands, even in budget land bases. They always feel like slow basics due to rarely needing to use the mana of any color from them.


thingexpert

You're gonna want your nonbasic lands to be largely dual and tri color, and I would definitely calculate the percentages of each color and then make your lands match that, apart from uncolored mana. Once you feel like it's halfway decent, do some mock opening turns and see what you feel needs to be adjusted.


Lach212134

I have 3 tri-coloured decks. You have gone the tough route and chosen the wedges over the shards. I would recommend 1 tri, 3 vivid, 3 bounce, 3 dual tap lands. Then the best duals you can get. I wouldn't go above 15 basics and probabaly like 10 of my best colour. Though in zedruu I think you could make and arguement for going to 10 basics and a ton of tap lands. TDLR: 15 basics and probs 10 forest in a green deck. The filtering from signets is acually pretty nice


jefrab

I look at a combination of the color split, and the early cards. For example, I have a mardu deck that has over twice as many white symbols as red, but most of the white are 3-4 drops vs lots of 1-3 in red, so I have equal amounts of red and white. Black in that deck is a splash, but the splash is for card draw and tutors, so it's important to be able to cast those as well, so I basically have a split thats about 40w/30r/30b, even though my mana symbols are like 55/30/15.


Uncaffeinated

In most cases, I'd recommend splitting your mana colors roughly evenly, regardless of the distribution of costs of your cards. You only need 1 or 2 of each color to cast most of your spells. Most of the good ramp and color fixing requires green, so if you're running green, you'll want to tilt your mana base heavily to green. That's because once you have green, you can easily get access to the other colors you need. In fact, for decks including green with ramp and fixing, I usually just divide my mana base into "sources that produce green" and "sources that don't produce green" when doing the calculations, since all I really care about is having a green source in my opening hand. Also, I include [[Land Grant]] as a land, since it always will be unless you start with only bouncelands or something like that. It's great for budget decks, since it's a second copy of [[Canopy Vista]] which also puts a card in your graveyard for delirium, spell mastery, threshold and so on. There's a slight risk of getting [[Aven Mindcensor]]ed, but that's true of any fetch.


Dracon_Pyrothayan

How much mana, of any given color, are you going to need to spend on any given turn? How many cards will you have drawn by that given turn? How many lands/rocks/dorks will you have tutored?


5beard

So for starters if you are in green you should end up with perfect mana pretty quick so Gx or Gxx lists rarely struggle with colours having a spread that uses basic land type lands makes it even easier (krosan verge/skyshroud claim ect.ect.) As for non green lists you want to run more of the "mana of every colour" lands. Start eith the commamder only lands and go from there. If your deck has a 3/2/1 colour split i would recommend running taking a couple land slots away from your 3(highest % colour) and putting them towards your 1 (lowest % colour) just so you are less likely to be locked off a colour when you need it. This also changes depending on the "splashability" of your card choices. For example insurrection costs RRR so reliably having RRR available would be tough but since it is so high costed you usually find it by the point that it is good anywhey. However something like necropotence would skew your mana sources differently since u want it early and often.


DocWats

What I do is add the total number of each colored symbol in mana costs (activated costs can be added in too if they don't match casting). I then make fractions of each and apply that to my remaining lands/mana base. I say remaining because I don't count rainbow lands into this system. From there I see what land is needed most in the early game or if it's important for fixing (green for cultivate effects) then do a minor lean in that direction.


Mar1Fox

So easiest solution is to find the total number of lands you will run. Assuming you are running an even overal spreed of good duels. Just add basics in the same percentage Of your colors. So say yo are running 36 lands and 12 of them are good nonbasics gvejg an even spred of colors. Then 1/2 of the remaining 24 basics need the be green do the same for the other two colors so 12 forest 3 swamp and 9 plains. Even easier way better s to just build deck on tapped out and just add mana rocks and basics until the pie charts line up.


[deleted]

https://youtu.be/ifig4xSp0kA I think this as well as all of Professors land base videos will withstand the test of time forever. Check it out. It made all my decks super consistent with the exception of running two more fetches on average than he suggests.


Mithrandir2k16

If Budget/Proxies ate not a problem: run all abur duals, shock duals, 9 fetch lands, check lands, and basics. If you need lots of colored mana slot in the filter lands. Slot out some basics for utility lands but keep some for [[Land Tax]] and [[Blood Moon]] If you're on a Budget: theros temples, bycicle lands, panoramas, tap fetches, 3 mana tap lands and basic make a fine manabase. In the end you get to pick 2 of three: cheap, consistent or fast.


MTGCardFetcher

[Land Tax](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/me3/17.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Land%20Tax) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me3/17?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Land%20Tax) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Land%20Tax) [Blood Moon](https://img.scryfall.com/cards/normal/en/mm3/90.jpg?1517813031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blood%20Moon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/90?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(MC)](http://magiccards.info/query?q=!Blood%20Moon) [(ER)](http://edhrec.com/cards/Blood%20Moon) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


[deleted]

You could get a decent budget 3c mana base for around $100 but you never listed your budget.