Savage Lands

Savage Lands Lite Guide

Commander 2016 Uncommon
Mana Cost:
Type: Land
Savage Lands Text:
This land enters tapped. {T}: Add {B}, {R}, or {G}.
Flavor:
Jund is a world as cruel as those who call it home. Their brutal struggles scar the land even as it carves them in its image, a vicious circle spiraling out of control.
Artist: Vance Kovacs
Collector Number: 321
Release Date: 2016-11-11
Art crop

Strategy Guide

Last updated 2025-06-30
TL;DR Summary

Savage Lands: A Flexible Land for Commander Decks

The uncommon land, Savage Lands, is a versatile addition to any Commander deck. Its ability to add one mana of any color allows players to ramp into more expensive spells or generate additional mana for their creatures.

Key Strengths:

  • Provides flexible mana acceleration
  • Can be used as a one-color land in monocolored decks or as a fixer in multicolored decks

Typical Uses:

  • As a dual-land equivalent, allowing players to add colorless, black, red, or green mana without tapping additional lands
  • In combination with other lands, such as Badlands or Stomping Ground, to create more aggressive and explosive combos
  • In decks featuring Golgari or Boros themes, where access to multiple colors is crucial

Impact in Commander Decks:

  • Enhances the deck's overall mana base and flexibility
  • Complements cards like Llanowar Elves and [Chromatic Lantern, which also provide additional mana options
  • Can help support more aggressive playstyles or enable players to more easily cast their commander
Card Mechanics & Interactions

Savage Lands is a versatile land that can tap into three different colors: Black, Red, or Green. When tapped, it provides one mana of each color, allowing you to play creatures like Griselbrand or spells like Searing Blood. The ability to add multiple colors at once makes Savage Lands particularly useful in decks that run a high number of multicolored cards.

One notable aspect of Savage Lands is its Oracle Text. It states "This land enters tapped," which is an unusual property for a land card. Typically, lands enter untapped at the beginning of their controller's upkeep phase. However, Savage Lands specifically requires it to be tapped before it can provide its mana.

When considering how to utilize Savage Lands in Commander games, it's essential to take into account its interaction with cards like Sol Ring or Mox Opal. These artifacts can generate additional mana, but they'll still require tapping the Savage Lands to function. It's crucial to plan ahead and ensure that your deck has a way to utilize the excess mana provided by these combo pieces.

Another consideration is how Savage Lands interacts with cards like Vraska's Contempt or Eidolon of Ropes. These spells can gain you life, but they'll only benefit from the mana provided by Savage Lands if it's already tapped. Make sure to take this into account when deciding whether to play these cards.

In summary, Savage Lands is a unique land that offers flexibility in terms of color selection and can be integrated into various Commander decks with careful planning.

Strategic Applications

Savage Lands is a versatile land that provides a unique solution for ramping into more expensive creatures. Its ability to add any of the three colors {B}, {R}, or {G} at instant speed makes it an attractive option for decks looking to accelerate their mana development.

Decks with heavy creature synergy, such as Golgari Midrange and Jund Aggro, can greatly benefit from Savage Lands. These decks often rely on ramping into more expensive threats like Griselbrand or Wrenn and Six. By including Savage Lands, these decks gain a reliable source of one-mana color fixing, allowing them to more efficiently develop their mana base.

Another archetype that appreciates Savage Lands is the "lands-heavy" commander deck. These decks typically focus on ramping into high-power creatures while maintaining a low average card cost. In this case, Savage Lands serves as an excellent addition, providing instant speed access to any of its three available colors.

In terms of its role on the battlefield, Savage Lands acts primarily as a means to accelerate mana development. Its ability to add a single color at a time can be particularly useful for decks that require two or more specific colors in order to cast their most impactful spells. For example, Golgari] [Commander players who rely heavily on Sylvan Caryatid will appreciate the extra ramp provided by Savage Lands.

Overall, Savage Lands is a straightforward, yet effective addition to many different deck archetypes. Its ability to add any of its three colors at instant speed makes it an attractive option for decks looking to accelerate their mana development and cast more expensive spells.

Advanced Techniques

Savage Lands is a versatile land that offers a unique value proposition. Its ability to add one mana of any color makes it an excellent fixer for decks that struggle with mana consistency.

One potential application is in combination with Simian Spirit Guide-powered decks. Since Savage Lands can add any color, it can help to smooth out the aggressive mana development provided by Simian Spirit Guide, allowing you to ramp into more complex spells and creatures.

In a similar vein, pairing Savage Lands with Llanowar Elves or other green haste creatures can create powerful early-game aggro strategies. By adding the necessary mana for these creatures, you can accelerate your gameplan and put pressure on opponents earlier in the turn sequence.

Another approach is to use Savage Lands as a way to mitigate the risks associated with playing Mox Opal. While Mox Opal's ability to add two mana of any color is incredibly powerful, it also creates significant risk if not properly managed. By adding one mana of any color, Savage Lands can help to stabilize your mana base and reduce the likelihood of running out of resources.

In terms of more abstract applications, consider using Savage Lands in combination with Grinding Station-powered combos. While Grinding Station's ability to add an additional mana of any color is already potent, pairing it with Savage Lands can create an extremely consistent and aggressive gameplan that leverages the power of both cards.

Savage Lands also has potential in more controlling decks that value flexibility and adaptability. By adding one mana of any color, you can create a more responsive gameplan that can pivot to address emerging threats or capitalize on opponent mistakes.

Ultimately, Savage Lands is a card that rewards creative thinking and experimentation. Its unique ability and versatile applications make it an excellent addition to a wide range of decks, from aggressive aggro strategies to controlling combo engines.

Common Mistakes

Savage Lands Mistakes

When playing Savage Lands, there are several common mistakes that players make in Commander. These errors can stem from timing issues, misunderstood rules, or poor synergies.

  • Misunderstanding Tapping Timing: Some players tap Savage Lands at the beginning of their turn, thinking it will be available for land drops immediately. However, since this land enters tapped, it should not be tapped again until its first untapped state in a new turn.
  • Ignoring Color Requirements: Another common mistake is forgetting that Savage Lands can only add one mana of any color ({B}, {R}, or {G}) at the beginning of their main phase. This often leads to miscalculations in mana management, especially when playing with other cards like Rapid Sands and Ruthless Assault.
Conclusion

Savage Lands is a versatile land that offers a flexible mana addition in Commander decks. It enters tapped, but allows for the addition of one colorless mana or one mana from any of the three colors represented on its Oracle Text: {B}, {R}, or {G}. This versatility makes it an attractive option for players building with a mix of colors.

Consider including Savage Lands in your deck if you're looking to add some flexibility to your land base. It's especially useful when paired with other dual-land effects, such as Watery Grave or Wooded Foothills, which can help accelerate development and allow for more complex card draw strategies. Additionally, its ability to add any of the three colors represented on its Oracle Text makes it a good fit for decks that run {B}{R}, {G}{U}, or other hybrid combinations.

It's worth noting that Savage Lands does not offer any additional benefits beyond its mana addition, unlike some other lands with more complex effects. Its uncommon rarity also means it may not be as widely available in booster packs or as a staple in most Commander decks. However, at its current price point (around $0.57 USD), it's an affordable option for players looking to add some extra flexibility to their land base.

Ultimately, whether or not to include Savage Lands in your deck will depend on the specific needs and goals of your Commander deck. If you're building a hybrid or multi-color deck with a high tolerance for risk, Savage Lands can provide valuable additional mana options. However, if you're looking for more consistent and predictable land drops, there may be other options available that better suit your needs.