In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, there are countless cards that alter the state of the game in unexpected and powerful ways. One such card is ‘All Nonbasic Lands Are Plains,’ a phrase that represents a card effect capable of reshaping entire strategies and deck builds. This kind of transformation has deep implications, not only for mana generation but for how players approach land selection, color fixing, and synergy. Understanding what it means when all nonbasic lands become Plains can illuminate the complexity and creativity of the game.
Understanding the Rule Effect
The statement ‘All Nonbasic Lands Are Plains’ refers to a card effect usually found on enchantments that changes the fundamental land types of nonbasic lands. This does not simply add a Plains subtype to them; it entirely replaces their types, removing their previous abilities and transforming their identity on the battlefield.
Implications of Becoming Plains
When a nonbasic land becomes a Plains, it gains the ability to tap for white mana and loses any other abilities it once had. This can drastically alter the dynamics of a game, especially in formats where nonbasic lands with special effects are critical to multicolor decks or combo strategies.
- All abilities printed on the nonbasic land are lost.
- The land now only taps for white mana unless affected by other effects.
- It gains the basic land type ‘Plains,’ making it susceptible to cards that interact with Plains.
Key Cards That Trigger This Effect
While there isn’t a card literally named All Nonbasic Lands Are Plains, effects similar to this exist in the form of powerful enchantments. The most well-known card with this type of effect is:
Magus of the Moon (Red)
This creature changes all nonbasic lands into Mountains, setting a precedent for similar mechanics. The white equivalent is often imagined as a powerful disruptive tool in mono-white control or prison strategies.
Conversion (White Enchantment)
Though not identical, Conversion turns all Mountains into Plains as long as it’s on the battlefield. It’s an example of white’s ability to overwrite land types, restricting certain decks’ access to their core strategies.
Impractical or Hypothetical Card Effects
Some casual or silver-bordered cards may imply or mimic this effect in humorous or game-altering ways, but in sanctioned play, the cleanest and most realistic interpretation would involve custom card formats or unique enchantments designed to target land subtypes.
Impact on Deck Building
For players building competitive decks, especially in formats like Modern, Legacy, or Commander, understanding how an effect like All Nonbasic Lands Are Plains interacts with their land base is critical. Many players depend on nonbasic lands for color fixing, ramp, utility, or combo pieces.
Disruption of Mana Bases
Multicolor decks often rely on lands like Shocklands, Checklands, or Fetchlands. If those are turned into basic Plains, the deck can lose access to colors it needs to function, which can be game-ending.
Loss of Utility
Nonbasic lands with activated abilities such as Field of the Dead, Academy Ruins, or Gaea’s Cradle lose all functionality when turned into Plains. This renders entire strategies ineffective and can break key engine components.
Sideboard Considerations
Because of the disruptive power of this effect, some control or mono-white decks may consider including it as a sideboard strategy against greedy manabases. It’s particularly strong against five-color decks or land-centric combos.
Strategic Advantages
For the player using an effect that turns all nonbasic lands into Plains, several strategic advantages can arise:
- Shutting down complex mana bases
- Disabling activated abilities on lands
- Ensuring opponents can’t access specific colors
- Synergizing with cards that benefit from multiple Plains
Synergy with White-Based Strategies
In decks built around white mana and the use of Plains, this effect can be leveraged for synergy. Cards like Emeria, the Sky Ruin or Celestial Crusader benefit from a high number of Plains on the battlefield.
Anti-Greed Mechanic
In many formats, players use highly optimized nonbasic lands to play multiple colors efficiently. A card that turns all those lands into Plains acts as a punishment for overextending mana bases, rewarding simpler strategies.
Drawbacks and Risks
While powerful, turning all nonbasic lands into Plains also comes with potential risks. It may affect your own nonbasic lands unless your deck is carefully constructed to avoid reliance on them. Players must weigh the benefits against the potential self-harm.
Self-Disruption
If the deck using this effect includes nonbasic lands, it too will suffer from the loss of abilities. This limits deckbuilding options and often requires strict adherence to basic lands.
Opponent’s Basic Lands
Opponents using mono-color decks or basic lands are relatively unaffected. In such cases, the effect provides minimal advantage and can be a wasted play.
Vulnerability to Enchantment Removal
If the effect comes from an enchantment, opponents may sideboard enchantment removal to counteract the threat, making it a temporary solution rather than a permanent lock.
Commander Format Relevance
In Commander, where decks often feature three to five colors and dozens of unique nonbasic lands, turning all nonbasic lands into Plains can be devastating. It can completely stall a deck’s progress if the player doesn’t have enough basic lands as backup.
Decks That Can Benefit
- Mono-White Prison Decks: Use the effect to lock out opponents
- Landfall Decks with Plains Triggers: Maximize value from changing land types
- Tax and Control Decks: Prevent access to colored mana and abilities
Decks That Suffer
- Five-color goodstuff decks
- Combo decks relying on specific land effects
- Land recursion strategies
The phrase All Nonbasic Lands Are Plains encapsulates a powerful effect with wide-reaching consequences in Magic: The Gathering. It is more than a quirky land transformation it represents strategic control, disruption, and the elegance of white’s domain over order and structure. Whether you see it as a devastating weapon or a narrow meta choice, its potential in the right hands is undeniable. Building with or against this effect requires careful thought, a well-tuned mana base, and an understanding of how lands serve as more than just mana they are tools of strategy and success.