In the world of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), many mechanics add layers of complexity and strategy to the gameplay. One such mechanic is landwalk, which affects how creatures interact with opponents’ lands during combat. Among the various types of landwalk, Nonbasic Landwalk is a nuanced and important concept that players encounter, especially in formats where nonbasic lands are prevalent. Understanding what Nonbasic Landwalk means, how it works, and its strategic implications can help both new and experienced players make better decisions on the battlefield.
Understanding Landwalk in Magic: The Gathering
Landwalk is a keyword ability in MTG that grants a creature the power to be unblockable if the defending player controls a specific type of land. This mechanic can allow players to bypass blockers and deal damage directly to opponents, making it a potent strategic tool.
There are several types of landwalk abilities, including Plainswalk, Islandwalk, Swampwalk, Mountainwalk, and Forestwalk. Each of these corresponds to the basic land types Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest, respectively. When a creature has, for example, Islandwalk, it cannot be blocked if the defending player controls an Island.
What Does Nonbasic Landwalk Mean?
Nonbasic Landwalk refers to a landwalk ability that makes a creature unblockable if the defending player controls any nonbasic land. Nonbasic lands are all lands that are not among the five basic land types. They include lands with special abilities, dual lands, shock lands, fetch lands, and many others that provide additional benefits beyond basic mana production.
A creature with Nonbasic Landwalk becomes unblockable if the opponent has any land on the battlefield that is not a basic Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, or Forest. This means the creature’s unblockable ability triggers more often than a typical basic landwalk since nonbasic lands are very common in most decks.
Examples of Nonbasic Landwalk
Nonbasic Landwalk can appear in cards with explicit wording like Nonbasic Landwalk, or in cards that specify a particular nonbasic land type. For example:
- Slippery Boglehas Hexproof and is often paired with other abilities but doesn’t specifically have landwalk.
- Vapor Snagand other spells interact with lands but do not grant landwalk.
- A card likeWarped Landscapeinteracts with lands but does not confer landwalk.
- However, some creatures or effects grant abilities such as Nonbasic Landwalk, meaning they are unblockable if the defending player controls any nonbasic land.
While specific cards with Nonbasic Landwalk are rare, the mechanic is significant for gameplay, especially when opponents rely heavily on nonbasic lands.
Why Are Nonbasic Lands Important?
Nonbasic lands are staples in many MTG formats because they often provide multiple types of mana, special effects, or mana fixing. Cards like Shock Lands (e.g., Steam Vents), Fetch Lands (e.g., Polluted Delta), and Dual Lands (e.g., Underground Sea) fall under the category of nonbasic lands.
Because most competitive decks run nonbasic lands to ensure flexible mana bases, creatures with Nonbasic Landwalk are generally unblockable in most matchups. This makes Nonbasic Landwalk a powerful and frustrating ability to deal with.
How Nonbasic Landwalk Works in Gameplay
When attacking with a creature that has Nonbasic Landwalk, the defending player can only block if they have no nonbasic lands on the battlefield. If they control at least one nonbasic land, that creature can’t be blocked.
This ability can drastically influence combat strategies:
- Attacking Pressure: Creatures with Nonbasic Landwalk apply pressure by threatening unblockable damage if opponents rely on nonbasic lands.
- Deck Building Decisions: Opponents may avoid using nonbasic lands or play around Nonbasic Landwalk creatures by including more basic lands, but this can hurt their mana base.
- Combat Tactics: Players might need to rely on removal spells or other methods to neutralize creatures with Nonbasic Landwalk instead of blocking them.
Interactions and Limitations
While Nonbasic Landwalk can be powerful, it also has its limitations and interactions worth noting:
- If an opponent does not control any lands, such as in certain niche or combo decks, Nonbasic Landwalk does not apply because there are no lands to trigger it.
- If an opponent controls only basic lands, the creature with Nonbasic Landwalk can be blocked normally.
- Some cards can remove or change lands, thus affecting whether the Nonbasic Landwalk triggers.
- Effects that change the land type or type of lands on the battlefield can also affect how Nonbasic Landwalk works.
Strategic Implications of Nonbasic Landwalk
Incorporating creatures with Nonbasic Landwalk into your deck can provide a strong advantage in combat phases. Since many decks rely on nonbasic lands for mana fixing, your creatures can often hit opponents unblocked, putting pressure on their life total and forcing them to adjust their mana base.
However, using Nonbasic Landwalk also requires careful deck building and strategic planning:
- Predicting Opponent’s Mana Base: Knowing whether your opponent runs many nonbasic lands helps decide if Nonbasic Landwalk creatures will be effective.
- Balancing Mana Base: Opponents might be forced to include more basic lands to block your creatures, which could weaken their mana flexibility.
- Combining with Other Abilities: Pairing Nonbasic Landwalk with evasion or damage-enhancing abilities can increase your damage output.
Examples in Competitive Play
While Nonbasic Landwalk creatures are not always dominant in the competitive scene, the mechanic has found niche use in decks designed to punish heavy mana bases with nonbasic lands. Some aggressive or tempo decks might use such creatures to bypass blockers and push damage through quickly.
Players should watch for cards or decks that exploit landwalk abilities and be prepared to counter them with spells that remove or disable lands or creatures.
Nonbasic Landwalk is a unique and strategic mechanic in Magic: The Gathering that makes creatures unblockable if the defending player controls any nonbasic lands. Given the prevalence of nonbasic lands in modern decks, this ability can provide a significant advantage by allowing creatures to bypass blockers frequently. Understanding how Nonbasic Landwalk works, its interaction with the mana base, and its strategic implications can help players both leverage it effectively and defend against it in competitive play. Whether you are building an aggressive deck or planning your defenses, knowledge of Nonbasic Landwalk is essential to mastering the nuances of Magic: The Gathering combat.