MTG Fast Lands Explained: Rules, List & Uses
Fast lands are built entirely around the opening turns of a game — untapped exactly when a low-curve deck needs them most, then entering tapped when drawn or played later in the game. That trade-off makes them beloved in aggressive 60-card formats and a much more situational pick in Commander.
This guide covers exactly how the condition works, the complete cycle of ten, and where they sit next to shock lands and the newer slow lands they directly inspired.
What Are Fast Lands?
Fast lands are a ten-card cycle: five allied-colour pairs debuting in Scars of Mirrodin (2010), completed with five enemy-colour pairs in Kaladesh (2016). The rules text reads: "[Land] enters the battlefield tapped unless you control two or fewer other lands."
- They're at their best as your first, second, or third land drop. With two or fewer other lands in play, a fast land enters untapped every time.
- Once you cross that threshold, they stop being fast. The moment you control three or more other lands, a fast land played after that point enters tapped. Once it untaps, it still produces both colours normally.
- They produce two colours once online, exactly like a true dual land — the drawback only ever affects how they enter, never what they can do once they're in play and untapped.
- Lands entering simultaneously don't count each other for this condition, because the condition checks the battlefield before those lands enter.
The Complete List of 10 Fast Lands
| Land | Colours | Guild | Original Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seachrome Coast | W/U | Azorius | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Darkslick Shores | U/B | Dimir | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Copperline Gorge | R/G | Gruul | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Razorverge Thicket | G/W | Selesnya | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Blackcleave Cliffs | B/R | Rakdos | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Concealed Courtyard | W/B | Orzhov | Kaladesh |
| Spirebluff Canal | U/R | Izzet | Kaladesh |
| Blooming Marsh | B/G | Golgari | Kaladesh |
| Inspiring Vantage | R/W | Boros | Kaladesh |
| Botanical Sanctum | G/U | Simic | Kaladesh |
We currently stock Blooming Marsh, Botanical Sanctum, Spirebluff Canal, and Inspiring Vantage, with the rest of the cycle being added over time. Our decklist search tool will always show current availability across the full cycle.
Fast Lands vs Slow Lands vs Shock Lands
- vs Slow Lands: Slow lands are the deliberate mirror image — tapped unless you control two or more other lands, rather than two or fewer. Fast lands reward an early, light board; slow lands reward a developed one. In practice this makes slow lands the better fit for Commander's long games, and fast lands the better fit for 60-card aggro.
- vs Shock Lands: Shock lands guarantee untapped entry at any point in the game, for a one-time 2 life. Fast lands are free of life loss but only guarantee untapped entry in the opening land drops — after that, they enter tapped, though they still produce both colours once they untap.
- vs Fetch Lands: Fast lands have no basic land types, so fetch lands cannot find them.
Are Fast Lands Good in Commander?
They're solid, but not premium. In 60-card constructed formats where the game is often decided by turn four or five, fast lands are excellent — untapped exactly when it matters, with no other cost. In Commander, games routinely run well past the point where "two or fewer other lands" is realistic, so a fast land drawn on turn six usually enters tapped, which is a real tempo cost — even though it will still produce both colours once it untaps.
They're still a fine include in lower-curve, faster Commander decks that want to be doing something by turn three, but for decks expecting a longer game, slow lands, Verge lands, or shock lands generally serve the format better.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly does a fast land stop entering untapped?
The moment you already control three or more other lands. If a fast land is your first, second, or third land drop, it enters untapped; played any later, it enters tapped. It will still untap normally later and produce both colours; the drawback only affects how it enters the battlefield.
What's the difference between fast lands and slow lands?
They're near-opposites. Fast lands enter untapped with two or fewer other lands in play; slow lands enter untapped with two or more other lands. Fast lands help your first few land drops; slow lands help everything after that.
Can fetch lands find fast lands?
No. Fast lands have no basic land types, so no fetch land cycle can search for them.
Are fast lands worth running in a slow Commander deck?
Generally not as a priority. If your deck isn't doing much by turn three anyway, a fast land drawn later in the game is likely to enter tapped, and it offers nothing a basic land wouldn't except access to a second colour. Slow lands or shock lands are usually the better fit for a deck expecting a long game.
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