The 15 Best Land Recursion Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on February 22, 2025

Witherbloom Command | Illustration by Dmitry Burmak

Hello planeswalkers! As a math teacher, I’m quite aware of the power of recursion (don’t even get me started on Fibonacci). In MTG, recursion can be just as powerful. Extracting as much value from cards as possible is paramount to building a strong deck and strategy. Bringing cards back for a second (or even third) chance can be an absolute backbreaker for your opponents.

Now, you’re probably well aware of how powerful bringing creatures back from the graveyard can be, but what about lands? Lands are often overlooked in many strategies, but as the lifeblood of the game, it can be a tremendous help to bring lands back from the graveyard.

So before I get too repetitive (synonym drop), let’s dive into the best land recursion cards.

What Are Land Recursion Cards?

Circle of the Land Druid | Illustration by Alexandre Honore

We are going to be quite specific today, so when I say land recursion I’m referring to cards or effects that return one or more land cards from your graveyard to your hand. This shouldn’t be confused with similar effects like land replay, returning lands from your graveyard directly to the battlefield, or generic regrowths that return a permanent or card from your graveyard to your hand like Eternal Witness. This list just ranks the best cards that give you the option of returning a land or land cards to your hand.  

#15. Harvest Wurm

Let’s start old school, with a “summon” instead of a creature. Harvest Wurm is a land recursion card that requires you to return a land or else you have to bury (sacrifice) this summon (creature). This should be quite easy with some sacrifice fetch lands and you get a good-sized creature for its mana value.

#14. Pulse of Murasa

I’ll include Pulse of Murasa on this list because of the possibility of land recursion. In all honesty, you’ll probably want to return a creature to your hand, but there may be some circumstances where returning a land is a positive. I’m thinking of channel lands like Takenuma, Abandoned Mire as a solid choice of recursion for Pulse of Murasa.

#13. Petrified Field

Here's a land that can fulfill your land recursion needs. Petrified Field is a colorless-mana-producing land that can bring a land from your graveyard back to your hand. It doesn’t produce as much synergy as other land recursion cards, but it can help return a valuable creature land like Restless Cottage from destruction.

#12. Groundskeeper

Groundskeeper is your cheap, activated-ability creature for land recursion. With a relatively cheap activated ability that can be done at instant speed, you should be able to plan your land recursion around the game's interactions. This card is susceptible to removal but can be solid support in land-centric decks.

#11. Tilling Treefolk

Tilling Treefolk is a solid land recursion card that can fit well into your mana curve. With cycling lands like Scattered Groves or sacrifice lands like Evolving Wilds, by turn 3 you should be able to take full advantage of Tilling Treefolk’s land recursion ability. In the right build, bringing back two lands on turn 3 can be pretty good card advantage. 

#10. Circle of the Land Druid

Circle of the Land Druid is one of those cards used primarily to fill your graveyard with useful cards quickly. It works similarly to a card like Undead Butler but with a focus on returning a land to your hand. Fill your graveyard to support cards like Wight of the Reliquary and use some land recursion later. You can even get 1 more power if you play the Alchemy version!

#9. Grapple with the Past

Several cards follow the same mold as Grapple with the Past. The idea is to mill some of your cards to bring a creature or land back to your hand from your graveyard. More times than not you will probably grab a creature, but in landfall decks, a card like Fabled Passage may be beneficial.

I like Grapple with the Past for its MV, but there are other similar cards; Druidic Ritual and Sudden Reclamation for a creature and a land, Eccentric Farmer/Pothole Mole as creatures with the same effect, Roots of Wisdom for elf typal decks, Crop Sigil as a self-mill engine, and Say Its Name if you want to cheat Altanak, the Thrice-Called from your library.

#8. Witherbloom Command

Witherbloom Command has an effect that is the same as Grapple with the Past and the cards listed above, but with far more choices and upside. The value of this command is choosing two effects from some removal abilities, land recursion, to life siphon. You can return that land you need and remove some early threats.

#7. Turntimber Sower

Turntimber Sower has a ton of potential when paired with the right land-focused cards. I’m thinking of cards like Yuma, Proud Protector, and Thalia and The Gitrog Monster. These cards will gain huge effects from sacrificing your lands, while Turntimber Sower helps you develop board presence and return these lands to your hand. With good stats for its MV and ways to create great synergies, this card is an Eternal support piece.

#6. Kirri, Talented Sprout

Kirri, Talented Sprout is a Naya commander () that can help you get closer to nature. This plant and treefolk typal commander gives you the option of returning a plant, treefolk, or land from your graveyard to your hand. Paired with cards like Avenger of Zendikar and Shefet Dunes, your land recursion strategy should be rolling.

#5. Slogurk, the Overslime

Is there a cooler name or title than Overslime? Probably, but Slogurk, the Overslime still packs a punch when using your lands recursively. Expending your lands pumps up this ooze with +1/+1 counters, and when it leaves the battlefield you can get some of those lands back to your hand. This strategy and card can fit well into land ramp decks, especially building to a card like Atraxa, Grand Unifier.

#4. Wrenn and Six

Wrenn and Six is a wonderful planeswalker to include in land-focused decks. First, the 2-cost MV is ridiculous for the upside of a planeswalker. With this card’s +1 loyalty ability, you can grab lands from your graveyard to use again. This pairs quite well with commanders like Soul of Windgrace. Cards like Lightning Bolt can get even more value when paired with Wrenn and Six’s final loyalty ability.

#3. Virtue of Strength

Like all the whole virtue cycle from the Wilds of Eldraine set, Virtue of Strength has an early and late game play. Using the adventure Garenbrig Growth early on in games can help to return useful lands like Boseiju, Who Endures. If you can eventually play this card's enchantment version, you can triple your mana output from your basic lands. The flow of this card works well for ramping and ending games with a massive amount of mana.

#2. Six

Thematically, I’m partial to Wrenn and Realmbreaker, but we can’t forget about one of the first important bonds Wrenn made with Six. Away from their bond, this card is a 3-drop with defensive capabilities and a self-sustaining recursion ability. With Six’s attack trigger, you can return a land to your hand from your graveyard. This will then help you cast other permanents with this card's retrace ability. As is the case in many forests and trees, this ability is a solid recycling of resources. 

#1. Life from the Loam

Let’s talk about a land recursion card that’s recursive itself. Life from the Loam can be a massive land grab, returning three lands from your graveyard to your hand. If you lean heavily into this strategy with cards like The Gitrog Monster, then the dredge ability of this card will be stellar. You can skip your draw, return this card to your hand, return more lands from your graveyard, and continuously profit from landfall abilities.

Best Land Recursion Payoffs

There are a few strategies that these land recursion cards fit well into. Those strategies are cards that gain value from discarding (especially lands), cards that can allow you to play many lands, landfall, and cards with “leaves the graveyard” triggers.

If you can return lands with these land recursion cards, why not use them as discard fodder? Get the extra benefits of cards like Borborygmos Enraged, Seismic Assault, and Bone Miser, and then bring those lands right back to your hand.

If you’re bringing lands back from the graveyard it would also behoove you to play multiple lands a turn. The Gitrog Monster and Azusa, Lost but Seeking are great ways to use land recursion quicker. Cards that also dump a whole bunch of lands like The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride and Worldsoul's Rage fit quite well with land recursion.

If we’re focusing on lands, why not look at the exemplary land mechanic, landfall? There are many options to choose from, but I personally like Lotus Cobra, Felidar Retreat, and Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait.

Many strategies can be successful when you fill your graveyard, and land recursion can make “leave your graveyard” triggers stellar. Cards like Defiled Crypt, Tormod, the Desecrator, and Willow Geist can benefit greatly from land recursion cards.

Some lands commanders benefit from a constant stream of recursion; examples include Soul of Windgrace, Thalia and The Gitrog Monster, and Lord Windgrace.

Wrap Up

Life from the Loam | Illustration by Sung Choi

Lands and mana will always be an advantage that great MTG players exploit. There are a ton of different land strategies, but I hope this look at land recursion helps you in your builds.

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