The 48 Best Landcycling Cards in Magic

Last updated on March 8, 2024

Angel of the Ruins | Illustration by Viko Menezes

There are a lot of flexible Magic abilities to deal with those times when you’ve drawn too many lands and not enough spells. Flooded with mana? Looting, rummaging, connive, Blood tokens, and others are here to help.

What about when you don’t have enough lands? Mana screw, as we call it. Sure, cards like Rampant Growth exist, but you kind of hate to topdeck those in the late game. You might not need the ability they provide. Enter landcycling, a way to find more mana or to fix your mana that’s tacked onto cards that do other things.

That’s the kind of flexibility we appreciate, especially in Commander. Even more so now that Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth gave us landcyclers for one mana. Read on to find some pieces that your EDH decks may really need!

What Is Landcycling in MTG?

Twisted Abomination (Scourge) | Illustration by Daren Bader

Landcycling allows you to discard the card the text is printed on to search your library for a target land that meets specific criteria. Those criteria are generally spelled out in the keyword text.

For example, basic landcycling allows you to tutor for a “basic land card.” There are also specific types of landcycling for the traditional basic land types: plainscycling, islandcycling, swampcycling, mountaincycling, and forestcycling. All these trigger cards like Flourishing Fox, just like regular cycling cards.

Other cards, like Herd Migration, have a landcycling ability on them that isn’t keyworded. There are 46 landcycling cards in Magic. 20 of them have “basic landcycling,” and the others are a mix of different abilities.

What Does Basic Landcycling Mean?

Basic landcycling means that you cycle for a basic land card specifically, not just one with a basic land type like a Triome. That includes Wastes.

Best White Landcycling Cards

White is the power color of landcycling (if that’s a thing). In a reanimator shell anchored by cards like Invoke Justice, these could be compelling ramp and graveyard fuel pieces.

#9. Landscaper Colos

Landscaper Colos is Draft chaff. You wouldn’t even really care to reanimate this.

#8. Noble Templar

Most sets seem to have a 3/6 vigilance that’s better in Draft than you think. That’s about all there is to say about Noble Templar.

#7. Gleam of Resistance

5-cost Swell of Courage-type effects in white tend to be too costly for too little effect. Gleam of Resistance might be the worst of the bunch.

#6. Alabaster Host Intercessor

Alabaster Host Intercessor costs three mana more than Fairgrounds Warden, which is a big landcycling tax to pay for a card type that isn't very good in Commander.

#5. Sunblade Samurai

This Neon Dynasty Limited staple mostly shows up in samurai tribal decks like Raiyuu, Storm's Edge. Sunblade Samurai isn’t great to cast or to reanimate in Commander. Still, this might be just the Swiss Army Knife you need for your brew with the lifegain there.

#4. Eagles of the North

I don’t know that I ever really want to cast Eagles of the North, but landcycling for is pretty great and white has some graveyard synergies that this facilitates. Being in Jeskai () colors makes this great for the Gavi, Nest Warden cycling deck

#3. Eternal Dragon

Eternal Dragon is a reasonably bonkers source of recurring value. You can expensively loop this for land in a white landfall deck, or you can pay 12 to get it from the graveyard to the battlefield as much as you like. You can also do both!

This might be decent in a control shell, and the fail case is a Plains. This is also a flexible include in dragon or spirit tribal decks with things like Gavi, Nest Warden, or even Quintorius, Field Historian!

#2. Timeless Dragon

More powerful than the previous card with less battlecruiser game flexibility, Timeless Dragon is great as a 5/5 flier for five that you can plainscycle and then eternalize once.

#1. Angel of the Ruins

I’d totally play Angel of the Ruins in blink decks, but that’s not where it seems to show up the most. It was reprinted in the Osgir, the Reconstructor precon, but it has more synergy with angel tribal and commanders like Kaalia, Zenith Seeker.

Best Blue Landcycling Cards

#6. Shoreline Ranger

Shoreline Ranger is a fine top-end flier for Limited, but it’s not good even for bird tribal in EDH.

#5. Tidal Terror

Aside from being another octopus for folks trying to turn 13 total cards into a tribal deck, Tidal Terror seems pretty low impact.

#4. Traumatic Visions

Neutralize is better, but is the only other counterspell you can cycle away so unworthy to play? I think Traumatic Visions is a hidden gem. The art by Cyril Van Der Haegen is some of the coolest in the game.

You know you have a deck with nonsense counterspells like Spell Swindle and Access Denied and Desertion. Blue has a lot of value-added counterspells at this cost. If you already have a deck built to cast such expensive counters, consider adding this. It’s a lot worse than them all, but there’s a lot of flexibility here.

#3. Monstrosity of the Lake

If you're blinking Monstrosity of the Lake, that’s pretty sick, but if you're just dropping this for 10 mana and moving on with your life, that's pretty overcosted given what you can do for 10 mana in blue.

#2. Mental Journey

How does Mental Journey compare to Boon of the Wish-Giver, which is in five times more EDH decks? Favorably, I’d say.

You draw three instead of four for six mana, but you can do it at instant speed. That’s only one more mana than a flashed Silver Scrutiny. You can cycle this away for any basic land, which is a lot better than the Boon’s topdeck draw in most cases.

#1. Lórien Revealed

And Lórien Revealed is even better. Sure, it’s a sorcery, but cycling for one for a Triome, perhaps is a lot better, especially if you recur spells from t=your graveyard.

In a deck that wants to spew spells from the graveyard with cards like Lier, Disciple of the Drowned, I’d run both. And the Boon. And they all go in the Gavi deck.

Best Black Landcycling Cards

These are probably good includes if you’re playing something like The Raven Man or Archfiend of Ifnir, or need mono-black discard effects to round out a deck of cards like Bone Miser, Dying to Serve, and Feast of Sanity.

#6. Absorb Vis

Absorb Vis is unplayable outside of the above noted strategies.

#5. World-Weary

Black removal at a 5-mana cost is just for Limited, you say? You’d be right, mostly, but tell me you don’t want to cycle World-Weary for a land in your Ghen, Arcanum Weaver deck and recur it as needed.

This is an aura, you see!

#4. Gloomfang Mauler

If you reanimate Gloomfang Mauler after cycling it away it can drop counters, which isn't a common thing to do in black. So that’s either really cool or without a deck.

#3. Injector Crocodile

Injector Crocodile is a fine enough swampcycler. It's a Phyrexian, and that can matter. And it leaves behind an artifact body if you play it or reanimate it, so that’s okay.

#2. Troll of Khazad-dûm

Cycling for one is best cycling. Troll of Khazad-dûm isn't awful if you are reanimating things, I guess. It holds a Vorpal Sword just fine?

#1. Twisted Abomination

Twisted Abomination is in a decent number of EDH decks, but it doesn’t really have a coherent home. That tends to mean the card has some flexible power, and this does.

I like it in a zombie deck that wants to run graveyard shenanigans like Zombie Apocalypse and Tomb Tyrant. The mana cost of zombie tribal cards keeps going up, and having this get a land then lie in wait in the ‘yard is reasonable.

Best Red Landcycling Cards

There’s a decent number of cycling cards in red from Ikoria and the Amonkhet block. If you need a few more because of color restriction in Commander, these are worth a look.

#7. Chartooth Cougar

Chartooth Cougar had to have won games of Scourge Limited. Otherwise, not a playable card.

#6. Fiery Fall

These big damage red commons for Limited usually cost five and are fine in small numbers for Draft. Fiery Fall is a pass unless you’re in expensive spell tribal with Zaffai, Thunder Conductor where being able to cycle this is pretty important in the early game given the rest of your deck.

#5. Battle Plan

Battle Plan is a really sad battle plan compared to effects like the one on Halana and Alena, Partners. I think this is mostly unplayable, but this is your public service announcement that this card exists if you need a cycling or discard trigger in red for Brallin, Skyshark Rider, Glint-Horn Buccaneer, Drannith Stinger, and Surly Badgersaur.

#4. Furnace Host Charger

Furnace Host Charger cycles for two. You don’t want to play it.

#3. Cragsmasher Yeti

Cragsmasher Yeti cycles for two. If you really need the backup counters?

#2. Oliphaunt

Oliphaunt cycles for one. You could do worse as fixing or a fringe playable in Isshin, Two Heavens as One decks. You could do a lot better, but this might be the thing for you depending on the quality of your dual lands.

#1. Ruin Grinder

Red wheel cards like this are reasonably rare from a Commander perspective where you have to find them in your 99-card deck. Ruin Grinder is the worst of the lot, surely, unless you’re recurring artifacts from the graveyard with commanders like Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa, Feldon of the Third Path, etc.

Best Green Landcycling Cards

Honorable Mention

First a special shoutout to the unique Greenseeker, which channels other cards from your hand as a tap ability. That’s much less flexible and isn’t really landcycling, but it’s a card of note if you’re brewing around in this space.

#8. Sylvan Bounty

Ah, mass lifegain. Sylvan Bounty is the kind of spell we thought was good when we first picked up the game. Those days are long gone.

Thanks for the feels!

#7. Wirewood Guardian

There are cheaper options that search for more than Forests. Let’s move from Wirewood Guardian to those.

#6. Timberland Ancient

Timberland Ancient is marginally better than the Guardian. Marginally.

#5. Elvish Aberration

Elvish Aberration is surprisingly playable in decks that care about its high cost, given that you can just cycle it away for slow ramp or keep it for extra creature ramp to get your commander past all the tax. It has a home in some builds of decks like Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood and Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty.

#4. Greater Tanuki

A flexible include in Neon Dynasty Draft, the channel ability on Greater Tanuki is one more mana than the next card. It has trample and one more toughness, but that’s not enough to bump it up.

#3. Orchard Strider

Orchard Strider makes Food for Gyome, Master Chef, or the new Lord of the Rings Food precon. It also gets a land for one cheaper than the Tanuki. This is a better deal than the newer and more well-known card.

#2. Generous Ent

Orchard Strider makes one less Food but also cycles for one less and can grab a Triome. Perhaps you're rocking a treefolk deck?

#1. Herd Migration

This Limited bomb should see more EDH play! Herd Migration is slower than Sakura-Tribe Elder, but isn’t this an excellent top end compared to Three Visits in a 5-color deck? Not to mention cascade or Simic () decks that recur spells from the graveyard, or green lifegain decks.

Best Multicolored Landcycling Cards

These tend to have flexible landcycling. They're often a bit underpowered for EDH, but they can provide interesting options for builds of Niv-Mizzet Reborn or Codie, Vociferous Codex.

#10. Igneous Pouncer

Igneous Pouncer has haste. Still kinda meh.

#9. Valley Rannet

If you’re living the Greater Tanuki life, maybe add Valley Rannet to your crew?

#8. Sanctum Plowbeast

Sanctum Plowbeast is flexible but kinda sad.

#7. Pale Recluse

Why not play Pale Recluse in Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist?

#6. Jhessian Zombies

I’m surprised Jhessian Zombies isn’t in more Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver decks, but Dimir () zombie players are spoiled for choices. Maybe there’s no room for this.

#5. Grave Upheaval

Grave Upheaval is a quite a flexible reanimation card that can target any graveyard. This isn’t a bad addition if you’re in that Necromantic Summons space in Rakdos ().

#4. Migratory Route

Migratory Route is obviously a card you want in Azorius () fliers or bird tribal. It's loved by Kangee, Aerie Keeper and the other dozen or so skies generals.

#3. Treacherous Terrain

This card is weird. Treacherous Terrain likes weird decks. It can end the game as a hellbent topdeck late with Wort, the Raidmother.

I’d probably want this in a Svella, Ice Shaper deck.

#2. Sylvan Reclamation

White and green have a lot of enchantment and artifact hate, and this is a pretty expensive version of that. But this is exactly what’s good about landcycling. You get some slower ramp early, and this takes care of two big threats late.

That’s a fine deal for Sylvan Reclamation.

#1. Ancient Excavation

Ancient Excavation can draw you a lot of cards and put a lot of cards in the graveyard, all for four mana. It's probably playable without the landcycling! It’s great in decks ranging from Toluz, Clever Conductor to Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer.

Best Colorless Landcycling Cards

#2. Sojourner's Companion

Sojourner's Companion is a strict upgrade to Myr Enforcer that's great for the kind of artifact builds that want to go wide with creatures. That space feels like one where Urza, Chief Artificer is going to eventually be the new staple commander.

#1. Ash Barrens

Basic landcycling for one is a good rate. You can drop Ash Barrens on curve if your colors are already okay. It's really good if you’re recurring lands from the graveyard.

This is great alternative to dual color tap lands if you're a newer player and don’t have the budget for more expensive dual lands.

Best Landcycling Payoffs

Cycling decks obviously wants cards that cycle, but here are a few other ideas!

“Fair” Codie

I want to say Codie, Vociferous Codex, but the best builds of that are cEDH monsters with few spells over one mana. Spells at higher cost that you can pitch away are valuable if you’re playing the deck at a lower power.

Recursion Decks

There are lots of decks that want to get spells in the graveyard and cast them again. The poster child here is Kess, Dissident Mage, but there are lots of other cards to support that theme, from Arcane Bombardment to Underworld Breach to Snapcaster Mage to Lier, Disciple of the Drowned. Landcycling cards can be nice pieces of the puzzle for these decks, providing ramp and fixing while stocking the graveyard with interesting effects.

I don’t really have to introduce you to the world of creature recursion decks, do I?

Cascade Decks

Cascade decks want to cast expensive spells to chain along while also ramping to get to expensive spells land. These cards are helpful in that effort, whether you’re running Maelstrom Wanderer, Abaddon the Despoiler, or something else.

Wrap Up

Ash Barrens (Commander 2016) | Illustration by Jonas De Ro

Cards that are useful in EDH early and late are valuable for their flexibility, which is why card selection spells and effects are almost as popular as sheer card draw. Those effects allow you to brute force your way toward flexibility.

The ability to pitch a card for a land is just really strong in lots of cases. You pay a premium for that, but premium may well be worth it depending on your deck’s needs.

Are there payoffs for these cards that I missed? What are your pet strategies for these underused cards? Let me know in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord.

Until next time!