It's great to have a dual land that can be used the first turn and on its own.
Eternal_Blue
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
A less confusing way of reading it might be: "If you control two or less other lands, Darkslick Shores enters the battlefield untapped. Otherwise, it comes into play tapped." An even easier way to read it would be: "This land is useful on your first three turns, then not so much." I like the second one because it's the clearest. To compare it to the cla-ssic dual lands actually makes sense considering many games are won and lost by what occurs during the first few turns.
@Eternal Blue: How about "Darkslick shores enters the battlefield tapped if you control 3 or more other lands." These are great lands for aggro or combo decks that want to kill you fast. For control decks, not so much.
Lateralis0ne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm getting four for a Vintage artifact deck I've been working on. The deck runs on less than ten actual lands, so it'll be interesting to see how they operate within that parameter. More of a test than anything, but I can always find another use for the lands if they don't work there.
I like the mechanic, though. It certainly would be interesting to use these with the M10/M11 dual color lands...it takes a bit of luck on the initial shuffle, but you could reasonably always have mana available no matter what turn it is, provided the balance of basic/shock/alpha-dual lands being in the mix.
Though if I had alpha-dual lands, I wouldn't be running these!
Hovercraft
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Lateralis0ne: Why not use this with the original duals? I dont understand how these are only worth a couple bucks.. they're the best lands - on their own - they have ever printed since the Revised cycle - ever.
krumtheslow
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
hovercraft, the ravnica shock lands are better than these, you can have them enter tapped if you don't need the mana enter untapped if you do, and you can fetch them with the onslaught and zendikar fetch lands.
apollogod
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
This cycle of lands is amazing!
I have a u/b reanimator deck, and because the deck has such a low curve, darkslick shores is just about as good as underground sea. I can't fetch darkslick with polluted delta, but that's a small drawback.
I give this card 5/5.
DacenOctavio
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
The Alara Reborn borderpost cycle extends the effectiveness of this cycle of lands by a couple turns. Not to say these lands are bad, they're quite fantastic. Although I kind of wish Wizards would bring back the hardcore Tenth Edition painlands, I suppose that can wait until M12.
I just want cheap flexible mana cards so I can build fun 2 color decks without either shelling out 3 bucks a card or flooding it with basic lands.
Kidromeo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Question: If I have a Swamp & an Island on the board, T3 comes in, can I add Darkslick Shores, will it come in tapped???
Hayw00d0909
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Using these and Drowned Catacomb in my Control Deck. Not that much of a problem unless you pull them late game. 4/5
Gabriel422
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Even though this cycle is aggressively-minded (most other duals favor control), guess which colors still ended up being the most expensive of the five.
OutlawD1
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@eternal blue change it to "If you control three or more other lands, ~~~ enters the battlefield tapped." Permanents by default enter untapped, so you don't need to waste text specifying when they enter untapped and then followed by when they enter tapped. But I agree the wording of this dual land cycle is confusing, and it took several reads to make sure you understood it correctly.
SkaerKrow
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
The foil version of this is one of the prettiest Magic cards that you'll ever see.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Such a gorgeous land. And nearly playable, too! These are completely penalty-free in Legacy. You can't fetch them, and Wasteland wrecks 'em like anything, but in a format where your first three lands count the most, they're the best dual you can't fetch.
Dennoire
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Why is this card rated so highly, and worth so much? Unless you get it out before the 4th turn, its a Salt Marsh. Drowned Catacomb just seems so much better to me, I don't get it.
am802g
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is there a name for this cycle of duals yet? I thought of a good name for them, but it might be because I heard it somewhere else or something. Regardless, they should be called the Fastlands.
Enemy colored versions of this cycle do not currently exist.
ox411
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I played Magic through the 90s and then got out of it for a few years. When I came back to it, I was happily surprised at how many different types of dual lands were available. In my deck, a Vintage black and blue deck, the mana curve is pretty low. The only card I have in the deck that costs more then 4 mana to cast is Force of Will. Once in a while this card's drawback had hindered me, but with the amount of artifact mana available and 4 Dark Rituals, and almost all of my cards casting 4 or less to cast, by the time i have a fourth land to play im not usually desperate for the mana. Most of the time this card works as well for me as an Underground Sea, but it looses a star for those times when it doesnt.
Comments (19)
I like the mechanic, though. It certainly would be interesting to use these with the M10/M11 dual color lands...it takes a bit of luck on the initial shuffle, but you could reasonably always have mana available no matter what turn it is, provided the balance of basic/shock/alpha-dual lands being in the mix.
Though if I had alpha-dual lands, I wouldn't be running these!
I have a u/b reanimator deck, and because the deck has such a low curve, darkslick shores is just about as good as underground sea. I can't fetch darkslick with polluted delta, but that's a small drawback.
I give this card 5/5.
I just want cheap flexible mana cards so I can build fun 2 color decks without either shelling out 3 bucks a card or flooding it with basic lands.
change it to
"If you control three or more other lands, ~~~ enters the battlefield tapped."
Permanents by default enter untapped, so you don't need to waste text specifying when they enter untapped and then followed by when they enter tapped. But I agree the wording of this dual land cycle is confusing, and it took several reads to make sure you understood it correctly.
WG - Razorverge Thicket
GR - Copperline Gorge
RB - Blackcleave Cliffs
BU - Darkslick Shores
Enemy colored versions of this cycle do not currently exist.
In my deck, a Vintage black and blue deck, the mana curve is pretty low. The only card I have in the deck that costs more then 4 mana to cast is Force of Will.
Once in a while this card's drawback had hindered me, but with the amount of artifact mana available and 4 Dark Rituals, and almost all of my cards casting 4 or less to cast, by the time i have a fourth land to play im not usually desperate for the mana.
Most of the time this card works as well for me as an Underground Sea, but it looses a star for those times when it doesnt.