Pointed Discussion

What a unique combination of exquisiteness, cunning architecture, and serene fervor. Its radiant grandeur can be seen all the way from the Temple Garden.

Favorite Land from Guildpact.

My favourite shock-land! Izzet for the win!
5/5

Do want

I love this land. But the name and art just don't fit it flavor wise too me. How is this a mountain? How is it a island?

@Wolfbear2 - The whole plot of Ravnica (the set these were from) was that the entire plane had been urbanized. It tasked the designers with making sources of mana that embraced the essence of the "natural" sources of mana in an urban environment. The Izzet League, who's colors are red and blue, were mad wizards who were geniuses, but also dangerously impulsive, red/blue mages and creatures. The Steam Vents are at the heart of their workshops, which provides them with the power and energy needed to carry out their mad experiments. It's a mountain and an island not because of the actual 'mountain' and 'island' flavor, but of the red and blue mana flavor.

I don't understand why people like these lands so much, things like fetid heath, rugged prairie, and twilight mire are much better. They really have no downside unless you play them turn 1, and you shouldn't keep a hand with only one land anyways, so just play it second. This makes you lose two life, which is a pretty big downside, for being able to play and use it turn 1.

@omggeesterliciousman

The reason why these lands are favored over the ones you suggested, at least in my opinion, is that these lands have the subtypes of the basic lands. Since Steam Vents has the Island and Mountain subtype, it can be fetched with lands like Arid Mesa, Bloodstained Mire, or Polluted Delta in order to furher increase mana fixing in a deck with 3 or more colors.

Also important is that sometimes, especially with some first turn combos, the ability to get mana fixing on turn one is huge, and typically paying only 2 life is well worth the reward of the combo. For me, these lands are essentially the only true reincarnation of the original dual lands --Volcanic Island in the case of Steam Vents -- simply because they actually contain the corresponding subtypes.

I Steam My Veggies At This Joint N I GG E R

Strictly worse than Volcanic Island...lol what isn't? I have never been a huge fan of these because I was introduced to these in my early days of Magic and thought "well this is stupid, I pay life only to get a land that can do the exact same thing as playing a mountain or forest first turn." However, now I realize the possiblolities of this

4.5/5

I love this cycle of Duals the best.

@ Superllama12:

Compare a card that doesn't interact with your life total to one that does? Death's Shadow begs to differ. Having a low life total sometimes wins games on its own. The shock lands are more versatile because keeping your life total low turns off cards like Timely Reinforcements and turns on the powerful black 1-drop.

Why did this card suddenly jump in price? I recall about a year or more ago it was around $10, now it's over $20? Somehow this is the most valuable 2 dmg recent dual, even more than Watery Grave. I remember since I traded this in when Scalding Tarn came out. It seemed a logical choice, althought now I wonder... anyone want to fill me in?

Good thing they reprint these lands in RTR-block, with a sweet new art.

Two life is not a big downside (c.f. Necropotence).

Unless you pull this within the first few turns it's much worse than Volcanic Island. Scalding Tarn fetches this or Volcanic if you don't have it opening hand or early in the game the question is, what would you rather have? If I'm already running 4 Volcanic and need more R/B duals then yes, this comes next.

Why are people comparing these to the original Legacy dual lands? It's like comparing Divination to Ancestral Recall. Come on, people. Banlists are around for a reason.