How Do Flip Lands Work in Magic: The Gathering?
Flip lands are some of the most versatile and exciting lands in Magic. As a quick primer – flip lands are cards that have two faces, one of which is a land that taps for mana. The other face can be another land, a spell, or even a creature! You choose which side you want face-up as the flip land enters the battlefield.
So what makes these wildcard lands so unique? How do they differ from transform cards? And what are some sweet examples seeing play right now? As your gaming guide, I‘ve got the full breakdown for you – let‘s flip into it!
Demystifying Double-Faced Flip Lands
Before we dive deep, it‘s important to understand flip lands have two main categories:
Modal Double-Faced Cards (MDFCs) – These let you cast either side, so you pick if you want the land or nonland face as your permanent. Examples: [[Bonders‘ Enclave]], [[Sea Gate Restoration]]
Transform Lands – These cards start as a nonland, then transform into a land later. Examples: [[Emeria‘s Call]], [[Lair of the Hydra]]
So in short – MDFCs allow a choice upfront, while transforms do their thing later. I‘ll explore both more soon!
Flip Lands vs. Transform Lands – Knowing Your Mechanics
While flip lands and transform cards might seem similar at first glance, remember – transform cards actually exile, then return flipped. That means any counters, auras, etc. fall off in the process!
Flip lands instead switch faces smoothly with no exile involved. This means your bonuses stick around through the change. I‘ll demonstrate the difference with an example…
Let‘s say I play [[Emeria‘s Call]] with a +1/+1 counter on the Angel token it creates. When it transforms into a Plains land later, that counter stays put! However, if it worked like a transform card, the original would exile and I‘d lose my counter in the process.
It‘s subtle, but very impactful in terms of gameplay! I see lots of newer players mix these up. So if you‘re ever unsure, just ask yourself:
"Does this card exile and return transformed, or simply flip faces?"
If the latter – congratulations, you‘ve got a flip land! Now let‘s get into some of my favorite MDFC and transform land cards…
Hot Modal Double-Faced Lands for Standard
[[Bonders‘ Enclave]] – This gorgeous land enters with a land face that taps for green mana. But you also have the option to drop it as a creature with some nice card draw built in! It combos well with counters matter cards that pump its power.
[[Vault of the Archangel]] – Having choices for your mana base is great. And this land provides that in spades! Drop it for a Swamp, or get a utility land with lifelink, deathtouch, and a regeneration option. Super versatile.
[[Shatterskull Smashing]] – Quick side note – MDFCs aren‘t just lands! They can be sorceries too. This red spell destroys an artifact AND gives you a mountain land drop afterward. Great two-for-one value.
Exciting Transform Lands in Standard
[[Den of the Bugbear]] – One of my favorite creature lands ever printed. It enters as a mountain, but later you can pay 2 mana to transform it into a menacing Goblin Warrior with all sorts of abilities!
[[Lair of the Hydra]] – Starts as an enchantment that pumps your Hydras. Then flips into a sweet Forest land with an activated ability to make X/X Hydra tokens! Complicated, but oh so flavorful when it goes off.
[[Xanathar, Guild Kingpin]] – Not technically a land, but an iconic transform card I had to mention! Starts as a mastermind Rogue, but flips into the Hideout land where he schemes and draws cards. So, so cool.
When Building With Flip Lands, Follow This Rule of Thumb
"How many flip land cards should I run?" Excellent question!
For most Limited and Standard decks I‘d recommend 5-6 lands with flip abilities, assuming a normal mana base of 17-25 lands total. You want enough to leverage their power, but not so many that you risk awkward draws.
I also tend to cut basic lands first when making room for flip cards. Unless I have demanding color requirements or card synergies tied to basic land types.
For example, I‘d happily run 4 [[Bonders‘ Enclave]] and 2 [[Lair of the Hydra]] as part of a 26 land Green/X Midrange list. But your ideal numbers could vary based on format and colors.
Flip Land FAQs – Your Top Questions Answered
Before I sign off, let me address some of the most common flip land questions I see from readers and viewers:
Q: Do counters or auras stay on flip lands through the transformation?
A: Yes! As I explained earlier, flip lands smoothly transition without any exile shenanigans. So your bonuses stick around.
Q: Can I "blink" a transformed flip land to return it to its original state?
Exiling and returning a flip land resets it to the front face. For example, I can blink [[Den of the Bugbear]] with [[Charming Prince]] to turn it back into a mountain from the creature land side.
Q: Can my opponent interact with or respond to my flip land transforming?
A: While transforming, flip lands pass priority allowing for responses. But once transformed, players can‘t do anything to "un-transform" it outside of blink effects as mentioned above.
Q: What sideboard cards hose flip lands the most in tournament play?
Artifact and enchantment removal like [[Heliod‘s Intervention]] and [[Return to Nature]] work wonders since flip lands only become creatures temporarily. Targeted land destruction (like [[Field of Ruin]]) can also nip tricky ones in the bud.
The Future is Bright for These Two-Faced Lands
Card designers are only scratching the surface of MDFCs and transform lands. As they push future sets, I expect to see stronger flip lands that seriously contend in Standard, Pioneer, and maybe even Modern!
Personally, I hope we one day get enemy bicycle dual land cycles finished off. Can you imagine a flip land front that‘s a Shock Land, transforming into a Cycle Land backface? My wallet can‘t handle that much excitement!
But for now, I‘m thrilled exploring all the options we currently have for these multifaceted cards. Flip lands provide interesting choices and let you tailor your mana base to each matchups.
Let me know if this primer helped explain how they work or if you have any other flip land questions! And be sure to like and subscribe if you want to see more content like this. I‘ll catch everyone next time!
