How many lands should I run?
Direct answers by format up top, then the nuance and the calculator for your specific deck.
The short version
- 60-card Constructed: 22 aggro, 24 midrange, 26 control — then adjust for cheap draw.
- 40-card Limited: 17 lands is the default, 18 with a heavy curve.
- 99-card Commander: 37 lands as a starting point, 36 to 38 as the honest range.
- Cube and other 40/60 pools: follow the closest format above.
Constructed 60-card land counts, and why they vary
The old rule of thumb was 24 lands, and it is still the right starting point. What changes it is your curve, your card selection, and your mana sinks. A deck that plays out its hand by turn three does not need a full 24 lands — it wants to open on two, hit its third land drop, and then start cashing in the extras. A deck that wants to cast a six-drop reliably does need 25 or 26.
Cheap card draw and card selection are the biggest modifiers here. A deck with two-mana card draw effectively runs at a smaller deck size for the turns that matter, which lets it shave a land. Fetchlands do the same job at a smaller magnitude, by improving color access without adding a slot.
Limited: 17 is the answer more often than not
The 40-card Limited default is 17 lands. It is not the answer to every question, but it is the answer to most of them. Go to 18 when your curve tops out at five or six with double-pip costs. Go to 16 only when you have cheap card selection, a curve capped at three, and a real threat of flooding out.
Splash decks are a common trap. Adding a fourth color does not necessarily mean adding a land — it means adding fixing. If you take a Golgari deck and want to splash a single red spell, you do not add a 17th land, you swap a swamp for a mountain and hope you draw it, or you take a Rakdos guildgate over a swamp somewhere.
Commander: the 37-land rule, and when it breaks
See our full Commander mana base guide for the deep dive. The short story is: 37 lands with 10 ramp pieces is the safe default for a two-color midrange deck. Two-color aggro can go to 36; five-color piles often push to 38 or even 39 because they need every color slot to actually produce the right color.
When to shave, when to add
Shave a land when you can replace it with a spell that reliably digs to a land — cheap card draw, a cycling land, or ramp that finds a land. Also shave when your deck is genuinely flooding in games you play out.
Add a land when your losses are consistently mana-related — missing land drops, missing a color, or holding a hand you cannot cast on time. Add before you cut a spell that is important to the deck's identity.
The calculator on this page is set to 60-card Constructed by default. Change the deck size dropdown to test your specific format and spell. If your recommended source count is far higher than your actual count, either add more lands that produce that color, or accept the reliability drop.
FAQ
How many lands in a 60-card MTG deck?
For a normal 60-card Constructed deck, 24 lands is the classic default. Aggro trims to 22 or fewer, midrange sits at 24 or 25, and control tops out around 26 or 27. Cheap card selection, ramp, and lands with cycling all move you down; a heavy curve moves you up.
How many lands in a 40-card Limited deck?
17 lands is the default for a normal two-color Limited deck. Push to 18 with a heavy curve or lots of double-pip spells, drop to 16 only with cheap card selection and a very low curve. Splash decks often still run 17 lands but with extra fixing.
How many lands in a 99-card Commander deck?
36 to 38 lands is the honest range. 37 is the safe default; drop to 36 with 10-plus ramp pieces and cheap draw, push to 38 with a heavy curve or a big top-end commander.
When should I shave a land?
Shave when you can consistently replace the land with card selection or ramp that costs one or two mana. Never shave to fit a spell that will not affect the game if you cast it a turn later.