MTG Check Lands — Complete Guide
Check lands enter untapped if you control a land with the matching basic land type. Glacial Fortress checks for a Plains or Island. They pair naturally with shock lands (which have basic land types) and basic lands, making them reliable in two-color decks with a solid land base. Check lands are among the most reprinted dual land cycles, keeping prices low.
All 10 Check Lands
| Card | Colors |
|---|---|
| Glacial Fortress | White/Blue (Azorius) |
| Isolated Chapel | White/Black (Orzhov) |
| Clifftop Retreat | White/Red (Boros) |
| Sunpetal Grove | White/Green (Selesnya) |
| Drowned Catacomb | Blue/Black (Dimir) |
| Sulfur Falls | Blue/Red (Izzet) |
| Hinterland Harbor | Blue/Green (Simic) |
| Dragonskull Summit | Black/Red (Rakdos) |
| Woodland Cemetery | Black/Green (Golgari) |
| Rootbound Crag | Red/Green (Gruul) |
Key Details
- Tier: Premium (1/3)
- Entry: Enters untapped if condition is met (check).
- Fetchable: No
- Cards in cycle: 10
Format Legality
| Standard | Pioneer | Modern | Legacy | Commander |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Strategy
Check lands are excellent in two-color decks where you run 8+ lands with the right basic types. They get worse in three-color decks where you may not have the right type on turn 2. Pair them with shock lands for best results. In Commander, they are a strong budget option but less reliable than in 60-card formats because the singleton rule means fewer basics.
Related Cycles
- Fetch Lands — Pay 1 life, sac: search for a land with basic land type.
- Allied Fetch Lands — Pay 1 life, sac: search for a land with basic land type. Onslaught allied pairs.
- Original Dual Lands — No drawback. Two basic land types. Reserved List.
- Shock Lands — Pay 2 life or ETB tapped. Two basic land types — fetchable.
- Fast Lands — ETB untapped if you control 2 or fewer lands.
Build Your Mana Base
Use our Mana Base Calculator to find the right mix of Check Lands and other duals for your deck. Paste a Moxfield or Archidekt link and get Monte Carlo-simulated land counts. See every cycle in our index of all 48 land cycles, or read the MTG Dual Lands Guide for which ones to buy first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are check lands good in Commander?
They are solid budget options. In a two-color Commander deck with 8+ basics and shock lands, check lands are reliably untapped. In three-color decks, they become inconsistent because you control fewer lands with each basic type.
What makes check lands enter untapped?
You need to control a land with the matching basic land type. Glacial Fortress needs a Plains or Island. Shock lands count because they have basic land types (Hallowed Fountain is a Plains Island). Basic lands obviously count. Triomes also count because they have three basic land types.