MTG Mana Base Calculator

Most competitive 60-card decks play between 22 and 26 lands. The exact number depends on your average mana value (mana curve). Low-curve aggro decks like Mono-Red or Burn can get away with 20–22 lands, especially if they run cheap cantrips. Midrange decks typically want 24 lands, while control and ramp strategies often play 25–27. Enter your mana curve into the calculator above for a personalized recommendation.

Commander decks (99 cards + commander) typically run 35–38 lands. The ratio is slightly different from 60-card formats because of the larger deck size and singleton restriction. Decks with a low mana curve and lots of mana rocks can go as low as 33, while 4+ color decks or landfall strategies may want 38–40. Don’t forget to count mana-producing artifacts like Sol Ring and signets when planning your mana base.

Frank Karsten’s mana math is the gold standard for calculating MTG mana bases. Using hypergeometric probability, Karsten determined exactly how many colored sources you need to cast your spells on curve with approximately 90% consistency. For example, a card costing 1WW in a 60-card deck needs about 18 white sources. His research, published on ChannelFireball, is the foundation used by competitive players and this calculator.

The number of colored sources depends on how many pips of that color appear in your casting costs and what turn you need them. Karsten’s guidelines for a 60-card deck: a single colored pip on turn 1 needs ~14 sources, a single pip on turn 3 needs ~12, and double pips (like 1WW) need ~18 sources. This calculator does the math automatically — just input your colored mana symbols and it computes the sources needed per color.

The “40% rule” is a rough guideline that suggests about 40% of your deck should be lands. For a 60-card deck that’s 24 lands, and for a 40-card Limited deck that’s 16–17 lands. While this rule of thumb works as a starting point, the actual number should depend on your mana curve. Aggressive decks with lots of 1–2 drops can go below 40%, while control decks may want to stay at or above it.

Dual lands (lands that produce two or more colors) are crucial for multicolor decks because each one counts as a source for every color it produces. A Hallowed Fountain counts as both a white source and a blue source, reducing the total lands you need. Premium duals like shock lands and fetch lands are the most efficient because they enter untapped or have basic land types. This calculator’s land suggestions section recommends specific dual land cycles based on your format and colors. See our complete dual lands reference guide for every cycle by format.

A three-color Commander deck typically runs 36–38 lands, but the real challenge is the color distribution. Each color needs at least 14–16 sources to reliably cast single-pip spells by turn 3. With three colors, you need heavy investment in multicolor lands: fetch lands, shock lands, triomes, and check lands that produce two of your three colors. Budget options include pain lands, filter lands, and the battlebond lands. Use this calculator with the Commander preset to see exactly how many sources of each color your 3-color deck requires.

The mana curve is the distribution of mana values (casting costs) across your nonland cards. It directly determines how many lands you need: a deck full of 1–2 drops can function on 22 lands, while a deck with lots of 4–6 drops needs 25+. The ideal curve depends on your strategy — aggro decks want a low curve peaking at 1–2, midrange peaks at 2–3, and control wants a flatter distribution with powerful top-end. Enter your curve into this mana base calculator to see exactly how your land count should scale.

For 40-card Limited decks (Draft and Sealed), the standard is 17 lands. The color split depends on your deck’s pip distribution. A mostly-red deck splashing white might run 10 Mountains and 7 Plains, while an even two-color deck wants about 9/8 or 8/9. Use the Limited format preset in this calculator, enter your colored pips from your drafted cards, and it computes the optimal basic land split. Remember that in Limited, you rarely have dual lands, so your mana base is mostly basics.

Most MTG land calculators only tell you how many total lands to run. This calculator goes further by implementing Frank Karsten’s hypergeometric probability model — the same math used by Pro Tour players. It calculates the exact number of colored sources per color, shows your probability of casting each spell on curve, and recommends specific dual land cycles for your format. It also includes a decklist import feature that auto-detects your mana pips via Scryfall, so you can paste a deck and get instant results.

Mana rocks like Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and Signets contribute to your mana production but are not technically “lands.” In Commander, mana rocks are essential — most decks run 8–12 ramp pieces. A rock that produces your color counts as roughly 0.5–0.75 of a colored source because it can be removed and doesn’t affect your opening hand land count. The safe approach: build your land base as if rocks don’t exist, then add rocks on top as acceleration. This calculator focuses on lands specifically, since they’re the foundation.

Most Commander decks want at least 5–8 basic lands, even in 3+ color builds. Basics are essential for cards like Cultivate, Kodama’s Reach, and Evolving Wilds that specifically search for basic lands. If your deck runs basic-land-matters cards like Land Tax (needs 8+ basics), Emeria, the Sky Ruin (needs 7+ Plains), or Cabal Coffers (needs 6+ Swamps), increase your basic count accordingly. Mono-color Commander decks can run 25–30 basics safely. This calculator accounts for basic-matters cards when importing your decklist.

A mana curve calculator analyzes the distribution of casting costs in your MTG deck and recommends how many lands you need. Your mana curve — the spread of 1-drops, 2-drops, 3-drops, and higher — directly determines your optimal land count. A low-curve aggro deck peaking at 1–2 mana might only need 20–22 lands, while a midrange deck peaking at 3 mana wants 24–25. This calculator goes beyond simple curve analysis by also computing the colored source requirements per color, so you know not just how many lands to play, but exactly how many of each color.

Modern mana bases rely heavily on fetch lands and shock lands as their foundation. A typical 2-color Modern deck runs 4–8 fetch lands (including off-color fetches that can find your shock lands), 2–4 shock lands, and a mix of fast lands, check lands, or creature lands. The key advantage of fetch-shock mana bases is consistency: a single Arid Mesa can find Sacred Foundry (for red or white), or a basic Plains. Three-color Modern decks lean even harder on fetches, often running 8–10. Use this calculator with the Modern preset to see the exact breakdown for your colors.

For a 2-color 60-card deck, you typically want 23–25 total lands with 14–18 sources of each color (depending on how demanding your colored pips are). A balanced two-color deck can achieve this with 4 dual lands, 4 fetch lands, and a basic land split. If one color is heavier (e.g., a Boros deck that’s mostly red with a white splash), skew your sources toward the dominant color. For 2-color Commander, 36–37 lands with 8–10 dual lands provides a reliable base. Enter your specific costs into this mana base calculator for a precise recommendation.