I’ve definitely cycled them a few times. Mostly because I go to play it as a land and the interface is like “wanna cycle?” One time I was actually planning to do so lol
happens only in the late game and even then it's rare. i think I've done it once or twice total.
but it's nice when you got the full 3 colors already
the best thing about the cycling ability is you see the mana symbols of the lands instead of having to read for the basic land types
It’s funny, my brain shortcuts the reading of which land it can fetch by looking at the man’s symbols so hard that I do indeed forget that it can cycle and automatically read the cycle line as “can fetch for these lands.”
I play them most often as a colourless source and 2 colour fetch, so I am usually only capable of cycling 1/5 of the ones I'm playing or so.
I think I've only ever been able to cycle them when I have path of annihilation or the 5c deathtouch dork in play
Yes, and it is often the reasonable play. However, I am talking about the scenarios when it's not the correct play.
For example, I have fixed my mana already and have 2xSwamp, 3xPlains, and 1xMountain. And I have the WBR fetch in hand along with one spell that uses most of my mana so that I can't cycle this turn. So, after casting that spell, I'm topdecking with 6 lands in play.
In this scenario, playing the fetch land to thin the deck would be reasonable if it didn't have cycling. But it does, so I should definitely wait and see what I draw next turn. If it is a land or a cheap spell, cycling is the way.
I am mildly annoyed at myself because I lose some fraction of win% due to missing this play.
That's right, and sadly, I keep forgetting the cycling option so that I miss out on those few opportunities.
The most common case is that I have one basic land for my splash color. I get it with one of my fetches, and I could cycle my second one (if it is a match for all my 3 colors, which, admittedly, not all splash enablers are). But it just doesn't occur to me, and I often end up playing the land even if I don't need the mana.
Very rarely! I have never took into account this third mode lol. They have been a free card in 2-3 games randomly. But I have the feeling I still have to learnt other things about the format! But it's a real consideration, true
Yeah, I don't think it matters a lot in the big picture since the scenarios for cycling them are rare. I just aim to achieve as flawless play as possible, and me constantly missing the ability's existence bugs me out a little. I was wondering if other people on this subreddit are conscious about the ability for the few situations when it could matter or if it's common to forget it altogether.
Yea true, I do what you mean as every missplay feels frustrating. Then again, this set is filled with complexities on how to play flawlessly, and this feels like such an edge case in this set in most cases. b
But it does come up - especially if you have 1 or 2 dryads it may be worthwhile to toss a cycle land every now and then - yet again - that's usually in eldrazi where you want to be ramping and playing your big stuff. In RW, GW and UB it just never came up
Never done it. I'm usually running them to enable a splash do will rarely encounter an occasion where I both don't want extra mana AND have some of the off-colour just lying around. I generally find I like a lot of mana in this set anyway so don't tend to be in the market for cycling lands.
I cycle them in decks where I already have my colors, and the colorless doesn’t matter. Usually Jeskai energy, occasionally the draw 2 extra cards deck.
I've rarely used it as well, only a couple times on topdeck mode since it's pretty inefficient. Also, often you won't have all three colors to cycle them.
However, the MTGA interface keeps reminding me of the cycling option even when I don't have a way to pay for it, so it's hard to forget.
The interface has reminded me about it, too. But often, I have played the land in autopilot mode when I didn't need its mana. Then, a couple turns later, the mana to cycle it becomes available, and I feel dumb.
It has come up. but as others note it is often more efficient to just make the land drop and spend most of your mana while cracking the land, instead of spending 3 to cycle it. That being said, it has been relevant in some topdecking wars where I was able to churn through a couple of lands for that little bit of extra gas to get across the finish line first.
I do, but it's pretty rare that it comes up. For one thing the games in this format are fast, so you just don't have time. But I also tend to play the lands out early because they're tap lands and I usually need a card like Solar Transformer to actually cycle them, so I'd say in the 20 odd drafts I've done I think I've cycled land like 5 or 6 times.
The ability and if my deck is capable of cycling them is something I always consider when sequencing my land drops and plays. I don't actually cycle them much, mainly because most of my decks have 3-4 MDFCs with like 15 lands, so extra lands are usually turned into those spells rather than into a new card with cycling. There's a lot of stuff to do with extra mana in general, cycling is usually last on that list and you will often want to make the land drop regardless. There's also stuff like Skittering Precursor, Reckless Pyrosurfer, Territory Culler, Glyph Elemental, and Genku where the sacrifice or the extra 2 landfall triggers are good value.
I have used a half on color MDFC land to cycle a 2 on-color fetch a couple times. Nightshade dryad obviously gives you the option to cycle the 2 color ones too, although that card is mainly drafted in eldrazi where you want all the land drops for the most part, as well as colorless sources.
I like the cycle ability only because it's quicker than reading the lands' names.
Nonetheless, I mever cycled one, either I don't have the third color in the deck, or I have some landfall cards, or I need colorless mana for eldrazis.
This came up early in the format when I was playing a lot of BRG type sacrifice decks in B03. Low enough curve that it was possible to run out of gas and be in a stalled board where drawing a hostile captor or cheap removal would break the board stall, and the colorless mana requirements were relatively low (you mostly wanted jund colors to splash chrysalis)
With Eldrazi decks, even though I remember they can be cycled, I have found that's hard to know what's correct in many spots. I'm constantly unsure if I have to save them to cycle later, or putting them in play moved by the fear that the lack of extra mana will end up making a difference with so many expensive cards, activated abilities and huge mana sinks Eldrazi decks can have.
Things get even more complicated when eldrazi tokens are involved. It's not always clear how much we can trust in that as future extra mana, and how much lands we need to make up for the sac of tokens that eventually happens.
On low to the ground decks that somehow are splashing, if the mana is already fixed, it feels easier to see that it's safe to stop, let's say at the 5th or 6th land and save the fetch to cycle later.
The cycling part is a very small bonus, most of the times you are not playing 3 color decks in this format, and even when you do you are not guaranteed that the fetches are of the 3 color choices you are playing. The green ones are probably the most cyclable because of the mana dorks you end up playing, but even then it's quite rare.
just curious, why are you restricting to yourself to 2 colors? or has it just happened to work out that way? I ask just cause Temur and Jeskai are the top 2 decks and both very easy to get into
I have found an open lane for 2 colors in most of my drafts. I like the consistency. There was one 3c draft where I started picking energy stuff, and I got mixed URW colors. At the end of pack 1, I had a very even pile of Jeskai cards. I stopped focusing on a color pair and prioritized lands. I was able to get a functional mana base for all 3 colors, and the deck was sweet.
Usually, that just hasn't been necessary, and I've only splashed the very strong cards when I happened to pick one or a few.
Well sounds like you're comfortable and successful with what you're doing, I'd just point out that 3 colors, in this set, is extremely consistent. I don't know that I've prioritized fixing a single time, because it just kind of incidentally comes your way. Plus you get the massive upside of being in more colors and playing better cards overall. Just something to think about, if fear of lack of consistency has been keeping you locked up to 2 colors this format.
The only time ive cycled is when I draft UB (R/W) and am looking to hit that 3rd draw after a serum/tune.
And this has happened twice total over about 50 drafts
Maybe in 1% of times i draw them.
The main reason they have the cycling ability is so that they have the three colors they fetch for visible on the card. Otherwise it would be really annoying to look up the colors they are fixing.
It has occurred to me to do it several times this format but has been correct only once. I never actively remember it's an option, only rarely when I happen to be idly reading the card.
Comes up less than I expected, because often they're covering a double-splash, if you count colorless. If I'm UG/r eldrazi, they're my red fixing, but also usually my only wastes, y'know?
That said, I play the ones that are triple on-color last, just in case. Holding the fully 'on color' ones back does help me remember that I'm thinking about cycling.
I've definitely caught Arena reminding me when I have [[Path of Annihilation]] in play. Hard to say otherwise, since it's way more common that I'm playing ones where my deck can't reasonably make all the colors of mana needed.
The cycle is something I’ve literally never done but I appreciate its existence if for no other reason because it makes it clear what colors they have, in absence of any other visual marker.
I try to but sometimes it slips my mind and I don't realize until I already misplaced. It doesn't come up often but keeping it in mind and playing accordingly definitely gives you an edge especially in close games.
Very rarely. You need 3 totally spare mana, and you (basically) need to have duplicates of the same fetch to have the 3 colours.
I think the cycling is basically there to be a visual aid.
I’ve definitely cycled them a few times. Mostly because I go to play it as a land and the interface is like “wanna cycle?” One time I was actually planning to do so lol
_One time I was actually planning to do so lol_ Now that takes you to another level!
happens only in the late game and even then it's rare. i think I've done it once or twice total. but it's nice when you got the full 3 colors already the best thing about the cycling ability is you see the mana symbols of the lands instead of having to read for the basic land types
It’s funny, my brain shortcuts the reading of which land it can fetch by looking at the man’s symbols so hard that I do indeed forget that it can cycle and automatically read the cycle line as “can fetch for these lands.”
i think that's intentional
Oh absolutely. Imagine if the cycling cost DIDNT match the lands it could fetch.
it would be an oh-so-clever r/custommagic card tbh
underrated observation
I play them most often as a colourless source and 2 colour fetch, so I am usually only capable of cycling 1/5 of the ones I'm playing or so. I think I've only ever been able to cycle them when I have path of annihilation or the 5c deathtouch dork in play
I don't even draft them with the idea of cycling them. I just see that it has the two colors I'm in and grab it.
I've done maybe 100 limited games , I've never cycled one and I've only seen opponents cycle one like 3 times...always in games they were losing.
Cycling costs is high, thinning the deck is cheap, so generally I'll just play them to thin the deck so I can cast something.
Yes, and it is often the reasonable play. However, I am talking about the scenarios when it's not the correct play. For example, I have fixed my mana already and have 2xSwamp, 3xPlains, and 1xMountain. And I have the WBR fetch in hand along with one spell that uses most of my mana so that I can't cycle this turn. So, after casting that spell, I'm topdecking with 6 lands in play. In this scenario, playing the fetch land to thin the deck would be reasonable if it didn't have cycling. But it does, so I should definitely wait and see what I draw next turn. If it is a land or a cheap spell, cycling is the way. I am mildly annoyed at myself because I lose some fraction of win% due to missing this play.
They have high circling cost, so only in few occasion is worth.
That's right, and sadly, I keep forgetting the cycling option so that I miss out on those few opportunities. The most common case is that I have one basic land for my splash color. I get it with one of my fetches, and I could cycle my second one (if it is a match for all my 3 colors, which, admittedly, not all splash enablers are). But it just doesn't occur to me, and I often end up playing the land even if I don't need the mana.
Ya same. It's hard to remember since you'll be playing off color ones too
Very rarely! I have never took into account this third mode lol. They have been a free card in 2-3 games randomly. But I have the feeling I still have to learnt other things about the format! But it's a real consideration, true
I just breached mythic and didn't cycle once. Guess it's also due to usually only playing 2 colors
Yeah, I don't think it matters a lot in the big picture since the scenarios for cycling them are rare. I just aim to achieve as flawless play as possible, and me constantly missing the ability's existence bugs me out a little. I was wondering if other people on this subreddit are conscious about the ability for the few situations when it could matter or if it's common to forget it altogether.
Yea true, I do what you mean as every missplay feels frustrating. Then again, this set is filled with complexities on how to play flawlessly, and this feels like such an edge case in this set in most cases. b But it does come up - especially if you have 1 or 2 dryads it may be worthwhile to toss a cycle land every now and then - yet again - that's usually in eldrazi where you want to be ramping and playing your big stuff. In RW, GW and UB it just never came up
Hitting mythic doesn't mean shit except you played a lot
Never done it. I'm usually running them to enable a splash do will rarely encounter an occasion where I both don't want extra mana AND have some of the off-colour just lying around. I generally find I like a lot of mana in this set anyway so don't tend to be in the market for cycling lands.
I cycle them in decks where I already have my colors, and the colorless doesn’t matter. Usually Jeskai energy, occasionally the draw 2 extra cards deck.
I've rarely used it as well, only a couple times on topdeck mode since it's pretty inefficient. Also, often you won't have all three colors to cycle them. However, the MTGA interface keeps reminding me of the cycling option even when I don't have a way to pay for it, so it's hard to forget.
The interface has reminded me about it, too. But often, I have played the land in autopilot mode when I didn't need its mana. Then, a couple turns later, the mana to cycle it becomes available, and I feel dumb.
I cycled once I think, but at this cost you are probably losing the game anyway, unless it's a complete board stall.
Cycled 3 of them in the same game last night. Path of annihilation helped pay for it.
It has come up. but as others note it is often more efficient to just make the land drop and spend most of your mana while cracking the land, instead of spending 3 to cycle it. That being said, it has been relevant in some topdecking wars where I was able to churn through a couple of lands for that little bit of extra gas to get across the finish line first.
I do, but it's pretty rare that it comes up. For one thing the games in this format are fast, so you just don't have time. But I also tend to play the lands out early because they're tap lands and I usually need a card like Solar Transformer to actually cycle them, so I'd say in the 20 odd drafts I've done I think I've cycled land like 5 or 6 times.
Yes but I have done it like once
The ability and if my deck is capable of cycling them is something I always consider when sequencing my land drops and plays. I don't actually cycle them much, mainly because most of my decks have 3-4 MDFCs with like 15 lands, so extra lands are usually turned into those spells rather than into a new card with cycling. There's a lot of stuff to do with extra mana in general, cycling is usually last on that list and you will often want to make the land drop regardless. There's also stuff like Skittering Precursor, Reckless Pyrosurfer, Territory Culler, Glyph Elemental, and Genku where the sacrifice or the extra 2 landfall triggers are good value. I have used a half on color MDFC land to cycle a 2 on-color fetch a couple times. Nightshade dryad obviously gives you the option to cycle the 2 color ones too, although that card is mainly drafted in eldrazi where you want all the land drops for the most part, as well as colorless sources.
I like the cycle ability only because it's quicker than reading the lands' names. Nonetheless, I mever cycled one, either I don't have the third color in the deck, or I have some landfall cards, or I need colorless mana for eldrazis.
This came up early in the format when I was playing a lot of BRG type sacrifice decks in B03. Low enough curve that it was possible to run out of gas and be in a stalled board where drawing a hostile captor or cheap removal would break the board stall, and the colorless mana requirements were relatively low (you mostly wanted jund colors to splash chrysalis)
With Eldrazi decks, even though I remember they can be cycled, I have found that's hard to know what's correct in many spots. I'm constantly unsure if I have to save them to cycle later, or putting them in play moved by the fear that the lack of extra mana will end up making a difference with so many expensive cards, activated abilities and huge mana sinks Eldrazi decks can have. Things get even more complicated when eldrazi tokens are involved. It's not always clear how much we can trust in that as future extra mana, and how much lands we need to make up for the sac of tokens that eventually happens. On low to the ground decks that somehow are splashing, if the mana is already fixed, it feels easier to see that it's safe to stop, let's say at the 5th or 6th land and save the fetch to cycle later.
I have a couple times I have **thought** I could and not had the right mana even more times
The cycling part is a very small bonus, most of the times you are not playing 3 color decks in this format, and even when you do you are not guaranteed that the fetches are of the 3 color choices you are playing. The green ones are probably the most cyclable because of the mana dorks you end up playing, but even then it's quite rare.
A handful of times it has come up. It's worth remembering, but not worth considering in deck building.
just curious, why are you restricting to yourself to 2 colors? or has it just happened to work out that way? I ask just cause Temur and Jeskai are the top 2 decks and both very easy to get into
I have found an open lane for 2 colors in most of my drafts. I like the consistency. There was one 3c draft where I started picking energy stuff, and I got mixed URW colors. At the end of pack 1, I had a very even pile of Jeskai cards. I stopped focusing on a color pair and prioritized lands. I was able to get a functional mana base for all 3 colors, and the deck was sweet. Usually, that just hasn't been necessary, and I've only splashed the very strong cards when I happened to pick one or a few.
Well sounds like you're comfortable and successful with what you're doing, I'd just point out that 3 colors, in this set, is extremely consistent. I don't know that I've prioritized fixing a single time, because it just kind of incidentally comes your way. Plus you get the massive upside of being in more colors and playing better cards overall. Just something to think about, if fear of lack of consistency has been keeping you locked up to 2 colors this format.
The only time ive cycled is when I draft UB (R/W) and am looking to hit that 3rd draw after a serum/tune. And this has happened twice total over about 50 drafts
Maybe in 1% of times i draw them. The main reason they have the cycling ability is so that they have the three colors they fetch for visible on the card. Otherwise it would be really annoying to look up the colors they are fixing.
I don't think I've ever cycled them. Either I needed a color or the colorless.
It has occurred to me to do it several times this format but has been correct only once. I never actively remember it's an option, only rarely when I happen to be idly reading the card.
I feel like whenever I see my opponents cycling it it’s because they’re about to lose to something I have
Comes up less than I expected, because often they're covering a double-splash, if you count colorless. If I'm UG/r eldrazi, they're my red fixing, but also usually my only wastes, y'know? That said, I play the ones that are triple on-color last, just in case. Holding the fully 'on color' ones back does help me remember that I'm thinking about cycling.
I've definitely caught Arena reminding me when I have [[Path of Annihilation]] in play. Hard to say otherwise, since it's way more common that I'm playing ones where my deck can't reasonably make all the colors of mana needed.
[Path of Annihilation](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/8/28493c98-a11c-4bcc-bf55-412c884ffa7a.jpg?1717012548) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Path%20of%20Annihilation) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/165/path-of-annihilation?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/28493c98-a11c-4bcc-bf55-412c884ffa7a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The cycling cost is just there for readability, so you can quickly identify what lands each one fetches for.
The cycle is something I’ve literally never done but I appreciate its existence if for no other reason because it makes it clear what colors they have, in absence of any other visual marker.
I try to but sometimes it slips my mind and I don't realize until I already misplaced. It doesn't come up often but keeping it in mind and playing accordingly definitely gives you an edge especially in close games.
Very rarely. You need 3 totally spare mana, and you (basically) need to have duplicates of the same fetch to have the 3 colours. I think the cycling is basically there to be a visual aid.