Ancient Den
Artifact Land
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*Taj-Nar, throne of Raksha Golden Cub, destined leader of the leonin prides.*
Why Play Ancient Den
Artifact lands provide unique value by counting as both land drops and artifacts for synergy purposes, essentially giving you extra artifacts without using spell slots. White-based artifact decks benefit from having a reliable mana base that also fuels metalcraft, affinity costs, and artifact-matters effects. The zero mana cost makes it particularly valuable in fast combo decks that need to deploy multiple permanents quickly while maintaining consistent white mana access.Format Notes
Banned in Modern alongside other artifact lands due to enabling overpowered affinity strategies, Ancient Den remains legal and relevant in Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper formats. In Pauper, it sees play in artifact-based aggressive decks and occasionally in control shells that can leverage the artifact typing. Commander players often include it in artifact-heavy builds where the extra artifact count matters more than the slight vulnerability to artifact removal that lands typically avoid.Combos & Synergies
Pairs excellently with affinity cards like Frogmite and Myr Enforcer, reducing their costs while providing the white mana needed for supporting spells. Cranial Plating becomes significantly more threatening when your mana base contributes to its power boost. Puresteel Paladin decks appreciate the artifact count for metalcraft while ensuring consistent white mana, and Academy Rector strategies can use it to build artifact density for various interactions.Featured in These Decks
- Urza’s Iron Alliance Commander
- Lorehold Legacies Commander
- Counter Intelligence Commander
