Llanowar Wastes — Magic: The Gathering card

Llanowar Wastes

Land

{T}: Add {C}.

{T}: Add {B} or {G}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

*"The sylex blast marked not only the end of the war, but the end of Dominaria as most knew it."

—*The Antiquities War**

Set Edge of Eternities Commander
Rarity Rare
Mana Value 0
Collector # 165

Why Play Llanowar Wastes

Aggressive Golgari decks prioritize speed over life total, making the pain land trade-off worthwhile for consistent mana fixing. The colorless mana option provides flexibility for utility spells and artifacts while avoiding damage when colored mana isn't needed. Fast combo decks in older formats often include this land because turn-one plays are crucial, and the life loss becomes irrelevant when executing a winning combination quickly.

Format Notes

Most powerful in Legacy and Vintage where the format's speed makes life loss negligible compared to perfect mana consistency. Pioneer and Modern Golgari decks often run 1-2 copies as additional dual lands beyond shocklands and fetchlands. Commander players typically avoid pain lands due to the format's longer games and higher life totals making the cumulative damage more punishing over time.

Combos & Synergies

Pairs excellently with Deathrite Shaman decks that naturally operate in Golgari colors and can gain life to offset the damage. Works well alongside Tarmogoyf strategies where early creature deployment is critical and the life loss is acceptable for tempo gains. Sylvan Library synergizes particularly well since the card selection helps justify taking damage from your manabase, and the incremental life loss becomes part of your overall life-as-a-resource strategy.