Dismal Backwater

Land

Dismal Backwater enters the battlefield tapped.

When Dismal Backwater enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.

{T}: Add {U} or {B}.

Set March of the Machine
Rarity Common

Why Play Dismal Backwater

Budget mana bases in Dimir colors often rely on Dismal Backwater as a reliable dual land option, especially in casual formats where speed isn't critical. The life gain provides valuable cushion in longer games and helps offset aggressive strategies while fixing your mana. Decks that can afford to enter play a turn behind benefit most, particularly control shells that prioritize late-game inevitability over early tempo.

Format Notes

Most viable in Commander and Pauper where the slower pace makes the drawback manageable and the life gain accumulates meaningful value over longer games. Standard and Pioneer decks typically avoid it due to the tempo loss, preferring faster alternatives when available. The universal legality across all formats makes it a reliable fallback when premium dual lands are financially out of reach.

Combos & Synergies

Landfall cards like Retreat to Coralhelm appreciate the guaranteed land drop trigger while benefiting from the color fixing. Lifegain-matters strategies involving cards like Ajani's Pridemate or Bloodthirsty Aerialist turn the enter trigger into a meaningful resource rather than incidental value. Bounce lands like Dimir Aqueduct can return Dismal Backwater for repeated lifegain triggers in slower, value-oriented builds.

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Land