Stomping Ground — Magic: The Gathering card

Stomping Ground

Land — Mountain Forest

({T}: Add {R} or {G}.)

As this land enters, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters tapped.

*"Log 2.5.325: A newborn moon, Aqqat still churns with the fires of creation. I'm eager to see what it will become!"

—*Maisie's Edge Chronicles**

Set Edge of Eternities
Rarity Rare
Mana Value 0
Artist Bruce Brenneise
Collector # 258
Scryfall

Why Play Stomping Ground

Aggressive Gruul decks prize the ability to curve out perfectly on turns one and two, making the life payment worthwhile to enable powerful opening sequences. The dual land type matters significantly for cards like Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, and domain mechanics that count basic land types. Most competitive decks prioritize speed over life total in the early game, so paying 2 life to avoid entering tapped rarely impacts your overall game plan negatively.

Format Notes

Modern sees heavy play in Zoo, Ponza, and various midrange strategies that need reliable mana fixing without significant tempo loss. Pioneer and Standard feature it prominently in aggro builds where consistent colored mana trumps life considerations. Commander players include it in nearly every red-green deck due to the multiplayer format's higher life totals making the 2 life payment negligible, while the fixing remains crucial for consistent gameplay.

Combos & Synergies

Fetchlands like Wooded Foothills can grab it directly from your library, providing incredible mana consistency in competitive formats. Blood Moon effects become less punishing since you retain the ability to produce red mana even when your nonbasic lands become Mountains. Farseek and other ramp spells that search for specific land types can find it reliably, making it superior to generic dual lands in ramp-based strategies.

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Land Standard Modern Pioneer