Functional Role Guide

Cheap Dual Lands for Commander

Fix your colors without breaking the bank. Complete rankings of budget untapped dual land cycles for 2, 3, 4, and 5-color decks.

6 min readUpdated August 202660 Budget Options Indexed

The Role of Cheap Dual Lands in Commander

Original Dual Lands ($400+) and Fetch Lands ($15–$30) are not required to build a smooth, fast mana base. Painlands, Checklands, and Tango lands offer 90% of the speed for a fraction of the cost.

Key Subcategories in this Role:
Pain Lands (Top Speed)

Enter untapped on turn 1 unconditionally and tap for colorless mana for free or colored mana for 1 life.

Check Lands & Tango Lands

Enter untapped if you control matching basic land types.

Bounce Lands (Card Advantage)

Provide two mana per land drop, effectively acting as free card advantage in slower decks.

Top Ranked Budget Cheap Dual Lands Cards

Filter by color identity, maximum price cap ($0.50, $1.00, $2.00, $5.00), or keyword search.

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Showing 60 budget cardsFiltered from 60 total options

Noggle Bridgebreaker

Creature — Noggle Rogue4 CMC
$0.04
Magic: The Gathering card image for Noggle Bridgebreaker

When this creature enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#triggered-ability#virtual-vanilla

Devour in Flames

Sorcery3 CMC
$0.06
Magic: The Gathering card image for Devour in Flames

As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a land you control to its owner's hand. Devour in Flames deals 5 damage to target creature or planeswalker.

#burn-planeswalker#spot-removal

Pyroclastic Hellion

Creature — Hellion5 CMC
$0.06
Magic: The Gathering card image for Pyroclastic Hellion

When this creature enters, you may return a land you control to its owner's hand. When you do, this creature deals 2 damage to each opponent.

#group-slug#virtual-vanilla

Kozilek's Translator

Creature — Eldrazi Drone5 CMC
$0.07
Magic: The Gathering card image for Kozilek's Translator

Devoid (This card has no color.) Pay 1 life: Add {C}. Activate only once each turn. ({C} represents colorless mana.)

#activated-ability#cda-color#life-payment

Blightsoil Druid

Creature — Elf Druid2 CMC
$0.08
Magic: The Gathering card image for Blightsoil Druid

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add {G}.

#activated-ability#life-payment#mana-dork

Living Tsunami

Creature — Elemental4 CMC
$0.10
Magic: The Gathering card image for Living Tsunami

Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#evasion#repeatable-rescue#triggered-ability

Tazeem Raptor

Creature — Bird3 CMC
$0.10
Magic: The Gathering card image for Tazeem Raptor

Flying When this creature enters, you may return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#evasion#triggered-ability#virtual-french-vanilla

Vapor Snare

Enchantment — Aura5 CMC
$0.11
Magic: The Gathering card image for Vapor Snare

Enchant creature You control enchanted creature. At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this Aura unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#repeatable-rescue#theft-creature#triggered-ability

Corrupted Crossroads

Land0 CMC
$0.14
Magic: The Gathering card image for Corrupted Crossroads

{T}: Add {C}. ({C} represents colorless mana.) {T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a spell with devoid.

#activated-ability#alliteration#painland

Moonbow Illusionist

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard3 CMC
$0.14
Magic: The Gathering card image for Moonbow Illusionist

Flying {2}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target land becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.

#activated-ability#evasion#repeatable-crime

Soratami Rainshaper

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard3 CMC
$0.14
Magic: The Gathering card image for Soratami Rainshaper

Flying {3}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target creature you control gains shroud until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)

#activated-ability#evasion#gives-shroud

Floodbringer

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard2 CMC
$0.14
Magic: The Gathering card image for Floodbringer

Flying {2}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Tap target land.

#activated-ability#evasion#repeatable-crime

Vesper Ghoul

Creature — Zombie Druid3 CMC
$0.14
Magic: The Gathering card image for Vesper Ghoul

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.

#activated-ability#life-payment#mana-dork

Lithoform Blight

Enchantment — Aura2 CMC
$0.16
Magic: The Gathering card image for Lithoform Blight

Enchant land When this Aura enters, draw a card. Enchanted land loses all land types and abilities and has "{T}: Add {C}" and "{T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color."

#cantrip#hand-neutral#removal-land

Tragic Lesson

Instant3 CMC
$0.18
Magic: The Gathering card image for Tragic Lesson

Draw two cards. Then discard a card unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#catalog#hand-neutral#hand-positive

Cryptic Spires

Land0 CMC
$0.19
Magic: The Gathering card image for Cryptic Spires

As you create your deck, circle two of the colors below. This land enters tapped. {T}: Add one mana of either of the circled colors.

#activated-ability#deck-requirement#dual-land

Haunted Screen

Artifact3 CMC
$0.19
Magic: The Gathering card image for Haunted Screen

{T}: Add {W} or {B}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {G}, {U}, or {R}. {7}: Put seven +1/+1 counters on this artifact. It becomes a 0/0 Spirit creature in addition to its other types. Activate only once.

#animate-self#exhaust#gains-pp-counters

Dwarven Confluencer

Creature — Dwarf3 CMC
$0.19
Magic: The Gathering card image for Dwarven Confluencer

{T}: Destroy target nontoken land. Its controller creates a Mana Confluence token. (It's a land with "{T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.")

#activated-ability#creates-oracle-token#fun-ruling

Wayward Guide-Beast

Creature — Beast1 CMC
$0.19
Magic: The Gathering card image for Wayward Guide-Beast

Trample, haste Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#repeatable-rescue#saboteur#triggered-ability

Soratami Mirror-Guard

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard4 CMC
$0.20
Magic: The Gathering card image for Soratami Mirror-Guard

Flying {2}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target creature with power 2 or less can't be blocked this turn.

#activated-ability#evasion#repeatable-crime

Forgotten Monument

Land — Cave0 CMC
$0.20
Magic: The Gathering card image for Forgotten Monument

{T}: Add {C}. Other Caves you control have "{T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color."

#activated-ability#gives-mana-ability#gives-tap-ability

Life of Toshiro Umezawa // Memory of Toshiro

Enchantment — Saga // Enchantment Creature — Human Samurai2 CMC
$0.21
Magic: The Gathering card image for Life of Toshiro Umezawa // Memory of Toshiro

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.) I, II — Choose one — • Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. • Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. • You gain 2 life. III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control. // {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell.

#activated-ability#exile-self-dfc-transform#intervening-if-clause

Chocobo Kick

Sorcery2 CMC
$0.21
Magic: The Gathering card image for Chocobo Kick

Kicker—Return a land you control to its owner's hand. (You may return a land you control to its owner's hand in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.) Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls. If this spell was kicked, the creature you control deals twice that much damage instead.

#multiple-targets#self-replacement-effect

Boros Garrison

Land0 CMC
$0.22
Magic: The Gathering card image for Boros Garrison

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {R}{W}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Spire of Industry

Land0 CMC
$0.23
Magic: The Gathering card image for Spire of Industry

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you control an artifact.

#activated-ability#painland#rainbow-land

Ifnir Deadlands

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.24
Magic: The Gathering card image for Ifnir Deadlands

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}. {2}{B}{B}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: Put two -1/-1 counters on target creature an opponent controls. Activate only as a sorcery.

#activated-ability#cycle-hou-desert-painland#gives-mm-counters

Soratami Savant

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard4 CMC
$0.25
Magic: The Gathering card image for Soratami Savant

Flying {3}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.

#activated-ability#counterspell-reusable#counterspell-soft

Ipnu Rivulet

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.26
Magic: The Gathering card image for Ipnu Rivulet

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {U}. {1}{U}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: Target player mills four cards. (They put the top four cards of their library into their graveyard.)

#activated-ability#cycle-hou-desert-painland#painland

Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy // Balamb Garden, Airborne

Land — Town // Legendary Artifact — Vehicle0 CMC
$0.28
Magic: The Gathering card image for Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy // Balamb Garden, Airborne

This land enters tapped. {T}: Add {G} or {U}. {5}{G}{U}, {T}: Transform this land. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each other Town you control. // Flying Whenever Balamb Garden attacks, draw a card. Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

#attack-trigger#attacking-matters-self#crew

Fortified Beachhead

Land0 CMC
$0.28
Magic: The Gathering card image for Fortified Beachhead

As this land enters, you may reveal a Soldier card from your hand. This land enters tapped unless you revealed a Soldier card this way or you control a Soldier. {T}: Add {W} or {U}. {5}, {T}: Soldiers you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

#activated-ability#behold#conditional-tapland

Wonderscape Sage

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard2 CMC
$0.28
Magic: The Gathering card image for Wonderscape Sage

Flying {T}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Draw a card. Then discard a card unless that land had a nonbasic land type.

#activated-ability#evasion#repeatable-loot

Gruul Turf

Land0 CMC
$0.30
Magic: The Gathering card image for Gruul Turf

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {R}{G}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Sutina, Speaker of the Tajuru

Legendary Creature — Elf Scout3 CMC
$0.30
Magic: The Gathering card image for Sutina, Speaker of the Tajuru

When Sutina enters, search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. Whenever Sutina attacks, you may return a land you control to its owner's hand. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.

#alliteration#attack-trigger#attacking-matters-self

Soratami Mindsweeper

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard4 CMC
$0.30
Magic: The Gathering card image for Soratami Mindsweeper

Flying {2}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target player mills two cards.

#activated-ability#evasion#repeatable-crime

Selesnya Sanctuary

Land0 CMC
$0.31
Magic: The Gathering card image for Selesnya Sanctuary

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {G}{W}.

#activated-ability#alliteration#cycle-rav-bounceland

Oboro Envoy

Creature — Moonfolk Wizard4 CMC
$0.31
Magic: The Gathering card image for Oboro Envoy

Flying {2}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Target creature gets -X/-0 until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.

#activated-ability#day-zero-errata#evasion

Lord of the Forsaken

Creature — Demon6 CMC
$0.32
Magic: The Gathering card image for Lord of the Forsaken

Flying, trample {B}, Sacrifice another creature: Target player mills three cards. Pay 1 life: Add {C}. Spend this mana only to cast a spell from your graveyard.

#activated-ability#evasion#full-refund

Orzhov Basilica

Land0 CMC
$0.32
Magic: The Gathering card image for Orzhov Basilica

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {W}{B}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Hashep Oasis

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.32
Magic: The Gathering card image for Hashep Oasis

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {G}. {1}{G}{G}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.

#activated-ability#cycle-hou-desert-painland#painland

Deprive

Instant2 CMC
$0.33
Magic: The Gathering card image for Deprive

As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a land you control to its owner's hand. Counter target spell.

#counterspell

Azorius Chancery

Land0 CMC
$0.34
Magic: The Gathering card image for Azorius Chancery

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {W}{U}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Tameshi, Reality Architect

Legendary Creature — Moonfolk Wizard3 CMC
$0.34
Magic: The Gathering card image for Tameshi, Reality Architect

Whenever one or more noncreature permanents are returned to hand, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn. {X}{W}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target artifact or enchantment card with mana value X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate only as a sorcery.

#activated-ability#mana-sink#offcolor-ability

Gnarlroot Trapper

Creature — Elf Druid1 CMC
$0.34
Magic: The Gathering card image for Gnarlroot Trapper

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add {G}. Spend this mana only to cast an Elf creature spell. {T}: Target attacking Elf you control gains deathtouch until end of turn. (Any amount of damage it deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)

#activated-ability#attacking-matters#combat-trick

Rakdos Carnarium

Land0 CMC
$0.35
Magic: The Gathering card image for Rakdos Carnarium

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {B}{R}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Simic Growth Chamber

Land0 CMC
$0.36
Magic: The Gathering card image for Simic Growth Chamber

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {G}{U}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Golgari Rot Farm

Land0 CMC
$0.37
Magic: The Gathering card image for Golgari Rot Farm

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {B}{G}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Ramunap Ruins

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.37
Magic: The Gathering card image for Ramunap Ruins

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {R}. {2}{R}{R}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: This land deals 2 damage to each opponent.

#activated-ability#alliteration#bombard

Eumidian Hatchery

Land0 CMC
$0.37
Magic: The Gathering card image for Eumidian Hatchery

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}. Put a hatchling counter on this land. When this land is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, for each hatchling counter on it, create a 1/1 black Insect creature token with flying.

#activated-ability#aesthetic-counter#evasion

Izzet Boilerworks

Land0 CMC
$0.37
Magic: The Gathering card image for Izzet Boilerworks

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {U}{R}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Kefnet the Mindful

Legendary Creature — God3 CMC
$0.39
Magic: The Gathering card image for Kefnet the Mindful

Flying, indestructible Kefnet can't attack or block unless you have seven or more cards in hand. {3}{U}: Draw a card, then you may return a land you control to its owner's hand.

#activated-ability#bottomless-mana-sink#cycle-akh-god

Phyrexian Lens

Artifact3 CMC
$0.40
Magic: The Gathering card image for Phyrexian Lens

{T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.

#activated-ability#life-payment#mana-rock

Dimir Aqueduct

Land0 CMC
$0.40
Magic: The Gathering card image for Dimir Aqueduct

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {U}{B}.

#activated-ability#cycle-rav-bounceland#triggered-ability

Soramaro, First to Dream

Legendary Creature — Spirit6 CMC
$0.42
Magic: The Gathering card image for Soramaro, First to Dream

Flying Soramaro's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. {4}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Draw a card.

#activated-ability#cda-power#cda-toughness

Shefet Dunes

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.45
Magic: The Gathering card image for Shefet Dunes

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {W}. {2}{W}{W}, {T}, Sacrifice a Desert: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.

#activated-ability#cycle-hou-desert-painland#painland

Trench Behemoth

Creature — Kraken7 CMC
$0.76
Magic: The Gathering card image for Trench Behemoth

Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Untap this creature. It gains hexproof until end of turn. Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, target creature an opponent controls attacks during its controller's next combat phase if able.

#activated-ability#force-attacker#landfall

Havengul Laboratory // Havengul Mystery

Legendary Land // Legendary Land0 CMC
$0.76
Magic: The Gathering card image for Havengul Laboratory // Havengul Mystery

{T}: Add {C}. {4}, {T}: Investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with "{2}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") At the beginning of your end step, if you sacrificed three or more Clues this turn, transform Havengul Laboratory. // When this land transforms into Havengul Mystery, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. When the creature put onto the battlefield with Havengul Mystery leaves the battlefield, transform Havengul Mystery. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}.

#activated-ability#intervening-if-clause#mana-sink

Arid Archway

Land — Desert0 CMC
$0.77
Magic: The Gathering card image for Arid Archway

This land enters tapped. When this land enters, return a land you control to its owner's hand. If another Desert was returned this way, surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put it into your graveyard.) {T}: Add {C}{C}.

#activated-ability#adds-multiple-mana#alliteration

Meloku the Clouded Mirror

Legendary Creature — Moonfolk Wizard5 CMC
$0.77
Magic: The Gathering card image for Meloku the Clouded Mirror

Flying {1}, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Create a 1/1 blue Illusion creature token with flying.

#activated-ability#alliteration#evasion

Standing Stones

Artifact3 CMC
$0.78
Magic: The Gathering card image for Standing Stones

{1}, {T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.

#activated-ability#alliteration#life-payment

Great Hall of the Biblioplex

Land0 CMC
$0.83
Magic: The Gathering card image for Great Hall of the Biblioplex

{T}: Add {C}. {T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell. {5}: If this land isn't a creature, it becomes a 2/4 Wizard creature with "Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, this creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn." It's still a land.

#activated-ability#cast-trigger-you#creatureland

Frequently Asked Questions About Budget Cheap Dual Lands

Expert deckbuilding advice and card recommendations.

What is the cheapest untapped dual land cycle in MTG?+
Pain Lands (e.g. Caves of Koilos, Yavimaya Coast, Shivan Reef, Llanowar Wastes) regularly cost between $0.40 and $1.00 and enter untapped 100% of the time.
How many dual lands should a 3-color budget deck run?+
A 3-color budget deck should run roughly 9–12 dual lands (3 of each pair), 3 Tri-lands/Panoramas, 4–5 utility lands, and 12–15 basic lands.