Commander mana base guide
Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Mana Base
Optimal land base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves — 36–38 lands, black / green color requirements, and budget builds from $50 to $500+.
black / greenA starting mana base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves is a 36–38-land build tuned to its black / green color identity and its tribal / aggro / tokens game plan. Lathril, Blade of the Elves is a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type, so its manabase leans toward untapped lands — every tapped enter costs a real turn of tempo. Choose a $50, $100, $250, or $500 budget below to generate a land list. This guide covers priority land picks, color-source math, and a free builder that generates the full list with TCGplayer checkout.
Karsten math
Color requirements
Frank Karsten's source counts for a 37-land deck, by color.
14
black sources
14
green sources
Never skip
Priority lands for Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Candidates to evaluate against your budget and the rest of your deck.
- 01Cavern of Soulstribal_protection
- 02Path of Ancestrytribal_scry
- 03Unclaimed Territorytribal_fixing
- 04Gaea's Cradleramp
- 05Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sunramp
Choose your tier
Lathril, Blade of the Elves manabase by budget
How to build a Lathril, Blade of the Elves land base at each popular price point. Click a tier to open the builder pre-loaded with the commander and budget.
- $5036–38 lands
Start with affordable color sources and basics; reserve utility slots for the commander’s plan.
Build at $50 → - $10036–38 lands
Prioritize dependable color access. Compare the suggested upgrades with the $50 build.
Build at $100 → - $25036–38 lands
Compare stronger fixing and useful land interactions. Availability and prices determine what fits.
Build at $250 → - $50036–38 lands
Explore functional upgrades first. Expensive printings are optional, and a larger budget does not guarantee a stronger deck.
Build at $500 →
Solver reasoning
Why these lands
- ◆We have a hand-tuned profile for Lathril, Blade of the Elves.
- ◆Detected primary archetype: Tribal.
- ◆Secondary themes: Aggro, Tokens.
Community
Sample Lathril, Blade of the Elves builds
Recorded builds with their actual land lists. Prices reflect when each build was saved; open the builder for current recommendations.
- $100 · Bracket 3$100.00
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View 37 lands
- 1 Command Tower
- 1 Exotic Orchard
- 1 Unclaimed Territory
- 1 Path of Ancestry
- 1 Secluded Courtyard
- 1 Rogue's Passage
- 1 Evolving Wilds
- 1 Terramorphic Expanse
- 1 Mosswort Bridge
- 1 Mutavault
- 1 Wirewood Lodge
- 1 Overgrown Tomb
- 1 Fabled Passage
- 1 City of Brass
- 1 Twilight Mire
- 10 Swamp
- 1 Snow-Covered Swamp
- 1 Dryad Arbor
- 6 Forest
- 1 Snow-Covered Forest
- 1 Llanowar Wastes
- 1 Pillar of the Paruns
- 1 Woodland Cemetery
Method
How to build a mana base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves
- 01Set land count to 36–38. Lathril, Blade of the Elves is a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type and needs that count to reliably hit drops.
- 02Cover color requirements. For a 37-land black / green build, 14 black, 14 green sources — Frank Karsten's manabase math for a 100-card singleton.
- 03Slot priority lands first — Cavern of Souls, Path of Ancestry, Unclaimed Territory, Gaea's Cradle, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun. These earn their spot regardless of budget.
- 04Fill by budget: $50 = check + pain lands, $100 = add selective shocks, $250 = fetches, $500+ = original duals.
- 05Verify by running landfiller — the solver returns the exact list at your budget with a one-click TCGplayer cart.
Questions & Answers
FAQ
How many lands should a Lathril, Blade of the Elves deck run?
A starting point for Lathril, Blade of the Elves is 36–38 lands. As a tribal deck that rewards a critical mass of one creature type, it leans toward mostly untapped lands — enters-tapped duals cost too much tempo when the game plan is racing. Adjust the count for your actual curve, ramp, draw, and playtesting. The builder supports 30–42 lands.
What is the best mana base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves?
The best mana base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves starts with these priority lands: Cavern of Souls, Path of Ancestry, Unclaimed Territory, Gaea's Cradle, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun. Fill the rest of the black / green land base with untapped duals matching your budget — pain lands and check lands at $100, shocks + a few fetches at $250, and original duals at $500+. Always leave 1–2 utility land slots for the tribal plan.
What is the best land base for Lathril, Blade of the Elves on a budget?
A budget Lathril, Blade of the Elves land base can start with basic lands and affordable fixing that fits the black / green identity. Evaluate utility lands against the colors your deck needs. Use the $50 budget preset to see which cards fit current prices. Casting consistency depends on your full deck; no fixed percentage is guaranteed.
How much does a Lathril, Blade of the Elves manabase cost?
Choose a land budget from $20 upward. The builder recommends specific lands using available card prices and reports the total. Start with $50 or $100, then compare the land changes before spending more.
Does Lathril, Blade of the Elves need fetch lands?
Fetch lands can help Lathril, Blade of the Elves access its colors when paired with suitable land types. Compare their cost and targets with other fixing; they are not mandatory for every build.
What color identity does Lathril, Blade of the Elves have?
Lathril, Blade of the Elves is a black / green Commander (color identity: B, G). This determines the entire land base — every non-basic must fit inside this identity. For a 37-land deck, Lathril, Blade of the Elves needs 14 black sources, 14 green sources as starting source-count targets. Paste your decklist into the builder to account for its colored mana requirements.