Commander mana base guide
Zedruu the Greathearted
Mana Base
Optimal land base for Zedruu the Greathearted — 36–38 lands, red / blue / white color requirements, and budget builds from $50 to $500+.
red / blue / whiteA starting mana base for Zedruu the Greathearted is a 36–38-land build tuned to its red / blue / white color identity and its control / politics / value game plan. Zedruu the Greathearted is a control deck that trades early tempo for late-game inevitability, so its manabase leans toward a balanced mix of untapped fixing plus tapped lands that earn their slot with late-game upside. 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.
11
red sources
11
blue sources
11
white sources
Never skip
Priority lands for Zedruu the Greathearted
Candidates to evaluate against your budget and the rest of your deck.
- 01Reliquary Towercard_keep
- 02Karakasprotection
Choose your tier
Zedruu the Greathearted manabase by budget
How to build a Zedruu the Greathearted 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 Zedruu the Greathearted.
- ◆Detected primary archetype: Control.
- ◆Secondary themes: , Value/Midrange.
Method
How to build a mana base for Zedruu the Greathearted
- 01Set land count to 36–38. Zedruu the Greathearted is a control deck that trades early tempo for late-game inevitability and needs that count to reliably hit drops.
- 02Cover color requirements. For a 37-land red / blue / white build, 11 red, 11 blue, 11 white sources — Frank Karsten's manabase math for a 100-card singleton.
- 03Slot priority lands first — Reliquary Tower, Karakas. 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 Zedruu the Greathearted deck run?
A starting point for Zedruu the Greathearted is 36–38 lands. As a control deck that trades early tempo for late-game inevitability, it leans toward a balanced mix of tapped and untapped lands, with tapped lands earning their slot through late-game upside. Adjust the count for your actual curve, ramp, draw, and playtesting. The builder supports 30–42 lands.
What is the best mana base for Zedruu the Greathearted?
The best mana base for Zedruu the Greathearted starts with these priority lands: Reliquary Tower, Karakas. Fill the rest of the red / blue / white 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 control plan.
What is the best land base for Zedruu the Greathearted on a budget?
A budget Zedruu the Greathearted land base can start with basic lands and affordable fixing that fits the red / blue / white 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 Zedruu the Greathearted 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 Zedruu the Greathearted need fetch lands?
Zedruu the Greathearted works fine without fetch lands. Compare fetches with affordable fixing and consider whether your deck has suitable fetch targets or land-entry synergies. Their value depends on the complete list, not a fixed budget threshold.
What color identity does Zedruu the Greathearted have?
Zedruu the Greathearted is a red / blue / white Commander (color identity: R, U, W). This determines the entire land base — every non-basic must fit inside this identity. For a 37-land deck, Zedruu the Greathearted needs 11 red sources, 11 blue sources, 11 white sources as starting source-count targets. Paste your decklist into the builder to account for its colored mana requirements.