If there are any players out there who don't wand to spend 120$ on just the lands in your 3 color deck, like me, then you have probably tried a 3 color deck without shocks, maybe with guildgates. If you try using basics instead it kind of makes you wounder why people would spend so much money on just special lands that can even lose the game for you. if you think about it are shocks really necessary?
Very especially early game when your hand is lopsided in one colour but your lands are another you're screwed but with shocks you're fine but I do agree they are expensive!!!
YES! Shock lands have land types on them(forest, plains etc.). With them you can fetch a forest with {Farseek}, you can double the mana of any swamp shock land, even for the paired color, with {Cryptgast}, you can untap any forest shock land for the other color with {Arbor Elf} and many, many other things. Shock lands are one of the most powerful duel lands ever printed. I run all twelve in my Bant deck and they are awesome.
Yep exactly but I prefer checks after t2 lol but shocks are great I love t1 stomping ground into Arbor elf it's a t2 with lots of mana choices!!
Your mana base is what allows you to play your deck. Before now (in standard) there was much less options to run a true 3 colour deck. At most it was two colours (or one) with a splash of another.
Splashing and even running a second colour is quite easy without them, but if you need more consistency, you look for lands that tap for options. In a two colour deck with both shocks and checks, 8 duals is actually 1/3rd of your lands, allowing you to hit your colours every time.
In a true 3 colour (not to mention 4 or 5 colour) decks having every land as a dual is actually possible, and allows for far more consistency.
Along with all the positives already mentioned, using your life total as a resource to help you win is part of good strategy.
How many times have you lost a game by losing the last 2 life points, or is it more convincing.
Or on the flip side when not using them, how many games have you won when sitting on 2 life?
Lastly, with the rediculious amount of life gaining cards in standard at the moment, 2 life is barely noticeable.
Well said. Magic is not meant to have 3 color decks or at very least they should not be cheap or easy to make. 3 colors provides unfair opportunity that can only be counterbalanced by the resulting mana difficulties to cast such a wide variety of cards. There are only 5 colors, playing with 60%+ of the format available to you is unfair by the standards of the game. This is why good duals are rare not common.
I lOve playing against decks with more than 2 colors... After game one, in come the {Burning Earths}. Make it easier to win
I made a Bant Enchantment control deck that I played at FNM with just basics and guildgates. It worked pretty well but didn't get top 3. They aren't necessary but they do make your deck faster and more flexible.
I've really enjoyed Mono lately. Shocklands as Gated just get annoying after a while.