Magic: The Gathering – What Is Domain?
In Magic: The Gathering, all magic is ultimately derived from the lands. The plains, islands, swamps, mountains, and forests themselves fuel a mage’s abilities, and very few places are as rich in these lands as Dominaria.
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One of the game’s mechanics most closely linked to Dominaria is domain. By controlling as many types of land as you possibly can, you can cast bigger spells that have bigger effects. Here’s everything you need to know about MTG’s domain mechanic.
Domain is an ability word that is found on all kinds of cards, from artifacts to creatures, sorceries to enchantments.
As domain is an ability word rather than a keyword, it doesn’t serve as shorthand for wider rules text. Instead, domain is used to thematically tie together similar abilities that all share one connecting rule: they count how many of the basic land types you control. For example, Nishoba Brawler will use domain to set its power to the number of basic land types you control, while Scion of Draco reduces its cost by two mana for each land type instead.
While many, newer players may read the domain text and assume that means you need as many basic lands as possible, it only counts the types you have represented on the battlefield. There are only five basic land types: Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest, meaning your maximum domain count will always only be five.
For example, take Nishoba Brawler. If you control one Island, one Plains, one Forest, and one Swamp, your domain count will be four, and therefore Nishoba Brawler’s power will also be four.
Keep in mind that Oath of the Gatewatch’s Wastes are not a basic land type. They are basic lands that completely lack a type, and
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