How Many Lands in a Draft Deck (EXPLAINED)

Disclosure: As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

Draft decks are fiercely popular among both new and seasoned MTG players. These 40 card decks are made on the spot, or “drafted”, out of sealed booster packs shared among players.

The real question is, however, how many lands in a draft deck is best?

How Many Lands in a Draft Deck

Read on below and explore the possibilities!

What is an MTG Draft Deck?

Draft decks consist of 40 MTG cards that you choose one by one with the rest of the players involved in your draft series. The cards for draft decks come straight out of unopened booster packs and other sealed products.

Each player has the chance to open at least one fresh booster pack and choose the first card from it. In many cases, players get first pick on up to 3 or more packs while drafting decks for a series tournament.

How Many Lands Go in a Draft Deck?

The land cards themselves are provided by the host of the game, typically game store owners or sanctioned MTG judges. The average number of lands found in draft decks is 17 but may range from as low as 13 or 14 to as high as 18, 19, or even 20.

The proper amount of lands for a draft deck can not be accurately assessed until the bulk of the deck has already been determined.

What Else Goes in a Draft Deck?

Everything that you’d find in larger MTG decks is found in draft decks, just in smaller proportions.

Draft decks include:

  • Creatures (x5 to x15)
  • Enchantments and Auras (x1 to x5)
  • Artifacts and Equipment (x1 to x5)
  • Other spells (x5 to x15)

Keep in mind that draft series games aren’t meant to last as long as standard series and freestyle games. Draft decks are therefore built for quick and fast action, not late-game strategies.

FAQS About Lands in Draft Decks

Just in case we haven’t answered all of your questions about draft decks, and how much land goes in them, we’ve added a couple of the most frequently asked questions to help clarify things:

How many booster packs make up a draft deck?

Each draft deck consists of cards gathered from three booster packs. All players open a booster pack, choose a card, and pass the remaining cards from the pack to the player on their left. This process continues until all players have built their decks.

How do you add land to draft decks?

In-person, the host of the draft series provides basic lands for all players and their decks. Online, simply follow the prompts/instructions in the deck editor.

Final Word

Draft decks are made up of 40 cards total, out of which at least 15, 16, or 17 of them should be lands. 

If you’re the daring type, and just happen to draft a few mana-producing spells like Artifacts and Enchantments, adding as little as 13 or 14 lands is possible. 

Likewise, with the right creature cards and buff spells, 18, 19, or even 20 lands may work out.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully, our article clears up all your questions about how many lands are best to use in your next draft deck.