Domain in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Last updated on February 2, 2025

Scion of Draco | Illustration by Andrew Mar

MTG has an inherent balance in its mana symbols. Playing fewer colors leads to a more consistent deck with fewer problems like mana screw and mana flood. Playing more colors leads to a more powerful deck with gold cards and effects from various colors. The consensus among players is to play 2- or 3-color decks depending on the format and the mana base.

What if you had cards that got better with more colors? Enter domain, a mechanic that shines in 5-color environment with lots of mana fixing, fetch lands, and multi-type lands. The domain cards from Dominaria United proved worthy of Standard play, and some of the best domain cards have defined various Modern metas.

When was the mechanic created? Should you bother with domain, and what about in Eternal formats? Let’s delve into domain’s, uh, domain and explore just what makes it click!

How Does Domain Work?

Leyline Binding (Dominaria United) | Illustration by Cristi Balanescu

Domain is a threshold mechanic that counts the types of basic lands you have in play. It can go from 0 to 5,  because you might only have Wastes, no basic lands, or only nonbasic lands without a type. Or perhaps you’re facing a land destruction deck.

Domain cards are usually balanced so that you want at least three different basic land types for it to be good. For example, your Gruul () deck can have an Island or two, and cards like Evolving Wilds help you get the third or fourth land type you need.

Matca Rioters is a good example. If your domain is two (two different basic land types), you’re paying 3 mana for a 2/2, a bad ratio. But a 3/3 is acceptable at that ratio, and 4/4 or 5/5 are better, typical uncommon or rare rate. Drag Down is a removal spell with domain that works in a three-domain environment to kill most small creatures.

The History of Domain in MTG

In 2000, the Invasion block had some cards with the text, “…for each basic land type among lands you control.” Fast forward to 2009, the Conflux set had several cards with the domain ability keyword. From this point on cards from the Invasion block were amended to have the domain mechanic.

The Invasion set has 11 cards with the mechanic, and the block has 20 cards total. Conflux contributed 10 more cards to the domain card pool. Sets like Time Spiral, Commander 2016, and Modern Horizons 2 brought 4 more cards, totaling 33 designs.

With Dominaria United, the total count grows to 55 domain cards.

Do Original Dual Lands Count as Two for Domain?

Original dual lands count as two basic land types. Savannah is a forest and plains, so it counts as two types. Underground Sea counts as an island and a swamp. Original dual lands are very expensive and can only be used in Commander, Legacy, Vintage.

What about in Modern or Pioneer? Shock lands can be used instead since they also count as two basic land types. For instance, Blood Crypt is a mountain and swamp. Other land cycles are useful, like the Triomes (Xander's Lounge) that count for three basic land types and the cycling lands like Fetid Pools.

Does Chromatic Lantern Give You Full Domain?

Chromatic Lantern doesn’t affect domain. It's not relevant for the domain mechanic because the types of the lands aren’t altered, only the color of mana produced.

If you want this sort of effect to influence domain, you need to look for text that actually gives your lands additional basic land types, as seen on Dryad of the Ilysian Grove and Prismatic Omen.

Does Nylea’s Presence Gives You Full Domain?

Yes, it does! For 2 mana Nylea's Presence turns a land into every land type, granting you 5 domain counts (or full domain). Your enchanted land also has the ability to tap for any color.

Do Wastes Count for Domain?

No. Wastes is the name of a basic land card, but “wastes” is not a land type.

Sunburst vs. Domain

Sunburst is a mechanic specific to artifacts and artifact creatures that cares about the colors of mana used to cast those spells. You can generate different color mana with lands, mana rocks, creatures that have mana abilities, and more.

Cards like Chromatic Lantern are good for sunburst, as are dual lands that don't have basic land types. Domain cares about the land type, not mana color, so it’s a little different. You need to have the lands or land types in play to achieve a higher domain.

Is Domain Good?

Domain is a good mechanic because it breaks the “samey” feel of mono-color decks or 2-color pairings. Having 4-5 domain makes most cards above-rate, but at the cost of consistency issues from having lots dual lands or tri-lands that come into play tapped.

Domain cards aren't universally great, but the best ones have stood out in various formats. Leyline Binding, Scion of Draco, and Tribal Flames are some of the staple domain cards.

Gallery and List of Domain Cards

There are 55 cards with the domain mechanic spread across various sets. The sets that have the most domain designs are Invasion, Conflux, and Dominaria United.

• Planar Despair
• Prismatic Geoscope
• Aven Trailblazer
• Worldly Counsel
• Voices from the Void
• Wandering Goblins
• Might of Alara
• Spore Burst
• Exploding Borders
• Manaforce Mace
• Evasive Action
• Exotic Curse
• Power Armor
• Allied Strategies
• Artillery Blast
• Leyline Binding
• Sphinx of Clear Skies
• Voda Sea Scavenger
• Drag to the Bottom
• Shadow Prophecy
• Meria's Outrider
• Radha's Firebrand
• Gaea's Might
• Herd Migration
• Llanowar Greenwidow
• Nishoba Brawler
• Slimefoot's Survey
• Sunbathing Rootwalla
• Territorial Maro
• The Weatherseed Treaty
• Yavimaya Sojourner
• Bortuk Bonerattle
• Nael, Avizoa Aeronaut
• Radha, Coalition Warlord
• Zar Ojanen, Scion of Efrava
• Jodah's Codex
• Briar Hydra
• Strength of Unity
• Wayfaring Giant
• Collective Restraint
• Collapsing Borders
• Kavu Scout
• Wandering Stream
• Ordered Migration
• Territorial Kavu
• Scion of Draco
• Tribal Flames
• Matca Rioters
• Drag Down
• Samite Pilgrim
• Exotic Disease
• Magnigoth Treefolk
• Draco
• Stratadon
• Tromp the Domains

There are two additional domain creatures from Alchemy: Dominaria. Skywriter Djinn and Wandering Treefolk are only available on MTG Arena, so if you're a paper-only player, don't worry about them!

Best Domain Cards

#8. Herd Migration

Herd Migration has the potential to make five 3/3 tokens for 7 mana in a 5-color deck. There are enough token synergies (like Parallel Lives and Intangible Virtue) to make this a real threat in a single card.

#7. Radha’s Firebrand

Radha's Firebrand has stats to be a good red threat, at least in Standard. A 3/1 for 2 with some upside is usually playable. I’m uncertain if the domain ability is relevant since usually those types of cards are featured in mono red or Boros () decks.

#6. Drag to the Bottom

Drag to the Bottom is a black sweeper played in Esper () decks, or 4-color decks, and it’s at least on par with Yahenni's Expertise or Languish. You need at least three land types before this is exactly Languish, and it can scale up to -6/-6 with full domain.

#5. Tribal Flames

If you’re playing 4-5 colors, dealing that much damage for only 2 mana is a steal. Tribal Flames is good removal that gets big threats like Tarmogoyf and Gurmag Angler. A domain deck is usually built as an aggro deck, and 2 mana to deal 5 damage to a creature or player is one of the best ratios in the game. Even Unholy Heat can’t deal damage to players.

#4. Sphinx of Clear Skies

Cards like Sphinx of Clear Skies didn't quite make its mark on Standard, but it's reminiscent of Constructed plants that did, like Dragonlord Ojutai and Iymrith, Desert Doom. Cards like these are huge bombs in Limited, too.

A flier with ward 2 is well-protected, and the sphinx connects for a mini Fact or Fiction effect. What’s not to love about this card?

#3. Territorial Kavu

In 5-color domain aggro decks, mostly in Modern, Territorial Kavu is usually a 4/4 or 5/5 for 2 mana (one reason to play 5-color domain in the first place). It also has a relevant attack trigger, which can either rummage away excess lands or act as graveyard hate.

#2. Scion of Draco

Scion of Draco, one of the best dragons in Magic, is an awesome payoff for playing 5-color domain decks. Suddenly your Mantis Rider has hexproof and lifelink, or your Territorial Kavu has trample and first strike.

Scion of Draco itself usually costs 4-6 mana with the right support, and it’s kind of a 5-color lord. It’s also fun to slot it into a 5-color EDH deck to buff your creatures and commanders. This card really had its breakout moment after Leyline of the Guildpact was printed, which would let you cast a turn-2 Scion with all the relevant keywords.

#1. Leyline Binding

Although it doesn’t cycle, Leyline Binding needs only three land types to be a better Banishing Light or Cast Out: It has flash and it’s cheaper.

Triomes have made achieving full domain trivial, which in turn makes Leyline Binding consistently cheap and effective. Even with the cost reduction, it's always a 6-mana spell for Up the Beanstalk and Enigmatic Incarnation.

Decklist: Domain in Modern

Decklist from MTGGoldfish

This is a typical Domain “Zoo” deck for Modern, which might as well be “Design Mistakes — The Deck.” It features the Leyline of the Guildpact + Scion of Draco Combo, as well as Territorial Kavu and Tribal Flames as the main damage dealers. With the robust mana base full of tri-lands and dual lands, Leyline Binding will almost always cost 1-2 mana even without the Leyline in play.

Outside of the domain package, the rest of the deck is composed of efficient creatures and interaction, with the overall gameplan aiming to put significant pressure on players right away and back it up with Stubborn Denial and Leyline Binding. It even features Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury as a grindy lategame plan, as well as Jegantha, the Wellspring as a “free” companion.

Wrap Up

Radha's Firebrand | Illustration by Angelo Bortolini

Domain is an interesting mechanic that widens the deckbuilding possibilities. Five-color decks are very inconsistent, but mechanics like domain, sunburst, and converge add a new layer to the game. It plays well in Limited too since you’re going to have greedy decisions on the number of different colors you’re going to play.

Do you have a favorite older domain card? Which of the newer ones are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments below or on the official Draftsim Twitter.

Let’s have fun with with this mechanic! Stay safe folks, and until next time!