In 2013's Theros, Wizards of the Coast printed the Temple cycle (Temple of Silence, Temple of Mystery, etc.). They saw a bit of play in Standard as an evolution of the outdated taplands (Salt Marsh, Elfhame Palace) with the minor benefit of Scrying for one and have been reprinted as recently as Foundations. They're simple and effective Lands but are easily cut once you have more powerful options.

Surveil Lands: What They Are

These Scry Temples got a huge upgrade in 2024's Murders of Karlov Manor with the ten Surveil Lands (Meticulous Archive, Thundering Falls). Had these simply been the Temples with "Scry 1" replaced by "Surveil 1," they would be an improvement, but the fact that they're dual-typed - that is, Lush Portico is a Forest Plains - makes them significantly better.

In the metatexual perspective, the Surveil Lands are a bit inflated from where they would generally be due to quirks of their printing. Murders at Karlov Manor was a relatively unpopular set and was the first "Play Booster" set, so the draft window was a bit smaller than some sets and the drop rates of Rares harder to gauge. In addition, the Surveil Lands were included as part of a separate Land sheet, rather than being printed on the main set's 11 x 11 sheet.

Mark Rosewater has tersely noted that Murders performed "[b]elow expectations," which is borne out by there are remarkably few desirable cards in the set. Only Delney, Streetwise Lookout outranks the Surveil Land cycle, and they remain the only non-Land card above $10 in non-foil, non-showcase form. The entire value of Murders is tied up in the Surveil Lands, which range from approximately $8 to $19 for the basic copies and $15 to $28 for the borderless copies.

That lower end is something you, as a Commander player and frugal purchaser, should note. The more aggressive color pairs of Gruul (), Rakdos (), and Boros () tend to have the cheaper Surveil Lands. That's because those colors would generally rather have Verges and Shocklands. If you're playing those pairs in Commander, though, you'll need a copy of the respective Land(s).

Surveil Lands: Why You Need Them

There are several factors that put the Surveil Lands an echelon above the Scry Temples from Theros/Foundations.

Most importantly, unlike the Temples, they're fetchable. If you don't have a one-drop, popping a Misty Rainforest to go fetch a Hedge Maze or an Undercity Sewer feels incredible. You would generally rather have a Shockland (Breeding Pool), but if you don't have a play on this turn, a tapland that Surveils a critical card into your graveyard or helps you plan your next turn is possibly better.

This isn't just tied to fetchlands. If you're running landcycling through cards like Lorien Revealed, Generous Ent, or Eternal Dragon, the Murders Lands let you squeeze a little extra value out of your Land for the extremely minimal opportunity cost of coming into play tapped.

In almost every situation, Surveilling is better than Scrying. Scrying either lets you draw the card next turn or tuck in on the bottom of your library, which is a zone that's difficult to reclaim cards from. Decks are much better at recurring cards from the graveyard, and so Surveilling gives you more options beyond just peeking a card ahead and tucking it away or keeping it.

Here's a simple example. You play a Temple of Malady, scrying the top card of your library and seeing a Bloodghast. Your options are to a) leave the Bloodghast on top, drawing it next turn, or b) putting in on the bottom of your library. Both options are suboptimal, as you'd prefer Bloodghast in the graveyard rather than having to draw and cast it as a normal Creature.

With Underground Mortuary in the same situation, you bin the Bloodghast, and it's like Mortuary drew you a card. That's an extreme example, as for the most part, the Surveil is minor card selection for most decks, but it's still a pure benefit. Seeing more cards than your opponent(s) is an excellent way to win a game of Magic.

If your deck is interested in reanimation, Delirium, Flashback, Threshold, Dredge, or any other graveyard mechanic, the Surveil Lands become even more powerful. Even if you're not necromantically inclined, you can turn on Domain more quickly, skim a useless card you Brainstormed onto the top of your library, or churn through Lands with Icetill Explorer.

Power-wise, the Surveil Lands are approximately equivalent to the Ikoria Triomes (Ketria Triome) and the New Capenna lairs (Ziatora's Proving Ground), which remain popular and pricey cards. In terms of rankings, I'd put them just behind the Shocklands and just ahead of the painlands (Adarkar Wastes). That means every Commander deck should run a copy of the surveil Land in its colors.

A Note on Price

It's only been two years since they were first printed, but as the Surveil Lands were very popular cards in a very unpopular set. They need a reprint to get more copies into the Magic ecosystem. They have no specific flavor aspect tying them to Ravnica and could be plugged into any upcoming set, just as the Ravnica shocklands (Sacred Foundry, Breeding Pool) were intended to be flavor-neutral and reprintable.

Undercity Sewers was recently reprinted in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, halving the price of a copy, which gives me hope for future reprints in upcoming sets. The Surveil Lands smooth a mana base while helping players draw what they need, which means they're perfect for Commander precons and hopefully show up as frequently as Temple of the False God.

For more budget-conscious players, I get that paying upward of ten bucks for a Land hurts. The easiest way to quietly lose a game of Magic is either by weakening your mana base or by restricting your own options. Surveil Lands help you fix your mana while smoothing out your draws. The first ten dollars in a new dual-colored deck should be for your Shockland. The next ten should be for the respective Surveil Land.

FAQ

Why are Surveil Lands so expensive>

The powerful filtering and ease of fetching Surveil Lands has made them a staple in Commander, Modern, and Pioneer. Any time a card is critical to a format's meta, it's going to be in higher demand. Unfortunately, that leads to higher prices.

Why are Surveil Lands good?

Along with providing two colors of mana, these cards offer a way to thin your deck and fuel graveyard strategies. They can be a powerful addition to several types of decks.

Why are Surveil Lands better than Scry Lands?

Surveil Lands come with more advantages than Scry Lands, putting options into your graveyard rather than sticking them at the bottom of your library.

Wrapping Up

You can get by with taplands like Sacred Peaks, which are still fetchable, or painlands like Yavimaya Coast for a while, but the Surveil Lands give you a minimal but very tangible advantage. Every shaky two-Land hand gets better when you lead with a Raucous Theater, and every graveyard deck gets a boost from Underground Mortuary. They may not be as flashy as the finisher du jour or as dependable as a Consider, but they both help you cast and find both. That makes them qualified contenders for the pantheon of dual Lands.