Bayou MTG Card


Bayou offers strategic flexibility through its dual mana capability, increasing gameplay and deck versatility. Its value extends beyond mere mana supply; it is integral in setting up powerful combos in legacy formats. Despite its cost, Bayou’s meta relevance and consistency make it a prized asset in competitive play.
Card setsReleased in 16 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLand — Swamp Forest

Text of card

Counts as both swamp and forest and is affected by spells that affect either. Tap to add either o B or o G to your mana pool.


Cards like Bayou

The Bayou card is a cherished component in the Magic: The Gathering dual land repertoire. Its invaluable ability to tap for either black or green mana without entering the battlefield tapped places it alongside the famed “original dual lands” set. Comparable to Overgrown Tomb from the Ravnica block, the tomb also provides both colors but differs in that it may come into play tapped or provide the flexibility of untapped potential at the cost of life.

Additionally, there’s the distinguished Llanowar Wastes from the Apocalypse set, which consistently offers the color choice for a mana at the expense of a life point, presenting a predictable but costly alternative. Woodland Cemetery, part of the Innistrad block, offers a similar flexibility in mana generation but is contingent on controlling a forest or swamp to avoid entering play tapped, adding a conditional aspect to deck design.

While assessing these alternatives highlights Bayou’s strong suit—its combination of immediate availability and versatility without a direct cost, asserting its position as an iconic land card for players seeking an edge in multicolored green and black decks in Magic: The Gathering.

Overgrown Tomb - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Woodland Cemetery - MTG Card versions
Overgrown Tomb - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Woodland Cemetery - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Bayou by color, type and mana cost

Pine Barrens - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Tainted Wood - MTG Card versions
Undergrowth Stadium - MTG Card versions
Twilight Mire - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malady - MTG Card versions
Necroblossom Snarl - MTG Card versions
Deathcap Glade - MTG Card versions
Golgari Rot Farm - MTG Card versions
Darkbore Pathway // Slitherbore Pathway - MTG Card versions
Overgrown Tomb - MTG Card versions
Svogthos, the Restless Tomb - MTG Card versions
Gilt-Leaf Palace - MTG Card versions
Golgari Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Grim Backwoods - MTG Card versions
Jungle Hollow - MTG Card versions
Hissing Quagmire - MTG Card versions
Foul Orchard - MTG Card versions
Blooming Marsh - MTG Card versions
Woodland Cemetery - MTG Card versions
Pine Barrens - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Wastes - MTG Card versions
Tainted Wood - MTG Card versions
Undergrowth Stadium - MTG Card versions
Twilight Mire - MTG Card versions
Temple of Malady - MTG Card versions
Necroblossom Snarl - MTG Card versions
Deathcap Glade - MTG Card versions
Golgari Rot Farm - MTG Card versions
Darkbore Pathway // Slitherbore Pathway - MTG Card versions
Overgrown Tomb - MTG Card versions
Svogthos, the Restless Tomb - MTG Card versions
Gilt-Leaf Palace - MTG Card versions
Golgari Guildgate - MTG Card versions
Grim Backwoods - MTG Card versions
Jungle Hollow - MTG Card versions
Hissing Quagmire - MTG Card versions
Foul Orchard - MTG Card versions
Blooming Marsh - MTG Card versions
Woodland Cemetery - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Bayou. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Beanstalk ControlBeanstalk Control LegacyBeanstalk ControlLegacy Showcase Challenge 2024-04-21
Sultai ScamSultai Scam LegacySultai ScamLegacy Showcase Challenge 2024-04-21
Sultai MidrangeSultai Midrange VintageSultai MidrangeVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-21
Beseech StormBeseech Storm LegacyBeseech StormLegacy League 2024-04-24
ReanimatorReanimator LegacyReanimatorLegacy Challenge 32 2024-04-21
MaverickMaverick LegacyMaverickLegacy League 2024-04-21
Cradle ControlCradle Control LegacyCradle ControlLegacy Showcase Challenge 2024-04-21
5c Stoneblade5c Stoneblade Legacy5c StonebladeLegacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24
5c Control5c Control Legacy5c ControlLegacy Preliminary 2024-04-24
The EPIC StormThe EPIC Storm LegacyThe EPIC StormLegacy Challenge 32 2024-04-21

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing Bayou in your deck allows you steady access to two types of mana (black and green), essential for smooth gameplay and enabling the use of powerful multi-colored cards without the risk of being constrained by a single mana type. This strategic advantage can keep you one step ahead of your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: As a dual land card, Bayou serves as an accelerant for your resources, tapping for either type of mana. This flexibility facilitates a more efficient and swift development of your board state, allowing you to deploy threats or answers ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: While Bayou itself is not an instant, having it in your land base ensures that you have the necessary mana readily available to cast spells at instant speed. This means you can react to your opponent’s moves in real-time, often during their turn, making Bayou a key component in decks that thrive on adaptability and surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Bayou does not require you to discard cards to play, it’s worth noting that your hand might be affected if you need to adjust your strategy to accommodate its specific mana abilities within your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Bayou provides both black and green mana, which is incredibly specific. This can be limiting if your deck strategy isn’t aligned with these colors or if you’re facing color hate cards in a match.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Due to the high demand for original dual lands like Bayou, their acquisition cost for your deck is significantly higher compared to more common alternatives, potentially impacting your budget for other cards.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bayou is a dual land card, crucial for any deck that runs on both black and green mana. Its ability to provide either type of mana without any drawback makes it a powerful asset in a wide array of decks, enhancing consistency and fluidity in gameplay.

Combo Potential: Bayou serves as the perfect foundation for numerous combos, particularly in legacy and vintage formats where land-based strategies are prominent. It helps enable devastating plays with cards that require both colors, smoothing the way for game-winning sequences.

Meta-Relevance: With a continued presence in competitive play, Bayou maintains its importance in the current meta, especially in decks like Sultai midrange or Golgari graveyard strategies. It’s a card that has proven to be a timeless fixture across various MTG metagames.


How to beat

Bayou is a staple dual land in MTG known for its ability to tap for both black and green mana without any drawback. Overcoming the advantage Bayou provides is about disrupting your opponent’s mana base. Land destruction cards are an effective tool against it. Cards like Ghost Quarter offer a way to remove Bayou from the battlefield, potentially hindering your opponent’s color-specific strategy.

Strategies incorporating land hate, like Blood Moon or Back to Basics, can make Bayou just as ineffective as any basic land by removing its dual nature. Against decks using Bayou, you can also employ graveyard hate. Cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can target the strategies that tend to exploit lands like Bayou, cutting off the benefits from cards that interact with the graveyard.

Understanding how crucial lands like Bayou are to a deck’s functionality allows you to plan and execute disruption effectively. Keeping the pressure on your opponent by limiting their resources is key to leveling the playing field and neutralizing the threat of powerful lands such as Bayou in your MTG matches.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bayou MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Bayou and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bayou Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2781993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2791993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2791993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2791993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2791993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2831993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2831993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2831993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
92002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 436041997NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
102009-09-07Masters Edition IIIME3 2041997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
112011-01-02Legacy ChampionshipOLGC 2019A2015NormalBlackRaoul Vitale
122011-01-02Legacy ChampionshipOLGC 2021B2015NormalBlackSidharth Chaturvedi
132011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 2421997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
142014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2932015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
152022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2742015NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
162022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5711997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bayou has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bayou card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2008-10-01 This has basic land types, but it isn’t a basic land. Things that affect basic lands don’t affect it. Things that affect basic land types do.
2008-10-01 This has the mana abilities associated with both of its basic land types.