MTG Mana Base & Color Source Calculator
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How to Use the MTG Mana Calculator
Building a consistent mana base is the difference between winning and losing in Magic: The Gathering. This calculator uses mathematical heuristics based on hypergeometric distribution principles to determine how many color sources you need to consistently cast your spells on curve.
Key Definitions
- Deck Size: Usually 60 for Standard/Modern, 40 for Limited (Draft/Sealed), or 100 for Commander.
- Specific Color Pips: The number of times a specific mana symbol appears in your deck. For example, if you have 4 copies of a spell costing {1}{G}{G}, that contributes 8 Green pips.
- Target Turn: The turn by which you want to have at least one (or more) sources of this color ready.
Frank Karsten's Principles
Our calculator incorporates logic derived from competitive MTG math. To have a 90% chance of casting a 1-drop on turn 1 (like Ragavan or Llanowar Elves), you typically need 14 sources of that color in a 60-card deck. As the turn count increases, the required number of sources decreases because you see more cards through your natural draw step.
Example Calculation
If you are playing a 60-card deck with a heavy focus on Blue (20 Blue pips) and you want to cast a "Counterspell" ({U}{U}) reliably on Turn 2:
- Input 60 for Deck Size.
- Input your planned Land Count (e.g., 24).
- Input 20 for Pips.
- Input 2 for Target Turn.
The calculator will suggest approximately 18-20 Blue sources to ensure you have two Blue sources available by Turn 2 with high statistical confidence.