Bayou
Land — Swamp Forest
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- CMC
- 0
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BG
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Vintage Masters
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #431
Bayou enters untapped, taps for black or green with no strings attached, and never asks you to pay life or jump through hoops — that's the whole pitch. The cost is the sticker price: this is one of the most expensive dual lands in the game, which is the only reason it isn't in every Golgari, Sultai, or four-color black-green shell, including every list running Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero that touches those colors — and yes, Floral Evoker decks want it too.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero is one of the most tutor-heavy, fast-mana-dense commander pairings in the format, and Bayou slots in as the cleanest black-green source in a mana base that can't afford to stumble on color.
Sisay, Weatherlight Captain
Sisay, Weatherlight Captain decks run as many legendary permanents as possible across multiple colors, and Bayou gives the black-green pip combination with zero setup cost — no life payment, no tapped entry, just mana on demand.
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Tayam, Luminous Enigma wants its black and green mana available every turn to activate the ability repeatedly, and Bayou is simply the most reliable source of both in a single land slot.
Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Tasigur, the Golden Fang's single-black casting cost and ability that generates green mana demand a tight, efficient mana base, and Bayou is the gold standard for hitting both colors without compromise.
Glarb, Calamity's Augur
Glarb, Calamity's Augur builds around casting spells at instant speed and needs its mana base to function without hesitation; Bayou covers both of Glarb's primary colors off a single untapped land.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Bayou is a staple in any deck whose color identity includes both black and green — it's the best land in those slots, full stop. Legacy is its other home, where Bayou anchors Lands, Reanimator, and various Nic Fit shells that need reliable early black-green mana. Vintage allows it, though the power-nine environment gives it less room to shine as a marquee card. Bayou is not legal in Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper, so if those are your formats, the conversation ends here.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Floral EvokerVeilborn GhoulSquandered ResourcesBayou
Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite landfall triggers; Infinite self-discard triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Bayou is a Reserved List card, which means Wizards has committed to never reprinting it — price data fluctuates and listings vary widely, so check current vendor prices directly before buying or trading. Given the reprint lock and sustained demand across Legacy and Commander, condition matters enormously: a heavily played copy and a near-mint copy can differ by hundreds of dollars, so grade carefully.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Floral Evoker
- Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
- Sisay, Weatherlight Captain
- Tayam, Luminous Enigma
- Tasigur, the Golden Fang
- Glarb, Calamity's Augur
- Veilborn Ghoul
- Squandered Resources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.