Crossroads VillageHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Crossroads Village is a 'choose a color' land that enters the battlefield tapped. Unlike a basic land, it doesn't have an intrinsic mana ability; instead, its ability is defined by the choice you make as it enters the battlefield. The 'Town' subtype currently has no inherent rules meaning but may interact with other cards that reference Town permanents.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, as Crossroads Village moves from the stack or your hand to the battlefield, you must choose one of the five colors of Magic: white, blue, black, red, or green. This choice happens 'as' it enters, meaning it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to once the land starts entering. Second, the land is placed onto the battlefield in the tapped position. Finally, once it is untapped in a later turn, you can activate its ability to produce one mana of that specifically chosen color.

Common Mistakes

A common error is forgetting that the color choice is permanent for that object; you cannot change the chosen color later unless the land leaves the battlefield and returns. Additionally, because the mana ability depends on a choice made as it enters, if the land enters the battlefield via an effect that suppresses 'enters the battlefield' abilities (though rare for replacement effects like this), it may not be able to produce mana at all.

When to Play It

This land is best utilized in decks with three or more colors where hitting specific casting costs—like double-piped spells—is crucial. Because it enters tapped, it is often best played on turn one or during a turn where you do not need to use all your available mana immediately.

Interaction examples

Fixing Your Colors

If you have a hand full of blue spells but only have Mountains in play, you can play Crossroads Village and choose blue. Even though it enters tapped, you have now guaranteed that your blue spells can be cast starting next turn.

Towns and Command Tower

Command Tower

While Command Tower checks your commander's color identity, Crossroads Village requires you to choose a color regardless of your commander. If you choose Green for the Village, it produces Green, but this does not change what colors Command Tower can produce.

Opponent Interaction

Exotic Orchard

If you control Crossroads Village and have chosen Red, an opponent who controls Exotic Orchard can now tap their Orchard for Red mana, because Crossroads Village is a land you control that could produce Red.