Hidden HideoutHidden Hideout | Art by Erikas Perl

Magic’s newest expansion, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), is introducing a plethora of interesting and thematically linked new cards. For our purposes, this article is taking a gander at one of the newest nonbasic lands from the set’s Turtle Power! Commander deck: Hidden HideoutHidden Hideout.

Despite its extremely redundant name (a hideout, by its very nature, should be hidden) and the artwork’s forced pizza imagery, this new Commander-focused nonbasic might be an important cog in many players' 99s going forward.

But is it preferable to playing the classic nonbasic commander-colored mana fixer Command TowerCommand Tower? Let’s take a look.

What Does Hidden HideoutHidden Hideout Do?

Hidden Hideout is a rare land that always enters tapped and taps for one mana of any color that’s in your commander’s color identity.

It also has an activated ability for that gives lifelink to a creature you control with a counter on it – an ability similar to Witch's ClinicWitch's Clinic, which was originally printed in Commander 2021 and reprinted in Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander.

A pretty simple and straightforward text box. But how does it compare to Command TowerCommand Tower, the standard-bearer for nonbasic lands that produce mana based on your commander’s color identity?

Command TowerCommand Tower vs. Hidden HideoutHidden Hideout

The first thing you’ll likely notice when comparing these two Commander-focused mana-producers is that one enters tapped and one does not. If you’re an aggro player, you might immediately see “comes into play tapped” on Hidden Hideout and say, “Well, obviously, Command Tower is a better card because I can use it right away.”

Frankly, that’s a strong argument. However, if you take a look at some of the best “rainbow” nonbasics, there are only a select few that can produce mana of any color (or at least any color that might be in your commander’s color identity) with no drawback – other than entering tapped, of course.

Also, the early game in Commander almost always sees players setting up with various support pieces, mana rocks, and mana dorks, so a rainbow land entering tapped isn’t the death knell it might be in other formats.

It seems a bit blunt to boil it down this way, but here’s the truth: if Hidden Hideout entered untapped, it would likely be better than Command Tower because it offers an extra activated ability, even if that ability is somewhat niche. But because Hidden Hideout enters tapped and Command Tower does not, it is not “strictly better."

Why Play Hidden Hideout?

Despite Command Tower being the “go-to” for mana-fixing in the Commander format, there are still scenarios in which Hidden Hideout can punch well above its weight comparatively.

Obviously, if you’re running a lifegain or counters theme in your deck, Hidden Hideout immediately becomes a dominant force, as its ability has tons of utility. Note that the land says “a counter,” meaning that it’s not just +1/+1 counters that can benefit from the ability.

That includes everything counters from Omo, Queen of VesuvaOmo, Queen of Vesuva, fate counters from Oblivion StoneOblivion Stone, feather counters from Aven MimeomancerAven Mimeomancer, fungus counters from SporogenesisSporogenesis, various finality counters… and the list goes on. Ultimately, any kind of counter placed on a creature allows that creature to benefit from Hidden Hideout’s activated ability.

Sure, it might not be a game-breaking play, but that lifegain could prove the difference between life and death in close games where every incremental advantage gained means you’re one small step ahead of your foes.

Is Hidden HideoutHidden Hideout Better Than…

There are a few notable “mana of any color” nonbasic lands that see frequent Commander play. Is Hidden Hideout better than any of them? Let’s see.

Path of AncestryPath of Ancestry

Path of Ancestry was originally printed in Commander 2017 and reprinted in almost every Commander product released since its debut. Hidden Hideout has similarities with this common nonbasic land, but it likely has a higher upside as scrying 1 is not quite as potent as a creature gaining lifelink.

City of BrassCity of Brass/Mana ConfluenceMana Confluence

As an old-school player (started playing around Sixth Edition), City of Brass remains a favorite of mine, though Mana Confluence is often the preferred rainbow nonbasic. While both of these enter untapped and losing one life is no biggie in Commander, that life loss can add up if you’re tapping these lands for mana every turn.

Hidden Hideout suffers no such drawbacks, and early turns in Commander are often focused on setting up anyway, meaning the speed loss from entering tapped isn’t as big a deal.

Exotic OrchardExotic Orchard

On its face, this untapped rainbow land seems to have no drawbacks… unless your opponents aren't playing a color you can use. If you don’t care about colored pips in your spells’ mana costs, you’re good. But if you really need to cast that Nicol Bolas, Dragon-GodNicol Bolas, Dragon-God but you can’t find that final and your opponent isn’t running black, you’re simply out of luck.

Feels bad, man.

Forbidden OrchardForbidden Orchard

Two orchards in a row?! Believe it. Forbidden Orchard was originally printed way back in 2004’s Champions of Kamigawa, and it remains a top-tier rainbow nonbasic land, especially in Commander. A 1/1 Spirit creature doesn’t mean much in the grand scope of Commander bouts, though having an extra chump blocker or sacrifice fodder can be useful for foes – something that Hidden Hideout doesn’t have to worry about.

Will Hidden Hideout Stay Hidden or Become a Staple?

While the financial and gameplay success of TMNT is yet to be determined, Hidden Hideout is surely one of the more notable lands released in advance of the newest Universes Beyond set.

Will it hold up as a notable staple in most Commander decks, or simply be a niche use case for lifegain- or counters-focused decks going forward? Only time will tell if our Heroes in a Half ShellHeroes in a Half Shell can elevate this new Commander tech.