Hinterland Harbor
Hinterland Harbor appears in 8.5% of tracked Commander decks, but when it hits the battlefield its controller wins 49% of the time — a +12.5 point edge over games where it sits in the library all game.
Hinterland Harbor shows a clear performance signal in Playgroup Live data: decks that cast it win 49.2% of games, compared to 36.7% for participations where it never left the library. That +12.5-point delta is one of the larger spreads we track for a dual land, and it holds across a sample of 63 cast instances and 177 library instances — large enough to call directional with confidence.
The card's role is straightforward. It enters untapped in virtually any Simic or Temur shell that runs Forest and Island basics, making it a near-free source of green-blue fixing. Players cast it on the same turn they draw it 59% of the time, and it reaches the battlefield with 95% stickiness — once down, it stays down. Median first-cast turn is 4, with a secondary cluster at turn 7 suggesting players who draw it late in blue-heavy decks still find room to tap it out for a land drop.
At 8.5% inclusion, Hinterland Harbor is a format staple within its color slice rather than a cross-meta auto-include. That narrow footprint makes the win-rate signal more meaningful: the decks running it are deliberately choosing efficient fixing, and the results track accordingly.
- 8.5% inclusion rate across all tracked Commander decks
- 49.2% win rate when cast, vs. 36.7% when it stays in the library
- +12.5 percentage-point win-rate delta — a strong directional signal
- 59% of drawn copies cast on the same turn they were drawn
- T4 median first-cast turn
- 95.2% battlefield stickiness once it resolves
First-cast turn
n=68The "good card" funnel
295 broughtOf 263 Hinterland Harbors brought to games, 76 were drawn, 63 of those were cast, and 60 were still on the battlefield when the game ended — a tight chain that reflects how efficiently pilots deploy it.
Players who cast this card win 50% of the time (n=68) , vs 39% when it never left the library (n=203).
Final zone distribution
295 instances177 of 263 brought instances ended the game in the library — normal for a singleton land in a long format, and the reason the cast-vs-library win-rate delta is the more useful read than raw inclusion.
Top commanders running this card
by deck count-
1
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
46 decks
-
2
Me, the Immortal
19 decks
-
3
Ureni of the Unwritten
14 decks
-
4
Quandrix, the Proof
12 decks
-
5
Lonis, Cryptozoologist
11 decks
-
6
Ms. Bumbleflower
11 decks
-
7
Heroes in a Half Shell
10 decks
-
8
Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait
9 decks
-
9
Teval, the Balanced Scale
9 decks
-
10
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
8 decks
Zimone, Infinite Analyst alone accounts for 42 decks, giving the list a clear Simic anchor, while the remaining commanders spread across Temur and broader color identities that still need green-blue fixing.
How often is Hinterland Harbor drawn in a Commander game? ▾
Across 238 tracked games, Hinterland Harbor was drawn in roughly 29% of deck-participations where it was present. That's modestly above the baseline expectation for a singleton in a 100-card deck, which is consistent with players keeping opening hands that contain it. Of 76 drawn instances, 63 were cast before the game ended — a draw-to-play rate of 77.6%.
Does casting Hinterland Harbor actually help you win? ▾
The data says yes, directionally. Games where it was cast ended in a win 49.2% of the time (63 observations). Games where it sat in the library all game ended in a win 36.7% of the time (177 observations). The +12.5-point gap is best read as a proxy for deck quality and mana consistency rather than the Harbor winning games on its own — but the signal is consistent across a solid sample.
What turn does Hinterland Harbor usually get played? ▾
Median first-cast turn is 4, with the 25th percentile at turn 2 and the 75th at turn 7. The distribution is bimodal: 14 of 63 casts happened on turn 1, suggesting many players keep opening hands containing it, while a second cluster around turns 6-7 reflects late draws. Max recorded cast turn is 11.
Is Hinterland Harbor banned in any relevant formats? ▾
No. Hinterland Harbor is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Historic, Timeless, Alchemy, and Duel Commander. It is not legal in Standard, Pauper, or Pauper Commander. There are no current bans or restrictions in any format where it is legal.
Why does Hinterland Harbor see so much play in Simic Commander decks? ▾
Hinterland Harbor enters untapped as long as you control a Forest or an Island, conditions that any Simic deck meets from turn 1 onward. That makes it functionally a dual land for most of the game. The alternative — a basic or a tapland — costs a full tempo on a key turn. In a format where the first four turns establish mana foundations that often decide game outcomes, that single untapped land drop is worth a dedicated deck slot.
Which commanders most often run Hinterland Harbor? ▾
Zimone, Infinite Analyst leads the list at 42 decks — by far the most concentrated single-commander pairing in the data. Me, the Immortal (18 decks), Ureni of the Unwritten (14 decks), and Quandrix, the Proof (12 decks) round out the top tier. The spread confirms that Hinterland Harbor is a green-blue fixing staple with reach into three-color Temur and even five-color shells that want reliable Simic fixing.