Modern Primer: Lands

The most important thing in modern is surprise mana bases. 

There are four types of mana base you should be aware of.

Fastlands.  These are the lands from scars of mirrordin.  They are used as four ofs in many tier 1 and tier 2 modern decks.  I like them a lot.  They are especially important for fast decks like infect, dark burn, and bant enchantments.  I encourage you to pick up playsets of each.  There are five so pick up your 20 as soon as you can. 

Fetchlands.  These are the holy grail of mana.  They are used mostly as 4 ofs and are used in almost every modern deck.  They are the most important piece when building a modern collection.  Although they are pricy their price should go up until they get reprinted. 

Shocklands.  Most decks actually do use these as 4 ofs.  They are in standard now.  I would pick up all playsets of all 10.  Eventually their price will go up.  They are used in almost every modern deck but are not as prevalent as the fetches. 

Manlands.  These lands are from worldwake.  They turn into creatures.  I love these.  They give you something to do with your mana and serve as finishers for the control decks.  Celestial Colonnade and Creeping Tarpit are the standouts of the group.  But I would try to get a complete playset of each of the five if possible. 

Remember lands are key to the modern format.