What are the best mana rocks?

[Red_Wyrm]

Hello everyone! (Does anyone ever even read this line)

So I was curious about the mana rocks everyone uses. We all have our preferences, and hopefully I can learn why I should/shouldn't use certain ones.

I run Sol Ring because it is stupid. For two+ color decks I run all appropriate signets, sometimes I will do either the cluestones or keyrunes in addition to that if I need extra mana. In mono colorled decks I run the corresponding medallion that reduces spells of that color by 1 generic mana. Ruby Medallion, etc. I also use Chromatic lantern for any 3+ color decks and darksteel ingot for pretty much every deck.

I am not too sure about the tailsman rocks. You can hit them off a sol ring, like the signets, but unlike the signets you can use them right away. I mean I know you can use the signets right away, but you need 1 to activate it, so no turn 1 sol ring into signet into another spell.

But you could go sol ring tailsman and birds of paradise.

Just curious.
Shoot away.

[Marshstepper78]

I love the Talismans personally and Fellwar Stone has become an auto-include in most of my decks.

I have a preference for 2-mana rocks, even stuff life Fractured Powerstone. Mind Stone is starting to creep it's way into a lot of my active decks. I have stopped using Chromantic Lantern - not needing it for colour-fixing even in 3-colored decks - and I do not like Darksteel Ingot because of its casting cost.

I agree about the Medallions in mono-colored decks.

I use Mana Vault a lot, but I don't think it's an auto-include in most decks as it costs a lot to untap it. It often acts as a Dark Ritual of sorts.

[Judaspriester]

Sol Ring and Fellwar Stone are auto includes. For mono I use the Medallion then, for multicolor I like to use the Signets. If I feel like I need more mana, Lockets (they are, at least for me, better than keyrunes or cluestones), Darsteel Ignot, Coalition Relic and Thran Dynamo (if I need to go high).

The Chromatic Lantern is nice, but I currently only use it in Najeela, up to 3 colors, the fixing usually also works without it.

I would like to get a Mana Crypt, but until now, I didn't felt like its worth to pay that much money for a single piece of paper (just checked, cheapest english on card market is 130€  ).

[ApothecaryGeist]

First off, since we're discussing rocks, I assume we're talking about the Commander format. 

I do agree with each of you.

I tend to tailor my mana rocks to the deck.  Expecially those rocks that have CMC 3 or greater.  I do play casual Commander, where 3-mana mana rocks are viable and normal to see, but I still feel that for 3 mana, it needs to do a little something extra for me.  I have NEVER run Manalith.  I will run a keyrune if I want a sleeping creature.  I will run Darksteel Ingot if I want to guard against it blowing up.  I will run a cluestone if I want the card draw.  Although for card draw, I will use Mind Stone first, then Commander's Sphere, and then probably a locket.  (I have not played with the lockets much yet, so my preference for locket over cluestone is only theoretical at this point.)  But none of these are auto-includes for me.  I am also a fan of Cultivator's Caravan, just because it's a mana rock that can be thrown at someone later on - for FIVE damage!

The only auto-includes that I have in EVERY deck (regardless of color mix) are:
Sol Ring - no one disputes that this is the king of mana rocks.
Thran Dynamo - I think this one is very underrated.  I like it better than Gilded Lotus, since it costs 1 less, but still makes 3 mana.
Signets & Talisman (non-mono decks) - I do agree that a Talisman is mildly better than a signet.  The trick to playing them is using the Talisman for colorless/generic requirements whenever possible to minimize the pain (same concept as properly utilizing painlands).
Fellwar Stone - Especially useful with decks that steal things by letting you pay activation costs outside your color identity.
Thought Vessel - "Reliquary Rock".

Beyond that, like I said, I like to customize the ramp package to the deck.  Certainly, if I'm in green, more of my mana ramp will be in the form of dorks and ramp spells.

A tip that I use when I am building is that I use about 10 pieces of mana ramp.  I only permit one or two of those pieces to cost more than 3 mana. This is where I slot Gilded Lotus, Caged Sun, Black Market, Gauntlet of Power, Gauntlet of Might, Hedron Archive, Dreamstone Hedron and such things.

I also like Solemn Simulacrum as ramp, although I typically count it as a card-draw slot, since he costs 4 mana.

I have also use a host of others, like Burnished Hart, Armillary Sphere, Lotus Petal, Lotus Bloom,  the mana Myr, Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Basalt Monolith.  You just have to be selective about what deck you put them in.

Happy Brewing!

[WWolfe]

Sol Ring, Fellwar Stone, Signets, & Talismans.

I will put Gilded Lotus and Thran Dynamo in some decks but not many. Thought Vessel if it's a deck where I will draw a lot and hand size may be a legit issue.

Chrome Mox, Mana Crypt, and Mana Vault in my more competitive decks.

[Morganator 2.0]

I'm going to list all of the good ones that I know. Ones in bold are relatively budget options as well, which makes them the most accessible.

CMC 0: Chrome Mox, Jeweled Amulet, Lion's Eye Diamond, Lotus Bloom, Lotus Petal, Mana Crypt, Mox Amber*, Mox Diamond, Mox Opal

CMC 1: Mana Vault, Sol Ring

CMC 2: Signets (ex: Golgari Signet), Talismans (ex: Talisman of Progress), Medallions (Sapphire Medallion) and Diamonds (Charcoal Diamond) in mono-color only, Doubling Cube, Fellwar Stone, Grim Monolith, Helm of Awakening, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel

At CMC 3, mana ramp becomes risky to use.

CMC 3: Basalt Monolith, Chromatic Lantern, Coalition Relic, Commander's Sphere, Extraplanar Lens, Worn Powerstone

At CMC 4+ ramp usually isn't worth it. Think long and hard before using any of these cards.

CMC 4: Gauntlet of Might, Thran Dynamo

CMC 5: Gauntlet of Power, Gilded Lotus

CMC 6: Caged Sun

*Mox Amber is a weird card, in that it can be good ramp, but only in certain decks. In most cases, you would be better off with a basic land.

[Red_Wyrm]

CMC 2: Signets (ex: Golgari Signet), Talismans (ex: Talisman of Progress), Medallions (Sapphire Medallion) and Diamonds (Charcoal Diamond) in mono-color only, Doubling Cube, Fellwar Stone, Grim Monolith, Helm of Awakening, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel

Hey why do there exist talisman cards for only five of the color pairs? I think its the allied colors (can never remember) but do they ever plan on printing a version for the enemy colors as well?

[Marshstepper78]

I know I harped a bit on Darksteel Ingot because of it's casting cost, but I like Commander's Sphere in decks with at least 2 colours. It can be sacrificed to draw a card later in the game when you have a solid manabase, and you don't even need to tap it so you can get one last coloured mana out of the thing before drawing that card.

I'm a huge fan of Mana Crypt too. I have never come close to dying because of the thing. The advantage of having a zero-costed mana rock that gives you 2 is incredible. It has been the most useful in my Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder and Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma decks. Endrek Sahr costs a lot and he is a bit instrumental in my deck so Mana Crypt and Mana Vault help me get him out faster so I can start amassing thrull tokens (sac fodder) as fast as possible. With Goreclaw's built-in cost reduction, Mana Crypt helps me power out big beaters faster than my opponents can deal with most of the time. The problem with Mana Crypt is entirely financial at this point.

[Soren841]

I mean any 0 or 1 cost mana rock that doesn't require any cost other than tapping is pretty much unarguably good except for Mox Amber.

[crimsonking]

Ordered by power level.
Colorless (*):
1. Sol Ring
2. Mana Vault
3. Mind Stone
4. Basalt Monolith
5. Thran Dynamo
Mono color:
1. Sol Ring
2. Diamonds (Marble Diamond, Sky Diamond, etc.)
3. Coldsteel Heart
4. Medallions (Pearl Medallion, Sapphire Medallion, etc.)
5. Star Compass
Allied pairs:
1. Sol Ring
2. Talismans (Talisman of Progress, Talisman of Dominance, etc.)
3. Signets (Azorius Signet, Dimir Signet, etc.)
4. Star Compass
5. Coldsteel Heart
Enemy pairs:
1. Sol Ring
2. Signets (Orzhov Signet, Izzet Signet, etc.)
3. Star Compass
4. Coldsteel Heart
5. Diamonds (Marble Diamond, Sky Diamond, etc.)
Shards:
1. Sol Ring
2. Talismans (Talisman of Progress, Talisman of Dominance, etc.)
3. Signets (Azorius Signet, Dimir Signet, etc.)
4. Fellwar Stone
5. Coalition Relic
Wedges:
1. Sol Ring
2. Signets (Azorius Signet, Dimir Signet, etc.)
3. Fellwar Stone
4. Coalition Relic
5. Chromatic Lantern
Any color:
1. Sol Ring
2. Fellwar Stone
3. Chromatic Lantern
4. Coalition Relic
5. Darksteel Ingot
(*) Didn't put Mana Crypt because of budget issues.