![mtg card image gallery war of the spark mtg card image gallery war of the spark](https://media.wizards.com/2019/war/en_9wOoDBZo6y.png)
Chippy’s land coming out of Shards of Alara was a long time favorite of mine through much of the middle 2010s in my casual decks. Usually when a silhouette stands out to me, it’s not the negative space that leaves the lasting impression. Though with O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami, I have faith that we will still get representation from time to time. The one aspect holding this land back from being used more often is just that the amount of flavorful legends that can make use of them is limited slightly by Kamigawa block being monocolored, leaving decks like Marrow-Gnawer and Myojin of Night’s Reach to get the most use out it. There is a sense of foreboding mystery to this piece, with this the nezumi village clouded in the mist, with heavy reeds emerging in the foreground like katanas.
![mtg card image gallery war of the spark mtg card image gallery war of the spark](https://media.magic.wizards.com/en_4asI13Etj_8.png)
In the case of these Swamp and they’re tied to the nezumi-the rat folk of the plane-and we’re given very distinct colony structures that bring a sense of culture to Swamps in a time before they had individual identities from piece to piece. All we need is the sound of katydids, and the setting is complete.”Ī nice palate cleanser before my seven favorite Swamps.Īs an unabashed fan of the world of Kamigawa, I find myself constantly revisiting some of the basic lands and really appreciating how much they just exude the Japanese influence the plane had. As a native of the Hudson Valley, the haziness of this piece reminds me all too well of those hot, humid summer evenings, where you can feel the mosquitoes circling around your breath. We’re drawn to the light and warmth of what’s just out of reach, but the dark, rotting trees stand in our way.
![mtg card image gallery war of the spark mtg card image gallery war of the spark](https://media.wizards.com/2019/war/en_2fK3kwnMTt.png)
Andrew Robinson’s use of light sets this one apart from others, creating a sense of calmness under the dense canopy. From inside your car its nothing more than a flicker of trees, yet the darkness hides much more. “Drive along the Taconic State Parkway in southern New York, and you’ll find this Swamp-the Andrew Robinson piece from Fifth Edition. That said, even with my bias, I was happy to prove myself a little wrong, finding examples from all across Magic’s history.įellow corresppondent Travis Norman chimes in on his personal favorite: While it was very common in the early years of Magic for the basic lands of each type to blend together year after year, I’ve been of the opinion that the basic Swamp took the longest for Wizards to really get their stride on finding interesting ways to concept. Of all the basic lands, I’ve found Swamps to be lacking over the course of the game not so much in skill of the painting, but a sense of diversity. Right up front, when it came time for deciding on my favorite Swamp art, I was honestly not too enthused at first. I held myself to no restrictions as I compiled today’s list, and sought to capture the lands that I use to set the stage for my decks. I use that one piece whenever possible to help cement the visual themes of my deck.
#MTG CARD IMAGE GALLERY WAR OF THE SPARK SERIES#
Suddenly, James’s series made me see how lands could be an extension of my deck’s aesthetic.Īs time has gone on, I’ve started each deck construction by finding the one piece of art I think fits best for each basic. While I had always been a fan of the art of Magic, for the first decade of playing the game I only ever thought about the game’s art in terms of how reprints could be a gateway to different interpretations of the same idea. My interest dates back to when I stumbled across the Better Basic series by James Arnold on CoolStuffInc. For much of the last year, Donny Caltrider and I have been teaming up to cover basic land art from time to time.