Islands are some of the most beautiful cards in Magic: The Gathering. They make scenes that bring to mind the calmness that blue’s planning needs.
Land is one of the most basic and important parts of any Magic: The Gathering game. It is also one of the most common. Blue mana, which uses Islands, is linked to the more strategic parts of the game, since many of its cards let you draw more cards or start long-term plans to win.
In keeping with this theme, many Islands try to show the calm planning that is often associated with the color. Here are some of the best Islands in Magic: The Gathering that can be put in any blue deck for those who want to add some unique and interesting lands to their decks.
Island, By Piotr Dura
This Island was first included in Jumpstart packs with a Mill theme. It shows the Millstone, which is a common blue symbol. In a setting that looks like space, the millstone hangs in the air and slowly eats away at the land below it. Despite the beautiful print, this Island has a simple look, but it is the theme that makes it so special.
Mill is a classic blue card that sends cards from an opponent’s deck to the graveyard to get rid of them. This is called “milling.” Millstone was the first card to be able to do this, so the term is named after it. This piece shows how hard it is to play this kind of strategy. The millstone in the empty void, whose only goal is to slowly crush a large mass, is a good symbol for the unyielding power of mill decks. Which only want to destroy your deck as quickly as possible. This makes it a great card for mill-themed decks.
Island, By Evan Cagle
This Island takes place in Innistrad. It was made as part of a special Midnight Hunt collection meant to evoke old-school gothic horror movies, and it does this very well. On the card itself, there is a picture of a person standing on an island surrounded by big, rough waves. The black and white of the ink shows how strong the waves are in a way that a colored picture could not.
The Midnight Hunt land set has a lot of black and white pieces. But this one looks like it was taken from a gothic painting in Dracula’s castle. It will give any horror-themed deck a spooky feel.
Island, By Matteo Bassini
This Island by Matteo Bassini shows how relaxing blue mana is while fitting it into the sprawling cityscape of New Capenna in a way that feels much more natural than the islands in Ravnica’s similar city-plane. This card shows a canal that fits with the look of the plane from the 1930s gangster era. It also shows the tall buildings and bright lights of the city.
But most of the card is hidden by dark buildings, which makes it feel cramped and limited. Even though the dark, foreboding buildings fit well with the set’s theme of the dark side of things. Even so, it’s still a good fit for blue decks that want a bit more edge. And it would probably fit right in with any Dimir deck.
Island, By Adam Paquette
This Island by Adam Paquette is one of the beautiful full-art planet lands in Unfinity. It shows a water world with tall geysers. Even though the Unfinity dual-lands were very popular. This piece of art does a great job of making the world feel real. If you look at the small details of the card, you can see where the sun is shining. The water on the beaches in the sun is lighter blue. While the water in the shade is so cold that it has frozen.
The cherry on top of this one is that the geysers, which are caused by changes in underground temperatures, are mostly put where the sunlit and shaded parts meet. Which is where they would really happen. This piece shows how the commitment to realism really brings these kinds of cards to life through its attention to detail.
Island, By Johannes Voss
This island from Kaldheim, made by Magic artist Johannes Voss, shows the beauty of the Nordic-style plain. The colors of the aurora borealis in the sky are reflected in the still water below, making a perfect frame for the island in the middle. In the background, the World Tree, an important part of Nordic mythology, is just barely visible. For such a simple card, it has some of the best art in all of Magic.
Island, By Johannes Voss
This Island, which is in the Inventors half of the Elves vs. Inventors duel decks. Shows the calm beauty of water as it naturally snakes around the land. In sharp contrast to its red-aligned inventor half, this Island is all about the quiet thought that is often associated with blue mana in Magic.
Even though it’s not clear, this card probably shows a beautiful scene from Kaladesh. Where the natural flow of the plane’s aether creates swirls in the land. Even though it goes against logic, this card makes the landscape look natural, as if the land’s swirls have always been there. It’s a great example of how artists make the world of Magic come to life.
Island, By Adam Paquette
Adam Paquette‘s second Unfinity Island takes a closer look at the water-covered planet he wrote about in the first one. The round, water-eroded rock fits right in with the world that is mostly water. It has small beaches and plants that look like they belong in the water rather than on land. There were lots of hidden things in Unfinity, and this card is no different. Once again, the details show that a single image can show a real world.
Also, the careful attention to detail isn’t just seen in the landscape. From the alien landscape to the way the Island symbol is framed by space. This card is full of spacey details and would be a great addition to any deck that wants to add some alien elements.
Island, By Véronique Meignaud
This card shows how chaotic the plane of Zendikar is while still bringing out its most important story elements. The elemental Roil that is hurting the plane shows up in different ways. Here, it can be seen in the twisted columns of water that are reaching for the sky. While this is going on, a hedron is lying still in the middle of the frame. It is giving off a protective light as it guards against a threat just below the surface that can’t be seen.
The images that are next to each other serve both a visual and a narrative purpose. They show the elemental chaos that makes the plane unique, while the hedron draws attention to a story element. Here, the hedron’s quiet stillness seems almost spooky because it’s so different from the raging seas around it. It adds to the mystery of the hedrons, which were still a secret when this card came out.
Island, By Anna Steinbauer
From Zendikar Rising, this Island by Anna Steinbauer gets to the heart of a key blue visual motif. Many blue cards have a picture of a head being cracked open or unlocked to reveal secrets, usually to draw cards or mill. This picture is very interesting because it looks like those blue playing cards.
In this case, the orbs are broken open to show a large formation underneath. This reveals the secret in a physical way. It’s even better because it fits in so well with the rest of Zendikar. The plane’s look and feel are all made up of the floating orbs, the city-like stones. And the waterfall that never stops flowing in midair. This interesting visual motif ties into the core of blue mana and would work well in any blue deck.
Island, By Jonas De Ro
This beautiful card comes from the Godzilla Land Secret Lair Drop and shows the King of Monsters lumbering across a setting sun. Even though there is a huge creature in the background, this picture is calm and gives the impression that Godzilla is coming home after a hard-fought battle.
Godzilla is usually very violent, so the quiet stillness makes you think that even he can take some time to think and reflect. It is one of the best 8 Ball Pool cards for making blue mana come alive. This land is very hard to get, and for good reason, it is often sold out in most places.
