There are a ton of exciting elements to a new set release. You’ve got the spoilers, the promos, and of course, the brand-new lands. Regardless of archetype or format, almost all decks play some number of basic lands. So naturally, the new basics for each set generate some buzz amongst players. This is especially true where full-art basics are concerned. So, today we’ll be taking a look at The Brothers’ War basic lands.
There are 10 (2 for each color) full-art basic lands. Each one features art that shows one of the massive machines that fought alongside Mishra and/or Urza and the location in which they fought. These full-art “mech” lands will be available in Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters.
So, we know how many there will be and where we can get them. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the lands themselves and admire the mechanical juggernauts that were used to fight The Brothers’ War.
Card Gallery
Instead of piling all the full-art basics one on top of the other, we’ll look at each land type by itself and break down the art some. Without further ado, let’s get into it, starting with the Plains and moving in the order of WUBRG.
Plains
When I first started playing Magic years ago, White was the first color I picked up. So, the aesthetic of many Plains takes me back there and they are one of my favorite land types to admire the art on. With that said, the vast, open scenery depicted on these is dominated by the sheer size of the war machines.
Plains are usually vibrant. And these are to some degree. However, the artists do a great job of capturing the Plains of Dominaria as they were shortly before being cast into what is essentially nuclear winter. Beautiful, but on the brink of destruction.
Islands
Lucas Staniec (right) and Robin Olausson (left) did an amazing job here – I have rarely seen the sea look as angry as it does on these full-art Islands. It’s as if I can hear Posidon himself calling out for war. The mechs here are immense in scale and the one on the right looks like some eldrich, Lovecraftian horror risen from the depths.
The waters appear harsh, cold, and uninviting. Given what we know about the events proceeding The Brothers’ War, we know these waves will soon churn in darkness. And shortly after that be frozen solid in the coming ice age. If you play Dimir, these Islands would look amazing alongside Swamps and I plan to do just that for my Modern U/B Mill deck.
Swamp
Swamps usually look like nice places for all things to come and meet their end. These Swamps are no exception to that. The machines here look Phyrexian in nature and that wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination at all. The left Swamp is dismal. Nearly barren in fact; save for the horror that towers above the landscape. The sense of scale leaves me asking – Is that mountain ranges it’s dwarfing?
The one on the right is brighter but no more inviting. I don’t recall seeing many Swamps with clouds. With that said, maybe those aren’t clouds at all. Perhaps it’s a miasma stirred up from the felling of some machine, destined to be a fossil for the 3000 years of darkness that follows the Sylex Blast.
Mountain
This mountain on the right may be my very favorite art from amongst The Brothers’ War basic lands. The reds are deep, the shadows are heavy, and the entire thing is stunning. The mech perched atop the peak looks like some terrible mechanical dragon.
Mountains might look better than any other land type in foil. There’s something about a foil Mountain that makes the card pop and I imagine that both of these Mountains would light up the table. Mountains also seem like they would be the least affected by the coming catastrophe.
Forest
I’m trying to decide which of these Forests I find more frightening. Both have formidable creatures standing amidst the gnarled trees and thick fog. They also seem to mimic the trees in their respective forests. The one on the right shows a behemoth standing among thick trucked trees.
While the one on left is a Serpentine and twisted. Its roots are scaled and it seems like a reptilian part of the Forest. It’s camouflaged within the winding landscape. Given that The Brothers’ War is tied in with the Phyrexians, I can’t help but think this thing would have Infect. Overall, the art for both seems to encompass the raw power of mother nature.
End Step
As someone who plays full-art basic lands in nearly all my decks, I always look forward to seeing the new ones for each set. With that said, The Brothers’ War did not disappoint. Knowing that these depictions of the Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and Forests of Dominaria right before they are plunged into a 3000-year apocalyptic winter. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at them as much as I did.
