Let's talk basic lands: Theros

I've had a pretty good streak of horrific drafts that I don't... really feel like inflicting on anyone. So let's talk about something I'm more qualified to think about: basic lands! Listen, nobody wants to be that guy that just shows up with a pile of mishmash lands from the bin. Frankly, nobody really wants to be friends with that guy either. A little thought and effort can reap some excellent rewards in tastfulness and class.

Jed's Classic Five

Loyal readers will note that I semi-obsessively curate my lands from the early days of magic when we shuffled without sleeves and thought Moxes "sucked because they were just lands" Also, only jerks played black.


    

Currently Riding the Pine

    


A fun project might be to clean up a landbox for drafting with the Super Happy Mega Fun Friends. Have 20-30 of each basic land, depending on how many Quality Arts I can find. Let's also add an additional filter: lands from when I seriously came back to magic i.e. Theros block. We need to get some swamps since there are so few good swamps. Also not everyone may share my love of the Unlimited Plains and it's white border. Let's gawk at some art!

Theros

   



 



 

Wow, Theros had some great stuff! Four artists (Steven Belledin, Raoul Vitale, fan-favorite Rob Alexander, and Adam Paquette) each did a cycle of basics. Not a ton of individual artistic differentiation, though Raoul Vitale did do a lot of fantastic detail-work, as is his wont.

To me, one piece jumps out from the rest.



That... is a really gorgeous piece. I'm always a sucker for the more sweeping landscape vistas. I want it to be a "forest" not just a tree dammit.

Other pieces that jumped out at me.

Having a giant glowy piece in the middle is a *bit* of a cheat to inject epic-ness but it's still a very cool piece.

If I have to pick a swamp...

I think Steven Belledin's get the nod here:


Do you have a favorite from Theros? Please share in the comments!