Magic: The Gathering’s Biggest Mistake Was These 32-Year-Old Cards

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Magic: The Gathering has been around for over thirty years, and boasts a huge number of cards released through numerous sets. Since its debut in 1993, the game has seen constant innovation and a variety of ways to play. Interestingly, one of the biggest impacts on the game came from printing a few extremely rare and valuable cards that significantly altered how the game is played and what future designs could look like. While Magic features many different card types, with some having subtypes and supertypes, those more complex classifications are relatively new additions to the game.

I remember when Magic: The Gathering first launched – even back then, the core ideas were all there. You played creatures by ‘summoning’ them, and it had all the classic card types we know and love: sorceries, instants, enchantments, artifacts, and lands. The Black Lotus, which came out in the very first set, Limited Edition Alpha, quickly became legendary – it’s still one of the most recognizable cards ever! It’s part of what people call the “Power Nine,” cards that are considered way too strong. That first set also had these special lands called dual lands. They weren’t necessarily overpowered back then, but in today’s game, they’re incredibly powerful and, for various reasons, they just don’t reprint them anymore.

In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the ‘Power Nine’ are widely regarded as the strongest cards ever printed. This group consists of Time Walk, Ancestral Recall, Timetwister, Black Lotus, and the five Moxen: Mox Emerald, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Jet, and Mox Sapphire.

Why Magic: The Gathering’s OG Dual Lands Are OP

While Magic: The Gathering has many powerful legendary lands, the original dual lands from 1993 remain some of the strongest. These ten cards, released in Limited Edition Alpha, are highly sought after, although one-Volcanic Island-was initially delayed due to a printing mistake. Here’s a list of those original dual lands:

  • Allied Dual Lands
    • Badlands (taps for Red or Black)
    • Savannah (taps for White or Green)
    • Taiga (taps for Green or Red)
    • Tundra (taps for Blue or White)
    • Underground Sea (taps for Black or Blue)
  • Enemy Dual Lands
    • Bayou (taps for Black or Green)
    • Plateau (taps for Red or White)
    • Scrubland (taps for White or Black)
    • Tropical Island (taps for Green or Blue)
    • Volcanic Island (taps for Blue or Red)

MTG’s Alpha Dual Lands Explained

The original dual lands – commonly called “duals” – are highly prized in *Magic: The Gathering* because they offer several advantages. Unlike many other non-basic lands, they don’t enter the battlefield tapped, and they don’t damage you when you use them to produce colored mana. They also have no other downsides. Their power, combined with their rarity – they haven’t been reprinted much – makes them the most expensive land cards in the game. Importantly, they share the same land types as the basic lands that provide their colors, meaning they can be found with search effects that look for Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, or Forests, even if those effects don’t specifically search for non-basic lands.

How MTG’s Alpha Dual Lands Compare to Modern Versions

Original dual lands are significantly stronger than more recent versions, particularly when looking at how powerful cards are today. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of dual lands currently available:

Land Type Effect
Bond Lands Come into play tapped unless the owner has two or more opponents
Check Lands Come into play tapped unless the owner controls one of the two land types they tap for
Fast Lands Come into play tapped unless the owner controls two or fewer lands
Fetch Lands Can be tapped and sacrificed while paying 1 life to fetch one of the two land types listed on the card
Pain Lands Can be tapped for any of two mana colors, but they deal 1 damage to the user
Shock Lands Come into play tapped unless the owner pays 2 life

Shock lands are very powerful in today’s Magic: The Gathering, so cards that can be easily searched for and don’t enter the battlefield tapped – while still offering other advantages – are exceptionally strong and potentially unbalanced. The original dual lands are protected by the game’s Reserved List, preventing reprints to maintain their value. These original lands, released 32 years ago, consistently sell for over $300, demonstrating just how impactful they are in the game.

MTG’s OG Dual Lands And Commander Are a Match Made in Heaven, With an Asterisk Attached

Original dual lands are popular in many *Magic: The Gathering* Commander decks, especially those built for competitive play, known as cEDH. However, their high price often prevents players from using them. A deck requiring all five colors of mana could need all ten dual lands, costing a minimum of $4,000 just for those cards.

The new Magic: The Gathering Commander decks featuring the Wandering Minstrel from Final Fantasy can really make good use of all ten dual lands. However, this particular commander doesn’t *need* them, because it allows lands to enter the battlefield without being tapped. This is unusual, and looking back, it highlights just how powerful these cards really are.

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2025-09-19 01:09