Full-Art Lands: The Complete Guide for MTG Arena and Paper Magic

Last updated on April 9, 2024

Island (Zendikar) | Illustration by Véronique Meignaud

When it comes to full-art lands I imagine you’re probably a fan, and you’re in fine company. These artistic beauties are rightfully loved by MTG players all over the world. Jumping on the bandwagon, I’m going to be taking an artful trip along paper and MTG Arena lane to show you what’s available in both these worlds.

So, buckle up, get ready to swap your wallpaper and let's take a deep dive into MTG(A)’s full-art lands.

Full-Art Lands in MTG Arena

Plains | Illustration by Sam Burley

In past versions of MTG Arena, you were able to get full-art lands in your decks through a couple of “shortcuts.” And by shortcuts, I mean basically cheating the system.

WotC has smoothed out all these “shortcuts.” The only way to get full-art lands on Arena now is through the proper channels, which I’ll be talking about in just a second. Let’s get to it!

How to Get Full-Art Lands on MTGA

There are a couple of different ways to get full-art lands on Arena that all center around the same core: playing games of Magic. You’ll need to pay attention to certain special events, challenges, promo codes, and sales pop-ups, though.

Not all events and challenges will get you full-art lands, as there are specific events created specifically for you to get your hands on them. In the past, these events have involved different deck challenges that run for a small-ish timeframe. Usually, though, you can play as many times as you want until you reach the grand prize of a full-art land while the event is running.

There are also occasional promo codes that you’ll get from paper products that ”unlock” digital full-art lands in MTG Arena. All you need to do is buy the paper product and then use your one-time code that will be included. Voila, the lands are available to you in every deck you’ve got in your account!

Every now and then the MTGA store will also just straight-up sell some full-art lands. As Arena did with the Unsanctioned lands.

Events, paper promo codes, and the MTGA store are all things to keep an eye on to stay on top of ways to get your hands on those coveted lands. But what are the potential options? I’m so glad you asked!

Arena's Full-Art Lands: The List

Let’s check out all the lands that have previously been made available on MTG Arena. Most of MTGA's full-art lands were also physically printed, and I'll cover dual releases a little further down. This is for purely digital full-art lands. Let's take a look!

Unsanctioned

The great thing about an online platform is that you can do away with borders even more. This is exactly what happened with the Unsanctioned lands which were added to Arena in February 2020, which differ slightly from the paper versions. I wonder why they didn't just print these as the paper versions, though. I get the nod to the original Un-lands, but this looks a bit cleaner.

Full-Art Lands for Paper Magic

As is to be expected, there are a lot more versions of full-art lands in real life for you to choose from, collect, and put in your decks. Take a look and take your pick! You can’t go wrong here, because, honestly, they’re all incredibly beautiful.

Unglued

These Unglued lands are the OG full-art lands of MTG. That's right, the very first iteration of the full land concept included Plains in the Unglued cycle. They were released in the first Un-set back in August of 1998.

Zendikar

Zendikar is a huge plain that contains huge monsters. The jump to huge lands, aka full-art, was only logical. Like the Un-sets, every future visit to this plain was sure to include another iteration of these curved-bordered Zendikar landscapes, though this first release was back in October 2009.

Judge Gift Promos

Terese Nielsen is one of MTG's most sought-after artists, so it was no surprise that when it was time to give birth to full-art judge gift lands, Wizards turned to her to illustrate. Once upon a time, a judge foil promo Plains was among the most expensive basic lands you could buy for your decks until the Guru lands came along. Which, maybe not too surprisingly, were also illustrated by Terese Nielsen.

Battle for Zendikar

Our first return to Zendikar in October 2015, these BFZ full-art lands were included to the delight of Magic fans everywhere. Like the first visit to Zendikar, they made sure to give you four new arts for each basic land.

And it sounds like we'll have more full-art lands in our next return to the plane, Zendikar Rising.

Oath of the Gatewatch

While we were still on Zendikar, the incredible devastation of the eldrazi caused the land to turn colorless. This gave Wizards the perfect opportunity to give you two gorgeous, Wastes (#183 and #184) in all their full-art beauty.

Unstable

The last set of 2017 to feature full-art gorgeousness were the fullest lands we've seen so far, given to us in Unstable. Practically borderless and beautifully illustrated by the great John Avon, these nuggets became popular very quickly. And, honestly, looking at the likes of an Unstable Island it's not hard to figure out why.

Modern Horizons

Two years without full-art lands left us parched, so when Modern Horizons came out in June of 2019, it saw something we'd never seen before: full-art snow-covered lands. Before certain bannings, these snow-covered lands were pretty expensive because no deck could go without them, but now they're available at a more reasonable price. So, if you're a fan of winter wonderlands like this MM1 Snow-Covered Plains, go pick some up for sure.

Unsanctioned

Another Un-set, another set of full-art lands to go with them. Adam Paquette used his talent to create these wonderful and unique-looking lands for the first reprint of a combination of Un-sets, which we got in February 2020.

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

I mentioned new iterations that we'd never seen before back in Theros, and tri-lands came as the newest shock when they were released in Ikoria. No wonder WotC took this wonderful first to celebrate it with special full-art editions, which we were graced with in May 2020.

Double Masters

While not the first reprints of full-art lands, these may be the most anticipated. Double Masters gave us these beauties in August 2020. With a new border to grace these wonderful pieces of art, they're sure to get a whole new generation of players excited about collecting them.

Zendikar Rising

Zendikar Rising gave us some beautiful full-art lands. With three different versions for each basic, it's looking really great so far.

Dual Release: Full-Art Lands Available on MTG Arena and Paper

Some full-art lands were released to both Magic's digital platform(s) and to physical printing. These identical full-art basics are available to you whether you prefer the feel of paper Magic or the ease and aesthetic of the digital world!

Secret Lair: Tokyo Lands

A sweet Secret Lair drop here in the fine foil Tokyo Lands. These dropped a while ago with a release date of September 2022. I'm a big fan of these, I wished I could've picked them up when I had the chance, but for now, I suppose I'll just have to enjoy looking at them from afar.

Secret Lair: The Unfathomable Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands

The Unfathomable Crushing Brutality of Basic Lands was a Secret Lair drop that included one of each basic land in beautiful full-art monochrome versions. Each land is a unique piece of art by Mark Riddick and shares a close resemblance with the full-art lands in both Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow. These are available on MTG Arena through one-time use codes included with the Secret Lair which provided both sleeves as well as the lands themselves.

Unhinged

The Unhinged full-art lands were originally released in November of 2004. The second Un-set saw the realization of these gorgeous lands like this Unhinged Island. Fuller art, smaller borders, everyone went crazy when they hit the scene. These sets have become a staple for full-art lands and will definitely continue to feature new and exciting lands for you to collect.

Amonkhet

You could get your hands on these lands in MTG Arena when Amonkhet was first available back in April 2017. Unfortunately, they weren't available for a long time so newer players who weren't part of the beta will have missed out. However, there's now a second chance for you to get your hands on these beautiful lands in the MTGA store with the release of Amonkhet Remastered.

If you're starting to see a pattern in full-art lands showing up more frequently as time moves forward, you're right. Wizards finally picked up on the never-ending demand for full-art lands, and Amonkhet was the first of three sets released in 2017 to feature full-art basics.

Hour of Devastation

Just like with Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation is for sale alongside MTG Arena's Amonkhet Remastered if you're looking for the digital version of these lands. You'll be able to get your hands on these awesome looking lands once again.

As the name of the set suggests and eternally captured in the art of these Island full-art iterations from Hour of Devastation, Nicol Bolas‘ time was at hand. Moving the sun slightly to directly in the middle of his horns perfectly captured the beginning of the battle against this powerful planeswalker. The second of 2017's trio, these lands were released in July 2017.

Theros: Beyond Death

With the release of Theros: Beyond Death back in January 2020, MTG Arena had a couple of events that would reward you with these lands and they were in the Store for a short while. If you missed out on those, you'll have to wait for another opportunity to get your hands on these Nyx-alicious lands.

2020 proved to be another full-art bonanza, and Theros was only the first set to feature a new twist on them: Nyx-weaved iterations of the iconic symbols for basic lands.

Secret Lair: Godzilla Lands

The Godzilla-inspired set of Ikoria became available not too long before this Secret Lair dropped in July 2020. Suffice it to say, they're Hot with a capital H! You could get your hands on these in MTG Arena with a product code included in the Secret Lair drop, received upon arrival of your purchase of this product.

Huge creatures, full-art, front and center. WotC released the Godzilla lands with a Secret Lair drop in July 2020, and I don't see how you can look at these and not love them. They're pretty hard to get now that the drop has come and gone, so let's cross our fingers that they'll soon be the reward in a special event in MTGA!

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Lands

These beautifully illustrated stylized lands come to use from the spooky, night-filled Midnight Hunt set that marked 2021's Standard rotation. The lands are pretty unique with a borderless black and white art style. We get two versions of each of the five basic lands for a total of 10 new full-art lands. Spine-chilling, aren't they?

Innistrad: Crimson Vow Lands

Midnight Hunt‘s sequel set, Innistrad: Crimson Vow, continued with the black and white basic lands. With two more versions of each of the five basic lands, you have an even wider variety of full-art basic lands to choose from if there weren't enough already.

Unfinity Orbital Space-ic Lands

Un-sets have always featured beautiful full-art lands, and Unfinity is no exception. These full-art, borderless basics (ahem, space-ics) show a view of your lands from outer space. Far out!

Unfinity Planetary Space-ic Lands

Unfinity‘s set designers really spoiled us this time around. The planetary space-ic lands are the second cycle of basic lands in this set, this time with a funky mana symbol at the bottom.

Unfinity Borderless Shock Lands

Two sets of borderless basic lands were already plenty enough for one set, but we got the full cycle of borderless shock lands! I must say, the art certainly doesn't disappoint. The color contrast on some of these cards is just… amazing.

Secret Lair: Astrology Lands

The Astrology Lands is a Secret Lair drop from 2022. It is always great to see characters involved in basic lands like the pair on the foil pisces Island.

Secret Lair: PixelSnowLands.jpg

PixelSnowLands.jpg was another Secret Lair drop that is no longer available. The drop featured one of each basic land in a pixel-art-themed version. An identical set of lands also went on sale on MTG Arena as opposed to including a code with each Secret Lair purchase.

Secret Lair: Dracula Lands

The Dracula lands are a Secret Lair drop that was released alongside Innistrad: Midnight Hunt which featured five gorgeous vampire-themed basic lands. An identical set was also sold on MTG Arena, where players could opt to buy the entire set or just individual lands.

Secret Lair: Shades Not Included

Shades Not Included refers to a Secret Lair drop that includes one copy of five unique basic lands. Each card featured new, retro-futuristic art pieces available in foil and non-foil versions. The drop also included a one-time use MTG Arena code that could be redeemed to unlock the art styles in the game.

Special Guest: Kozyndan: The Lands

Kozyndan worked with Wizards of the Coast on a number of Secret Lair Drops, but I must say I'm the biggest fan of the lands featuring Kozyndan. The foiled-out special guest Kozyndan lands are especially slick.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Lands

Following Innistrad: Crimson Vow, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty released and brought us ten more gorgeous full-art lands to gaw at and include in our Commander decks! Each land features a unique and captivating piece of art that acts as a window into the world of Kamigawa. Personally, I think the Forests are breathtaking and definitely my favorites. What are yours?

Streets of New Capenna Lands

You got that right, it's full-art lands every set now! With Streets of New Cappena, we are awarded ten new full-art basic lands that are absolutely stunning. They each exhibit the qualities and general theme of the families and districts, which really immerse you within the world WoTC is trying to build.

Dominaria United

With full-art lands becoming the norm, it's a surprise to nobody that Dominaria United came with its own suite of lands. I think Wizards, yet again, hit the nail on the head with these stained-glass lands!

The Brother's War

While not as grandiose as the lands out of Dominaria United, the lands from The Brother's War bring their own sense of impending-doom and fantasy warfare that I've quickly fallen in love with. I mean, just look at those Phyrexian war machines!

Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Phyrexia: All Will Be One is the next set release for the ongoing Dominaria storyline involving all things physician and time travel. It, like its predecessors, will release with a full suite of full art basic lands for players to enjoy, which has become somewhat of a regular release for the last few years.

Included are two sets, one with beautiful depictions of massive landscapes and machines, and the others being “Phyrexianized” full arts with intricate versions of the mana pips.

Phyrexia: All Will Be One Etched

ONE's release also brought 5 beautiful etched full-art lands. Each basic type got a unique printing featuring a black and white background and a mana pip front and center. I think that these are a big step up from the black and white lands out of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. These are much more legible and distinct!

March of the Machine

No surprise here, March of the Machine brings us a set of 10 new full-art basics. These are, of course, gorgeous, and they each feature some cleverly incorporated Phyrexian symbols within the landscape of the art. Not only are these lands beautiful, they do a great job invoking the massive destruction and horrified awe the residents of the Multiverse must have felt during the Phyrexian invasion.

All of these artists deserve a standing ovation for their contributions, truly.

Secret Lair: The Mountain Goats

You gotta love a card that tells a story, in this case, 10 Mountains from the Secret Lair: the Mountain Goats. None other than John Darnielle of the band Mountain Goats had creative control to produce these.

Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth full-art lands are, without a doubt, some of my favorite full-art lands from the last few years of releases. They each depict wonderfully drawn segments of the map and follow a consistent theme and art style across each type.

Wilds of Eldraine

Keeping the past few years' traditions, Wilds of Eldraine comes with a suite of full-art basic lands. Each one features a beautiful view of silhouettes dominated by the land's individual color.

Secret Lair: PixelLands_v02

There can be charm to low-resolution images these days, so if you like a little 8-bit video game action or have some nostalgia for 90s computing, these basics with filename: PixelLands_v02.jpg from the Secret Lair are pretty fun.

Secret Lair: Meditation on Nature

The art by JungShan is relaxing and probably should be displayed and a massage salon near you. If you need to take a moment and take a deep breath on turn 18 of a stalemate, perhaps drawing a land from Secret Lair: Meditations on Nature will bring you focus and help you make the best play possible.

Secret Lair: Gary Baseman

The creepy-cute style of the Secret Lair: Gary Baseman makes for interesting basic lands. Comment on this article or bring these up in the Draftsim Discord for some Secret Lair discussion.

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

The striking use of light in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and fresh icons for the mana symbols make these feel like an adventure movie poster and some of the coolest lands yet.

Jurassic World Collection

For the first time since the godzilla lands, I feel like I'm playing a threat when I play these lands. Few cards show a story like these double-faced basics from the Jurassic World Collection.

Secret Lair: Paradise Frost

Winter scenes illustrated by ELK64. Snow-Covered basics are capable of doing just a bit more for you and your deck. Connect with the critters from the Secret Lair: Paradise Frost because they are cool.

Judge Gift Cards 2023

The lands illustrated by Jorge Jacinto help nature look incredible with foil. If you're spying for a sunlit bird on the Island, my interpretation is that the flier is perched on a rock, looking into the water near the bottom.

Fallout

Take in the scenes of locations from Fallout with this cycle of basic lands that look like they've been on a battlefield and endured years of toxic, infect and wither.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

With the backdrop of a western theme, it fits to look at the lands in Outlaws of Thunder Junction and appreciate the massive expanses that really play a role in Western movies. Since I get to play the villain with OTJ, I hope you find the desert mechanics… refreshing, even if the Desert is not technically a full-art land.

The Best Full-Art Lands

My Take On It

Opinion time! Obviously, this is super subjective and we’re more than likely not going to agree on this, but that’s OK. I’m kinda old school, so for me, the first Unglued lands are the most desirable full-art lands to get your hands on:

But that’s just me. The widespread consensus on this subject is a little different.

Community Consensus

Most players find the Unhinged lands, illustrated by John Avon, to be the best and most beautiful full-art lands available out there. This hasn’t escaped Wizards’ notice either, because I wouldn’t be surprised that this is why they’ve chosen to reprint these specific five basic lands in special packs of Double Masters. Here they are again if you missed them up there:

Obviously, this is an incredibly subjective debate, so there’s no “right” answer. Hopefully, you’ll now have a great place to go to choose your favorite full-art land to grace the contents of your decks.

Why So Many Full Art Lands Now?

In recent years, Wizards of the Coast has amped up their full-art land production to a great extent. Previously—as in ten years ago—full-art lands were somewhat of a rare commodity that only the most hardcore or rich players had access to. Nowadays, practically every set has them in one form or another. You might ask, “Why so many full art lands now?”, and the simple answer to that is that everybody loves them!

A decade of rarity and the widespread desire to bling out your Standard or Commander decks has caused everyone to crave their own full-art collection. In a recent poll on the official Draftsim Twitter, nearly 60% of voters were in favor of new full-arts every set! People love customization, and I don't think that's something that is going to stop just because more and more full-arts get printed.

Wrap Up

With that gorgeous list of lands for you to peruse, you’ve come to the end of our talk today. I hope that our time together has helped you further appreciate the art of Magic. If you’ve been moved to go out there and buy actual full-art lands, then I consider that a fruitful completion of the full-art tree that’s on show up there.

As always, feel free to head on over to our blog if you want to read more articles. If you like our content and want to show your support, you can check us out on our Patreon. We greatly appreciate your support and thank you for it.

That’s all for now. Stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll see you in the next one!

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