David Fanany
Player since
1995 |
Ice Age Pain Lands
Not only are these cards remembered as the
ones that displaced one of the most iconic
cycles of cards from Standard, they were also
among the first cards involved in the strictly
better/strictly
 worse debates that, nowadays,
rarely even get past the part where they try to
state the definitions of terms. Actually, the
debates about the pain lands probably rarely got
past that same point. Is the lack of basic land
types a drawback (cf. Nature's Lore) or a
benefit (cf. Tsunami)? Is that benefit (or
drawback) worth one damage per colored mana
activation?
Honestly, it makes my head hurt just thinking
about it. This is, though, among my favorite
cycles of dual lands, and that includes both the
Ravnica- and Lorwyn-era Standards where they
were the main dual lands and later casual play.
It's not just because power is not one of my
prime considerations when it comes to my
personal card choices. Over the years, they've
gotten some great art, which shows off
Dominaria's beauty, danger, and mystery just as
much as the Alpha dual lands. (I really like the
Fifth Edition Karplusan Forest, with the lava.
It doesn't quite fit with the original set, but
lava is chronically underused in fantasy
settings.) They're perfectly configured with
respect to the design expectations of their time
- mana from a nonbasic land isn't free, so you
give up the fundamental resource of life in
exchange. And there are times when we need to be
reminded of history, not just the events of
flavor text and novels that happened in places
like Karplusa and Adarkar, but also the fact
that every Magic set owes something to what has
come before, including to sets as quirky as Ice
Age.
Now, if only the modern designers would look
back at these sets and remember that Vikings are
awesome . . .
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
EDH/Commander: 4/5
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