The harbinger of death and decay in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: The Gathering, black mana is the color of ambition at any cost, and is gathered from the many swamps ꦕthat populate the planes. Befitting its dark nature, swamps are often depicted as bleak places where stagnant water collects in mires.
However, that does not mean swamps can't also be beautiful. There is a serene nature to their quiet stagnation that can calm even the most bloodthirsty of Magic players. These are some of the best swamps for any black-wielding deck.
10 Swamp, By Magali Villeneuve 🍸
Part of the impressive array of full-art stained-glass lands🌳 from Dominaria United, this Swamp by Magali Villeneuve depicts Uroborg, the swamp-ridden black-aligned land of Dominaria. 🦋Taking a different approach to most swamps, this color palette is various shades of purples and blues, which befits the stained-glass look much better than the standard black.
However, what makes this piece special is its eerie sense of unnaturaౠl symmetry. It is not perfectly symmetrical but at a long distance that is near impossible to tell, the result is a sort uneasy foreboding that something is not quite right with the piece. This feeling encapsulates Uroborg perfectly and is a great addition to horror decks or black decks looking for a stand-out land.
9 ꦜ ꧋Swamp, By Clint Cearley
A d♕ouble feature by Clint Clearley, these Swamps show a before-and-after image of the return of Nicol Bolas to the plane of Amonkhet. They are essentially the same location, transformed by one event only days apart.
The landscape itself sags and the trees themselves decay. The waters, now red with blood, are a grim reminder of the death Nicol Bolas has wrought. What once was a bright reminder to the people of Amonkhet now hangs shrouded in dark clouds that threaten to blot out the sun, even as it hangs suspended between the horns of Bolas' monument.
These lands are best taken as a set, to show the dark transformation of a once peaceful plane that met the incredible power of one of Magic's greatest villains.
8 🐎Sw▨amp, By Titus Lunter
Some love for the oft-undervalued Strixhaven setting, this Swamp by Titus Lunter🦄 takes a moment to look over the unique and gorgeous architecture that permeates the colleges. To its credit, the art makes it ambiguous as to what college the building belongs to. The natural swamp and articulated shrubbery suggest it could be part of the more natural college of Witherbloom.
However, the building could easily fit into the Silverquill campus, for the inky textures seen throughout the piece (including on the shrubs aꦯnd in the water) and the bombastic presentation of its main🎐 building.
For that reason, it is sort of enigma that perfectly fits into either college, and is a fantastic explorati♉on of the black mana philosophy used by both colleges. Additionally, the level of detail strikes an imposing figure that would be wel𝓰come in any black deck looking for a bit of class.
7 S♐wamp, By Richard🌞 Wright
The culmination of The War Of The Spark saw Nicol Bolas enact his decades-long plan to harvest the sparks of the many planeswalkers of the Multiverse. The other lands in this set all had planeswalker sparks flitting through them, moving to an unseen location, which this card reveals to be Bolas' Citadel.
The dynamic movement of the harvest planeswalker sparks draws the eye to Bolas' Citadel where they collect, essentially forming a swamp from the primordial essences of planeswalkers themselves. The Citadel itself is framed perfectly, striking an imposing figure over the destroyed ruins of Ravnica as the collected sparks form an eerie blue light source that only further accentuates the Citadel.
It is a near masterclass in framing that perfectly 💯suits the narcissistic Bolas and is a key piece of art in understanding The War Of The Spark.
6 💛 Swamp, By Mr. Misang
Part of a Secret Lair Drop, this Swamp by Mr. Misang depicts a transformed Japanese downtown. Its dream-like quality lends an air of unease, es♕pecially as you look at it further. Everything is w⭕arped, from the blood-like puddles on the ground to the wisp-like people to the spirit imagery adorning the buildings.
It is as though one has walked into a Miyazaki film with no discernible way ou🍒t. For this reason, it is a wonderfully unique take on a Swamp 🦩that holds that unease characteristic of other Swamps but without a clear sense of danger.
While not officially part of any Magic plane, this piece feels right at home with Kamigawa's Neon Dynasty and would be a great fit for black decks centered around the urban underbelly, especially those with Kamigawa cards.
5 Swamp, B༒y Adam Paquette 🌠
A member of the unnaturally 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:gorgeous Unfinity full-art lands, this Swamp is another slam dunk by Adam Paquette. Depicting a dead planet, its cratered and clouded belies an 🃏unearthly stillness. Despite the dynamic-feeling dark clouds orbiting the planet, the planet itself feels still as though the cloud itself is only the only thing that is moving. Dust appears to be lifting off from the planet to be collected by the dark cloud, forming an air of mystery as to♉ what, if anything, on this image is truly alive.
The card feels more at home in a video game like Dead Space than in the vibrant world of Magic's Multiverse and for that it is wonderful. Seeing new sides to the Multiverse helps the settings feel alive and dynamic and this card is a great example of how even deathly stillness can be an interesting setting.
4 ▨ Swamp, By Lucas Graciano ♌
From the Godzilla Lands Secret Lair Drop, this Swamp by Lucas Graciano holds the King of Monsters center stage, backlit by a setting sun amidst a swamp perforated by the monster's large footsteps. Ominous clouds gather as Godzilla slowly lurches to meet Hedorah, the smog monster a perfect fit for the dark ambience of the Swamp.
Perhaps a bit too picturesque for a Swamp, it is nevertheless a gorgeous piece of artwork with great, dynamic lighting, excellent framing, and plenty of small details ღthat make repeat viewဣings a treat.
3 Swamp, By Matt🐻eo Bassini
A return to form, this Swamp by Matteo Bassini from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Streets of New Capenna gets back to the stagnation typified by Swamp cards. While this is neither a good nor bad thing, the stillness of this image is thematically perfect for the nature of a Swamp. The water-filled lobby of what looks to be a hotel lies perfectly still and is only illuminated by a beautifully ornate window, a hollow re🧔mnant of wh꧒at the building used to be.
It is a wonderfull💦y modern take on the Swamp, as the building itself feels like a forgotten corpse, left to rot by the society that created it. This image 🐬provokes a sort of sadness that all things, no matter how great, will come to an end and is a perfect representation of black mana modernized.
2 Swamp, By Piotr🍬 Du🌞ra
A little known but nevertheless fantastic Swamp land, this Swamp was only🧜 included in the Starter Commander Decks. Hearkening back to the Swamps of older sets, this art depicts a swamp of an unknown plane. The single dead tree only lit by fragments of light cascading down from dark clouds gives this piece a sense of fo📖reboding.
While the piece is mostly dark, everything 🌊is readable even at a distance. All parts, from the ghastly tree to the meandering stream of stagnated water, can be clearly picked out. On a technical level, it is beautiful despite its dark imagery and should be included in more black decks.
1 ♏ ཧ Swamp, By Kozyndan
Another Secret Lair Drop, this time by husband-and-wife duo Kozyndan, this Swamp is a great culmination of many elements. From afar, the eye s drawn to the serenely moonlit background where still waters lat out on the hori꧑zon. The bright pink and blue kimonos of the travelers are easily discernible an♓d pop out even as details about them are shrouded in shadow.
Upon a closer look the swamp springs to life, revealing vಞibrant floras and faunas. The frog especially is barely even noticeable at a distance but is instantly recognizable up close.
Additionally, the animated feel of the art style lends well to a sort of fant🦩asy-feel that is right at home with Magic despite the more realistic portrayals in its other art. It is a lovingly unique swamp that has many layers and is sure to be a standout in any black deck.