Magic: the Gathering has existed for almost 30 years, and during that time, it’s drawn a plentiful fanbase.
There are tons of reasons to play. We even detailed a list of why the game is so immensely popular here.
One of those reasons, though, is simply a desire to collect cards with particularly beautiful artwork on them. Nowhere will you see this displayed as clearly as with the demand for full-art lands.
If you’re looking to add them to your own personal collection, we’ll show you which MTG sets have full art lands. We’ll also go over some background information on them.
Here’s what you’ll discover the answers to:
- What is a full-art land?
- Which MTG sets have full-art lands?
So let’s get going.
What is a Full Art Land?
Full-Art Swamp (From Unstable)
The first time full-art lands came out was in the parody set Unglued in 1998.
Unlike most other Magic cards, which feature a small box in the top half of the card for art, these lands had artwork that covered almost the entire face of the card.
Why are they in such in high demand? After all, it’s not as if they’re any more powerful than normal basic lands.
The answer is simply this: aesthetics. Players just like the way full-art lands look.
Some like these lands so much, they build decks that specifically only use full-art versions for their lands.
MTG Sets with Full Art Lands
The concept of full-art lands has been around for awhile – since 1998, to be exact.
For that reason, there are actually quite a few sets that you might pull them from, including:
- Unglued
- Unhinged
- Unstable
- Zendikar
- Battle for Zendikar
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Amonkhet
- Hour of Devastation
- Theros Beyond Death
- Modern Horizons
- Worldwake
Unglued
This is where full-art lands were introduced to Magic: the Gathering. Unglued is a parody set filled with fun cards like Ashnod’s Coupon, which requires a player to get you a drink.
Please note: Unlike the other sets on this list, the link provided is for one booster pack and not a whole box. You may find booster boxes through various online retailers for different prices.
Unhinged
The second of the Un-sets, Unhinged is another successful joke set. This is a particularly fun set to draft, if you’re looking for a crazy and random night of Magic with friends.
Unstable
This is the third (and currently latest as of January 2020) parody set to be released, as it came out in 2017. Like the other Un-sets, it’s full of comical joke cards which cannot be used in any sort of official Magic tournament or event.
The lands in this set are particularly striking and appealing.
Zendikar
As a set with a theme that heavily focused on land, it only makes sense that Zendikar would have full-art lands of its own. Many of the cards’ mechanics center on land, such as Landfall, which triggers an ability on the card whenever a land enters the battlefield under the player’s control.
Battle for Zendikar
As the name implies, Battle for Zendikar cards follow a story about allies uniting against the terrifying Eldrazi. You’ll find the ally tribe and horrifying Eldrazi monsters making a return to this set – as well as potential full-art lands.
Oath of the Gatewatch
In Oath of the Gatewatch, you’ll find the earliest instance of the colorless mana symbol, which looks a little like a diamond. This set tells the story of a handful of planeswalkers working together against two specific Eldrazi: Kozilek and Ulamog.
Amonkhet
This set was designed with a theme in mind above all else, and that theme was Egyptian imagery. You’ll also find a lot of references to Nicol Bolas, who is arguably the most powerful evil in the Magic universe.
Hour of Devastation
Fans of Nicol Bolas will at least love the aesthetic and inspiration of Hour of Devastation, which was all about the evil elder dragon. The set symbol was even Nicol Bolas’s horns.
Additionally, this is a pretty affordable set at this point in time, if you are looking to expand your collection with a bulk of cards.
Theros Beyond Death
At the time of this article (January 2020), Theros Beyond Death is the latest set to come out. Its theme focuses on gods and Greek-inspired mythology, as well as stunning full-art lands that look like constellations.
Modern Horizons
You can find some gorgeous full-art snow-covered lands in Modern Horizons. Unlike other full-art lands, whose main purpose is looks, snow-covered lands can actually interact with mechanics on specific cards.
Worldwake
What Worldwake is perhaps most well-known for is Jace, the Mind Sculptor, one of the most powerful planeswalker cards ever printed – if not the most powerful itself. As a rather small set, you also stand a good chance to get all the cards from the set when you open a box.
However, Worldwake is popular among collectors and is rather expensive.
Wrap Up
While the sets and boxes mentioned above could possibly contain full-art lands for you, boxes are best-suited for use when you want to either collect them or add a large bulk of cards to your own stock.
Those who just want a handful of specific cards, such as a few full-art lands, can also purchase them individually through various online retailers.
If collecting is the name of your game and you’re looking to add white-bordered or fetch lands to your catalog, you can check out our list of sets with white-bordered cards here and our list of sets with fetch lands here.