By Brian Cooper |
Updated on January 9, 2024
Putting a list together of the MTG Best Lands from the 1990s was always something I wanted to do. There are so many cool land cards to choose from and I thought now is a great time to revisit them while prices are reasonable.
This was actually a fun list to put together as it helped me remember some of the great LAND cards that Magic printed in the early days of Magic The Gathering.
There are a lot of expensive cards on this list, but there are also some very affordable ones that you’ll want to add to your collection.
What Is Included in the List of MTG Best Lands
For this list I wanted to keep it to a certain era in Magic history and over a specific price tag. That certainly helps me narrow down what could be a REALLY long list.
So this list is strictly from sets in the 1990s, from Limited Edition Alpha in 1993 all the way through Mercadian Masques in 1999.
I also decided to only include cards that were currently worth more than $10. At some point you have to draw the line so I thought cards above $10 would be potential worthy investments as well.
How I Included DUAL LANDS In This List of MTG Best Lands
One other thing I wanted to mention about this list is the incorporation of the DUAL LANDS from Alpha, Beta, Unlimited and Revised.
So unless you’ve been living under a rock the past 30-years, you know that the Dual Lands (aka “Duals”) – which are Tundra, Underground Sea, Badlands, Taiga, Savannah, Scrubland, Volcanic Island, Bayou, Plateau and Tropical Island – are some of the most famous and expensive Land cards in Magic.
In order to ensure they don’t fill up my entire list (as there are 9 Duals in Alpha and 10 Duals in each of Beta, Unlimited and Revised) I included them as the #1 item on the list.
Of course, not all of the Duals are worth as much as the top ten cards on the list, but again to keep the list reasonable I just lumped them together into the #1 spot.
That being said, this is the list of the 66 MTG BEST LANDS from the 1990s! I hope you enjoy it and get some value from the information.
Land cards are some of the best cards you can have in Magic and most of them are timeless. You could strictly invest in Land cards and do well over time. Make sure you add some of these to your collection too!
#1 – Dual Lands – Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised – Value: Prices Vary
The popularity of Magic’s Dual Lands from the early 1990s has certainly not dwindled over the years as these (10) cards continue to be some of the most desirable Lands in the game.
There are 10 different Dual Lands (as mentioned above) and those were reprinted in each of these 4 sets (with the exception of Volcanic Island which didn’t make it into the Alpha set.)
Prices for the cards are as high as $17,000 for an Alpha Underground Sea to the cheapest being about $300 for a Revised Scrubland.
#2 – The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale – Legends – Value: $4,200
A legendary land card that forces each player to pay one mana for each creature they control during their upkeep or sacrifice that creature.
Fun fact: The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale is considered one of the most powerful and expensive cards in Magic: The Gathering, with even some heavily played versions selling for thousands of dollars.
#3 – Mishra’s Workshop – Antiquities – Value: $3,200
A land card that allows the player to tap it for three colorless mana, but can only be used to cast artifacts.
Interesting Fact: Mishra’s Workshop was banned in the Vintage format in 2008 due to its overpowered nature and is considered one of the most powerful lands in the game. It was named after the character Mishra, who is a central figure in the game’s lore.
#4 – Bazaar of Baghdad – Arabian Nights – Value: $2,550
A land card that allows the player to draw two cards, then discard three cards from their hand. Bazaar of Baghdad is named after a real-life market in Baghdad, Iraq.
This card is known for its unique ability to allow players to draw cards and discard cards at the same time, making it a popular choice in certain decks.
It is also one of the most expensive cards in the game, with some versions in lightly or heavily played condition selling for thousands of dollars.
#5 – Library of Alexandria – Arabian Nights – Value: $1,900
A land card that allows the player to either tap to add 1 colorless mana OR draw a card if they have exactly seven cards in their hand.
Library of Alexandria is considered one of the most powerful cards in the game and is often referred to as the “most expensive common.”
It also has the distinction of being banned in various formats throughout its history due to being so overpowered. Easily makes the top 5 when it comes to MTG Best Lands in the game.
#6 – Diamond Valley – Arabian Nights – Value: $900
A land card that allows the player to sacrifice a creature to gain life equal to its toughness.
This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in certain decks that focus on sacrificing creatures for various effects.
Here’s a fun fact for you about the card….The Artist Brian Snoddy is also well known for being the artist of another important card in Magic history: Volcanic Island (Dual Land.)
#7 – Gaea’s Cradle – Urza’s Saga – Value: $870
A land card that taps for one green mana for each creature the player controls.
This card is known for its ability to generate large amounts of mana, making it a popular choice in decks that focus on creature-based strategies.
It is also one of the most valuable lands in the game with some played versions even selling for hundreds of dollars. Fun Fact: Gaea’s Cradle won the award for Best Card Name in the 1994 InQuest Gamer Fan Awards.
#8 – City of Brass – Arabian Nights – Value: $550
A land card that taps for one mana of any color, but deals one damage to the player when it is tapped.
This card is a staple in many decks due to its ability to produce any color of mana. It’s also one of the most sought after cards in the Arabian Nights set and is priced accordingly.
Graded examples of this tough card can bring thousands of dollars for the highest grades.
#9 – Elephant Graveyard – Arabian Nights – Value: $440
A land card that allows the player to tap and add 1 colorless mana OR regenerate an Elephant or Mammoth creature, this card is one of the few cards in the game that specifically references a creature type in its ability.
This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in certain decks that focus on Elephant creatures.
Fun Fact: The artist of this card (Rob Alexander) was also the artist on a handful of iconic cards including Underground Sea, Badlands, Taiga and Savannah to name just a few. WOW!
#10 – Island of Wak-Wak – Arabian Nights – Value: $414
A land card that reduces a target flying creature’s power to zero.
Island of Wak-Wak was originally printed in the Arabian Nights expansion set and is named after a fictional location in the book “The Arabian Nights.”
This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in certain decks that focus on flying creatures. And here’s an interesting fact:
This card is not artist Douglas Shuler’s best card when it comes to monetary value. He was actually the artist on another more famous card: Candelabra of Tawnos from Antiquities which is worth $800-1,000!
#11 – City of Traitors – Exodus – Value: $315
A land card that taps for two colorless mana, but is sacrificed at the end of the turn if the player played another land that turn.
This card is known for its ability to produce large amounts of mana, but at the cost of sacrificing the land if another land is played. It is a popular choice in decks that focus on fast mana acceleration.
Fun Fact: City of Traitors is the MOST EXPENSIVE card in the Exodus set and is a big reason why Magic Exodus booster boxes are worth well over $2,000!
#12 – Mishra’s Factory Winter – Antiquities – Value: $280
A land card that you can either tap to add one colorless mana to your pool or can be turned into a 2/2 Assembly-Worker creature until end of turn.
This card is one of a cycle of lands named after the character Mishra and can be turned into a creature under certain conditions.
The Winter version of the card depicts the factory covered in snow, while the Summer and Fall versions show it in different seasons. Fun fact:
The winter version of Mishra’s Factory is the third most expensive card in the Antiquities set behind Mishra’s Workshop and Candelabra of Tawnos.
#13 – Serra’s Sanctum – Urza’s Saga – Value: $250
A land card that taps for one white mana for each enchantment the player controls.
Fun Fact: Serra’s Sanctum is named after the character Serra, a powerful planeswalker in the Magic: The Gathering lore.
The artist of this card Ciruelo Cabral (who goes by the name “Ciruelo” on his cards) was born with color blindness yet his amazing artwork can be seen in over 25 Magic The Gathering cards!
#14 – Mountain (Regular Land) – Arabian Nights – Value: $230
A basic land card that taps for one red mana.
Fun Fact: The art for the Mountain card has been illustrated by multiple artists over the years, each with their own unique style.
This basic land card is an obvious staple in red and red/combo decks and is one of the five basic land types in the game. Funny that a simple Mountain card is in our top 20 land cards and worth so much, right?
Magic historical records indicated that basic lands were never supposed to be in this set.
But, this lonely Mountain card was left included due to production issues the company had back in 1993. The Mountain card was supposed to have been removed from one of the print sheets, but was mistakenly left on the film for the sheet and included in the set.
Because of this, it’s the only basic land in the set and worth quite a bit because of that.
#15 – Mishra’s Factory Summer – Antiquities – Value: $125
A land card that can either be tapped for 1 colorless mana OR be turned into a 2/2 Assembly-Worker creature until end of turn.
Fun Fact: Mishra’s Factory has four different seasonal variations, each with its own unique art.
This card is part of a cycle of lands named after the character Mishra, and can be turned into a creature under certain conditions. The Summer version of the card depicts the factory in a sunny and warm season.
#16 – Mishra’s Factory Fall – Antiquities – Value: $119
A land card that can either be tapped for 1 colorless mana OR be turned into a 2/2 Assembly-Worker creature until end of turn. In the early days of Magic: The Gathering, Mishra’s Factory was one of the most popular cards in the game.
The Fall version of the card depicts the factory in an autumn setting and to me is one of the most appealing artworks of the four different factory cards.
#17 – Tolarian Academy – Urza’s Saga – Value: $108
A land card that taps for one blue mana for each artifact the player controls.
Tolarian Academy was banned in the Vintage format in 1999 due to it being so overpowered. It is one of my favorite cards from the 1990s and is a staple card for your investment portfolio.
The name of the card and the location of Tolaria in Magic lore was used as the inspiration for “Tolarian Community College”, a YouTube channel hosted by “The Professor” (aka Brian Lewis.)
#18 – Strip Mine (Tower) – Antiquities – Value: $102
A land card that allows the player to either tap to add 1 colorless mana OR place the card in the graveyard and destroy a target land.
Strip Mine has been reprinted in multiple sets and is considered a staple card in many formats. The Tower version of the card depicts a tall tower structure at the bottom of the image.
You might need your magnifying glass to see it! Man that’s a big mine (or a tiny tower!)
#19 – Lake of the Dead – Alliances – Value: $92
A land card that can be either tapped to add one black mana to the mana pool OR sacrificed to add four black mana to the pool.
Fun Fact: This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in certain decks that focus on sacrificing lands for various effects. Lake of the Dead is currently the MOST expensive card in the Alliances set next to which other card? The original ‘Force of Will’!
#20 – Strip Mine (Uneven Horizon) – Antiquities – Value: $85
This card is a powerful land destruction tool, allowing players to destroy an opponent’s target land at the cost of sacrificing their own or tap for 1 colorless mana.
What makes this card different from the other Strip Mine versions? The “Uneven Horizon ” version of the card depicts a landscape where the image is slightly off center and the horizon (sky) at the top right of the image is larger than the left.
#21 – Volrath’s Stronghold – Stronghold – Value: $80
A land card that either taps to add 1 colorless mana to your mana pool OR allows the you to return a creature from your graveyard to the top of your library.
This card is named after the character Volrath, who is a central figure in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in decks that focus on graveyard “recursion” (which refers to cards or strategies that return cards to your hand from the graveyard during gameplay or allows players to reuse cards that were previously placed in their graveyards.)
#22 – Yavimaya Hollow – Urza’s Destiny – Value: $73
A land card that taps for colorless mana OR allows the player to tap the card and pay one green mana to regenerate a target creature.
This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and is a popular choice in decks that focus on creature protection. Another awesome card with great artwork by by Douglas Shuler.
#23 – Ancient Tomb – Tempest – Value: $72
A land card that taps for two colorless mana, but deals two damage to the player each time it is tapped.
If you have a deck that needs mana acceleration, then Ancient Tomb is one you’ll want in your deck. Ancient Tomb is considered a ‘pain land’ as in order to tap it for mana you have to deal 2 damage to yourself. Now that’s a PAIN IN THE….!
#24 – Strip Mine (Even Horizon) – Antiquities – Value: $67
A land card that allows the player to destroy target land….well I’ve said this how many times already as there are so many Strip Mine’s on this list! You know what it does! haha.
The “Even Horizon” version of this card depicts the same image of a strip mine as the other versions, however the sky or horizon at the top of the image is straight all the way across (as opposed to the Uneven Horizon version that is a little off left to right.)
Fun fact: So here’s something I didn’t mention before on the other Strip Mine’s. Strip Mine was made by Wizards to help counter the Library of Alexandria.
#25 – City of Shadows – The Dark – Value: $66
A land card that enters the battlefield with a depletion counter and taps for one colorless mana for each depletion counter on it. The card is a popular choice in decks that focus on sacrificing creatures or artifacts for various effects.
It is well known that I’m a City of Shadows junkie with several copies of this great card in my personal collection. I just really really like the artwork on this card. Easily one of my favorites.
#26 – Karakas – Legends – Value: $65
A land card that can either be tapped for one white mana or be tapped to return a target legendary creature to its owner’s hand.
This card is named after a location in the game’s lore and allows players to bounce a legendary creature back to its owner’s hand. This is another card that was banned in various formats due to it being so powerful in gameplay.
Interesting fact: Karakas is not even close to the most expensive card in the Legends set. Actually there are 43 other cards in the set more expensive (currently) than Karakas! Wow!
#27 – Mishra’s Factory Spring – Antiquities – Value: $48
A land card that can be tapped for a colorless mana or turned into a 2/2 Assembly-Worker creature until end of turn. Fun Fact: Mishra’s Factory has four different seasonal variations, each with its own unique art.
This card is part of a cycle of lands named after the character Mishra, and can be turned into a creature under certain conditions. The Spring version of the card depicts the factory in the springtime blooming season.
Another one of the cool versions of this very sought after card that is actually very reasonably priced right now.
#28 – Strip Mine (No Horizon) – Antiquities – Value: $41
I think by now you know what this card does. If not, refer to the other Strip Mine versions above. They all do the same thing when it comes to gameplay.
The “No Horizon” version of the card depicts a landscape with no visible horizon and that is the only major difference. Still a great card…always was, always will be!
#29 – Scorched Ruins – Weatherlight – Value: $40
A land card that hits you hard when it comes into play by forcing you to sacrifice two untapped lands or be forced to bury Scorched Ruins.
When you play it, you best have the available lands to sacrifice, right? The good part is that once it’s on the board, each turn you can tap it to add four colorless mana to your mana pool. That’s awesome!
Scorched Ruins is a popular choice in certain decks that focus on fast mana acceleration and is popular in my collection too as I have a few copies that I plan to hold as long term investments.
Fun fact: Scorched Ruins is the second most expensive card in the Weatherlight set next to which card? NULL ROD!
#30 – Oasis – Arabian Nights – Value: $38
A land card from the Arabian Nights Set that can provide colorless or green mana and also allows players to gain life.
It is commonly used in decks that require additional life gain or mana ramping.
#31 – Rishadan Port – Mercadian Masques – Value: $36
A land card that can be tapped to tap another target land. This card is known for its ability to tap down an opponent’s land making it a popular choice in certain decks that focus on land disruption.
Fun Fact: This card was reprinted in the game’s Masters 25 expansion in March 2018.
#32 – Phyrexian Tower – Urza’s Saga – Value: $31
A land card that can be sacrificed to add colorless mana or black mana to the player’s mana pool.
This card is named after the Phyrexians, who are a central antagonistic force in Magic lore. Because Phyrexian Tower allows players to sacrifice a creature in order to generate black mana, it’s a popular choice in black decks that focus on sacrificing creatures for various effects.
It was reprinted a few times and was included in Ultimate Masters and most recently Jumpstart 2020.
#33 – Lotus Vale – Weatherlight – Value: $30
A land card that enters the battlefield tapped with two depletion counters and taps for three mana of any one color.
This card is known for its ability to produce large amounts of mana, but at the cost of sacrificing two lands.
Fun Fact: The Weatherlight expansion is the only place you can find the Lotus Vale as it has never (to this point) been reprinted.
#34 – Urza’s Tower (Mountains) – Antiquities – Value: $29
A land card that taps for one colorless mana, but can tap for three colorless mana if the player also controls Urza’s Mine and Urza’s Power Plant.
This card is part of a cycle of lands named after the character Urza, and as mentioned above, can be combined with Urza’s Power Plant and Urza’s Mine to form a powerful mana-generating engine.
The Mountains version of the card depicts the tower in a mountainous setting.
#35 – Maze of Ith – The Dark – Value: $28
A land card that can be tapped to remove a target attacking creature from combat.
This card is known for its ability to prevent a creature from attacking making it a popular choice in decks that focus on creature control.
It was reprinted in the Eternal Masters, Double Masters, From the Vault Realms and most recently Dominaria Remastered.
#36 – Wasteland – Tempest – Value: $26
A land card that allows the player to destroy target nonbasic land.
Fun Fact: Wasteland has been reprinted in multiple sets over the years and was actually one of the Zendikar Rising Expedition Lands from the Box Toppers and Collector Booster Packs from that year.
#37 – Urza’s Power Plant (Columns) – Antiquities – Value: $25
