Island

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Island
Land Type
(Subtype for land cards)
Rules {T}: Add {U}.
Statistics
35 cards
{U} 14.3% {W/U} 20% {U/B} 20% {U/R} 14.3% {G/U} 14.3% {M} 17.1%
as of Murders at Karlov Manor
Scryfall Search
type:"Island"

Island is one of the five basic land types and provides blue mana, which is required to cast blue spells.[1]

Additionally, there is a snow variant, the Snow-Covered Island.

Description

Islands are traditionally defined as relatively small land masses that are surrounded by water. Due to the fantasy nature of the game, there is significant artistic freedom in terms of interpretation for some planes, something that the community has riffed on.

For urbanized areas like Kaladesh, Ravnica, and New Capenna, "island" turns into decorative waterways or industrial canals. On Mirrodin, the mercury of the Quicksilver Sea is the water equivalent. In Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, there are no large bodies of water, so rivers, streams, and creeks are used instead. Planes with gravity-defying terrain like Kamigawa and Zendikar use waterfalls with presumably magical origins.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Island
One of the five basic land types. Any land with this subtype has the ability “{T}: Add {U}.” See rule 305.6.

Storyline

Islands of Alara

Grixis

Islands of Azoria

Azoria's ocean featured desert islands until Freyalise destroyed them.

Islands of Cridhe

Cridhe itself seems to be mostly an island. There are other smaller isles though.

Islands of Dominaria

The Burning Isles

Casindral Isle

South of Golthonor

Edemi Islands

In the Golthonor Sea

In the Jaema Sea

Lat-Nam

Spice Isles

Yulin and Equitar

Two islands 500 leagues west from Estark.

In the Videnthian Sea

Tolaria

  • Tolaria was known for the academy built on it.

Caliman

A large island far to the south in Dominaria, southeast of Jamuraa.

Vesuva

An island direct west of Walassa in the Orvada Empire

In the Voda Sea

In the Western Sea

Islands of Kamigawa

  • Otawara, may be considered an island in the sky, rather than in the sea.
  • Most islands are those floating near the Kamitaki waterfall. Minamo was built on one of them.

Islands of Lorwyn

Lorwyn does not have any seas. Instead of islands, the Merrow Lanes supply blue mana.

Islands of Mercadia

Islands of Mirrodin

Quicksilver Sea

Islands of Rabiah

  • Serendib
  • The Island of Wak-Wak. Home to a tribe of winged folk. Named for a peculiar fruit that grows there. The fruit looks like a woman's head, and when ripe speaks the word “Wak.”

Islands of Ravnica

None. Ravnica's water supply system provides blue mana.

Islands of Shandalar

Islands of Ulgrotha

Metal Island

A pocket plane could be reached using the Riddle Gate on Esper.

Unknown plane

  • Sevick Isles [2]

Trivia

  • The highest rarity an island has ever been printed in was rare in Alpha, as part of WotC's plot to keep players from guessing rarities.[3][4]

References

  1. Michael Yichao (October 6, 2015). "Evolution of the Basic Land". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Flavor text for Nimbus of the Isles
  3. Mark Rosewater (February 16, 2009). "25 Random Things About Magic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (August 17, 2009). "In My Day". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.