Badlands

Badlands was originally released in the 1993 Alpha set for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast. As a dual land card, it was crafted to provide mana flexibility by tapping for either black or red, a foundational mechanic that remains vital for competitive play. Its inclusion in the subsequent Unlimited Edition in 1993 served to reprint the original card with a white border, making it more accessible to the growing player base during the game's initial surge in popularity.

The artwork for the card was illustrated by Rob Alexander, who contributed to the game's early visual identity by emphasizing a rugged, high-fantasy landscape. Alexander’s approach focused on creating an atmospheric representation of the volcanic and desolate terrain associated with the card's color identity. While the initial release was met with confusion regarding the game's rules, the dual lands quickly became some of the most sought-after and strategically significant cards in the game's history, eventually becoming a staple of the Reserved List which prevents their official reprinting.