Basalt Monolith

Basalt Monolith was originally printed in the 1994 Alpha set, but this specific iteration appears in the Commander 2013 product line. Released as part of a preconstructed deck, this version was selected by Wizards of the Coast to support the artifact-heavy themes prevalent in the Commander format, providing players with a colorless mana acceleration tool that has remained a staple in high-power play due to its potential for infinite mana combos.

The art for this printing was created by Daniel Ljunggren, who brought a sleek, modern aesthetic to the classic design. Ljunggren aimed to capture the imposing, alien geometry of the monolith while maintaining the distinct visual identity established by the card's original creators, resulting in a clean, polished look that was well-received by players for its readability and atmospheric consistency within the contemporary art direction of the game.