Earthquake

Earthquake was originally introduced in the Alpha set of Magic: The Gathering in 1993, representing the Red color's capacity for wide-reaching, non-discriminatory damage. The Fourth Edition version, released in 1995, features the iconic artwork by Dameon Willich, which depicts a fracturing landscape captured in a style consistent with the early, gritty aesthetic of the game's foundational years. As a reprint set, Fourth Edition was intended to standardize the card pool for the growing player base by removing the scarcity issues associated with the original printings.

The design of Earthquake remains a quintessential example of early balance experimentation, utilizing an 'X' cost to scale its impact based on the caster's available mana. Because it strikes both creatures and players while exempting flying creatures, it became a staple of red-based aggressive and control decks alike. The piece was well-received by players for its tactical flexibility, helping define the risk-reward nature of red spells during the game's formative decade.