Karplusan Forest

Karplusan Forest first appeared in the Ice Age expansion, representing the rugged, magical tundra of Dominaria. It was brought into the Seventh Edition core set in 2001, a time when Wizards of the Coast was refreshing its core card pool to introduce new players to iconic lands that offered both utility and tactical risk. As a 'pain land,' it serves as a foundational piece of mana fixing, allowing players to tap for colorless mana or pay one life to access red or green mana.

The artwork for this specific Seventh Edition printing was illustrated by Christopher Rush, one of the most prolific and celebrated artists in the early history of the game. Rush utilized a sharp, atmospheric style to depict the harsh environment of the forest, emphasizing the unforgiving nature of the landscape to match the card's mechanical penalty. While Seventh Edition cards are often remembered for their white-bordered aesthetic, the choice of Rush’s established art helped bridge the gap between classic card design and the modern formatting of the early 2000s.