Orzhov Basilica

Orzhov Basilica first appeared in the 2006 Ravnica: City of Guilds expansion as a staple 'bounceland,' a type of land card designed to provide mana efficiency at the cost of returning a land to the player's hand. It represents the seat of power for the Orzhov Syndicate, a guild within the urban plane of Ravnica that functions simultaneously as a religious organization and a crime syndicate. The card was designed to mechanically reflect the bureaucratic, tax-heavy nature of the guild, offering both white and black mana while emphasizing the guild's slow, methodical control over resources.

The artwork for the original printing was illustrated by John Avon, who utilized his signature landscape style to capture the imposing, cathedral-like architecture of the Basilica. Subsequent versions, including the one featured in the Aetherdrift Commander set, maintain this visual identity, focusing on the dark, gothic aesthetic that defines the Orzhov aesthetic. The card has remained a enduring inclusion in many Commander decks, favored for its ability to generate two colors of mana while allowing players to reuse land-based utility effects.