Polluted Delta

Polluted Delta was originally printed in the 2002 expansion set Onslaught and gained significant notoriety as part of a cycle of fetch lands that allow players to search their library for specific land types. The version from Khans of Tarkir, released in 2014, marked the first time this card was reprinted in a standard-legal set, providing much-needed accessibility for players participating in formats like Modern and Legacy. Its inclusion in this set was highly anticipated by the competitive community, as it resolved a significant supply bottleneck that had kept the card's availability restricted for over a decade.

The artwork for the Khans of Tarkir printing was created by artist Yeong-Hao Han. The design leans into the thematic aesthetic of the Sultai Brood, one of the five clans of the plane of Tarkir, which emphasizes rot, swampy decay, and forbidden magic. The visual style features a murky, desolate landscape that captures the functional nature of the card while aligning with the dark, atmospheric world-building of the expansion. Upon its release, the card was widely praised for its utility and the updated artistic direction that successfully integrated the classic card mechanics into the lore of the new plane.