Volcanic Island MTG Card
1993-10-04 - Number 287
1993-12-01 - Number 287
1993-12-10 - Number 287
1993-12-10 - Number 287
1994-04-01 - Number 291
1994-04-01 - Number 291
1994-06-21 - Number 291
2009-09-07 - Number 215
2011-01-02 - Number 2018NA
2011-01-10 - Number 260
2014-06-16 - Number 324
2022-11-28 - Number 579
2022-11-28 - Number 282
2002-06-24 - Number 95479
2002-06-24 - Number 43626
| Card sets | Released in 15 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land — Island Mountain |
Text of card
Counts as both islands and mountains and is affected by spells that affect either. Tap to add either o U or o R to your mana pool.
Cards like Volcanic Island
Volcanic Island stands out amongst the dual lands in MTG, offering untapped access to both red and blue mana. It shares its untapped quality with fellow dual lands like Underground Sea or Tundra. Yet unlike the ‘shock lands’ such as Steam Vents, there’s no life loss to have Volcanic Island enter the gamefield ready to use. This feature alone elevates its utility, making it a fixture in formats where it’s legal.
Comparing it to ‘fetch lands’ like Scalding Tarn, Volcanic Island does not require a land search, thereby saving time and preventing deck thinning. While ‘check lands’ like Sulfur Falls also provide dual mana, they often enter the battlefield tapped unless you control an island or mountain, a condition that Volcanic Island bypasses, ensuring immediate use from turn one.
There’s a reason Volcanic Island remains sought after: it’s a powerful mana foundation with zero drawbacks. Its ability to tap for two types of mana unconditionally provides a flexibility that makes it a pinnacle example of nonbasic lands in the game, facilitating powerful color combinations and dynamic play from the onset.
Cards similar to Volcanic Island by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Volcanic Island. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Izzet Delver | Legacy | Izzet Delver | Legacy League 2024-04-23 |
 | Temur Cascade | Legacy | Temur Cascade | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24 |
| Beanstalk Control | Legacy | Beanstalk Control | Legacy League 2024-04-23 |
 | 5c Stoneblade | Legacy | 5c Stoneblade | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24 |
| Grixis Tempo | Legacy | Grixis Tempo | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24 |
 | Izzet Artifacts | Legacy | Blue Artifacts | Legacy League 2024-04-24 |
| Temur Delver | Legacy | Temur Delver | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-24 |
 | 4c Underworld Breach | Vintage | Underworld Breach | Vintage League 2024-04-23 |
 | Jeskai Control | Legacy | Jeskai Control | Legacy League 2024-04-23 |
 | The EPIC Storm | Legacy | The EPIC Storm | Legacy League 2024-04-23 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Volcanic Island doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, but it supports strategies that lead to card advantage. Its ability to tap for two types of mana without any conditions or entering the battlefield tapped ensures seamless plays and engagements with other cards that might draw you into more card options.
Resource Acceleration: This dual land ramps up your mana availability from the get-go, granting immediate access to two colors of mana in a single land drop. This acceleration is crucial, especially for multicolored decks that require a consistent and diverse mana base to cast an array of powerful spells early in the game.
Instant Speed: While Volcanic Island does not operate at instant speed, its intrinsic value comes from the fact that it enables instant speed plays. With mana readily available, it bolsters your ability to react during any phase of the game, backing up your strategy with the necessary resources to play instants and disrupt opponents at critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One aspect to consider with the Volcanic Island card is that it doesn’t directly require discarding, but its inclusion in a deck may pressurize your hand. In formats where land destruction is prevalent, having this high-value land could make you a target, leading to potential disadvantageous discards to save your strategic pieces.
Specific Mana Cost: The power of Volcanic Island comes from its ability to provide mana of two specific colors. However, it’s only optimally used in decks that require both blue and red mana. For decks not aligning with these colors, its value plummets, as it offers no additional advantage over a basic land.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Volcanic Island doesn’t itself have a mana cost, its acquisition cost can be considered high. Within the context of the game, cards that enable similar mana flexibility, like the various fetch lands, often come at a lower financial cost and can be more accessible for players, especially in casual formats.
Reasons to Include Volcanic Island in Your Collection
Versatility: Volcanic Island serves as a powerful dual land, easily integrating into decks requiring both red and blue mana without the downside of coming into play tapped, making it a seamless fit for a variety of strategies.
Combo Potential: This land is often a cornerstone in combo decks where both colors are essential, enabling players to execute game-winning combos efficiently with its untapped mana access.
Meta-Relevance: In formats where deck speed and consistency matter, like Legacy, having a land like Volcanic Island can be the difference-maker, ensuring your deck performs at peak capacity against the prevailing competitive environment.
How to beat
Volcanic Island stands out as a vintage dual land card that effortlessly taps for either blue or red mana without the downside of coming into play tapped. This characteristic makes it a robust inclusion in any deck that runs on the synergy of blue’s control with red’s aggression. As such, overcoming a deck harnessing the power of Volcanic Island demands strategic planning.
To gain the upper hand against a deck running Volcanic Island, players should consider the use of land destruction or land alteration cards such as Wasteland or Blood Moon. These cards can disrupt the mana base that Volcanic Island contributes to, thereby hampering an opponent’s ability to execute their strategy effectively. Artifact strategies, like employing Pithing Needle to stifle mana abilities of nonbasic lands, also serve as a viable approach.
Additionally, staying ahead in the resource race is crucial, which can be achieved through efficient counterplays and establishing a swift board presence that pressures the opponent before their land advantage becomes overwhelming. Thus, while Volcanic Island may provide a significant boost to an opponent’s deck, there are several tactics players can use to level the playing field and aim for victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Volcanic Island MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Beta and Unlimited Edition, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Volcanic Island and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Volcanic Island Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 1993-10-04 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 287 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 2 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 287 | 1993 | Normal | White | Brian Snõddy | |
| 3 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 287 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 287 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 5 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 291 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 291 | 1993 | Normal | White | Brian Snõddy | |
| 7 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 291 | 1993 | Normal | White | Brian Snõddy | |
| 8 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 95479 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Burley | ||
| 9 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 43626 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | ||
| 10 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 215 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 11 | 2011-01-02 | Legacy Championship | OLGC | 2018NA | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Poole | |
| 12 | 2011-01-10 | Masters Edition IV | ME4 | 260 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 13 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 324 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 14 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 579 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy | |
| 15 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 282 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Snõddy |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Volcanic Island has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Volcanic Island card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | This has basic land types, but it isn’t a basic land. Things that affect basic lands don’t affect it. Things that affect basic land types do. |
| 2008-10-01 | This has the mana abilities associated with both of its basic land types. |