Tropical Island

Design Inspiration Sources

New 06 Jan 2024 Asked by goldgaridelve 26 Comments

Mark, on the topic of Designing to Art is the creation of Birds of Paradise, from the Mark Poole art that was supposed to be an Island (Or Tropical Island I've also heard?), the most impactful or significant card from designing to art?


I thought it was a Tropical Island, but I talked with Mark Poole and he said it was a Volcanic Island.

Legend of Mirage Expansion

New 22 Apr 2022 Asked by justherefortheschadenfreude 33 Comments

Hi Mark. I heard an urban legend a long time ago about the Mirage expansion. Since it was the next stand-alone expansion set after Ice Age, the Mirage designers early on wanted to include Tropical versions of basic lands, like how Ice Age had Snow Covered lands. The main issue though was that a Tropical Island card already existed. Is this legend true?


I have never heard that story and I worked on Mirage (on the development team).

Birds of Paradise Origins

New 28 Aug 2016 Asked by bitwisenot 32 Comments

You've mentioned that the original art for Birds of Paradise was supposed to be for Tropical Island. Do you know if the card Birds of Paradise existed prior to the art being switched?


Nope. I’m pretty sure Richard designed the card top down from the art.

Birthday Trivia

New 14 May 2015 Asked by bitwisenot 56 Comments

Hello Mark, today is my birthday. Can I get some trivia on either of the first Magic rares I opened - Birds of Paradise or Tundra?


The art on Birds of Paradise was originally painted for Tropical Island but the bird was too prominent so Richard made a card to represent the bird and they commissioned new art for Tropical Island. Happy Birthday!

Protection & Trivia Choice

New 21 Jan 2014 Asked by spartacusreturned 75 Comments

Choose one — Maro gains protection from buses until the end of the year; or Maro gains protection from bananas until the end of the year. Entwine — Tell a trivia of your choice.


The art for Alpha’s Bird of Paradise was originally turned in for Tropical Island. Richard Garfield felt the bird was too prominent so he made a card for it and got a new piece of art for Tropical Island.

Memorable Match Anecdote

New 23 Nov 2013 Asked by returnoftherat-deactivated20211 62 Comments

Can you tell us the story of Scott Johns/Tom Guevin Type I semi-final game at PT Dallas?


From my column “Loose Ends”: In the early days of the Pro Tour, Wizards would sponsor big money side events. At PT Dallas, the side event was a Type 1 tournament with a $40,000 purse. One of the two semi-finals was between Scott Johns (yes, our illustrious editor) and Tom Guevin. Both had made a name for themselves on the Pro Tour. Scott had three back-to-back top 8’s while Tom had come in second at the very first PT Los Angeles. It was the third game of the semi-final match (in a best two out three match). Tom had won the coin flip and chose to play first. He played a land. Use the land to play a Sol Ring. He then played a Mox and a Black Lotus. Next he played a Zuran Orb. He then sacrificed the Lotus for three white mana. He used two of it to play Balance. In response, he sacrificed his land to his Orb to gain 2 life. With only two cards left in Tom’s hand, Scott was forced to discard five cards. “I’m really sorry,” Tom said to Scott (he didn’t sound very sorry), “Sometimes Type I is really stupid.” Scott stared intently at his cards. Then after a minute of thought, Scott discarded his first card. It was aGuerilla Tactics. As this was a forced discard, Guerilla Tactics dealt 4 damage to Tom. Scott then discarded his second card. Another Guerilla Tactics. Four more damage. Then Scott discarded his third card. Yet another Guerilla Tactics. Another four damage. This left Tom at 10 life. After going down to two cards, Scott takes his turn and plays a Tropical Island and then casts Ancestral Recall. With the Ancestral Recall Scott draws a Mox Ruby and a Gorilla Shaman. He plays the Shaman. Tom draws something irrelevant. On Scott’s next turn, he drops a Strip Mine and uses the Gorilla Shaman to destroy the Mox and Sol Ring. At the end of his turn, Scott looks at Tom and says, “You’re right. It can be pretty stupid.”

Island Entertainment Choices

New 22 Feb 2013 Asked by amebabloke 4 Comments

So you're stranded on a tropical island (Castaway style not Lost style, but without the random parcels....you can still have Wilson). After taking care of basic needs (water, food, shelter), which isn't too difficult as the island is small but plentiful and is quite level; there are no large predators to worry about, no venomous snakes/spiders that you know of and no primates. You have 'free' time in the afternoons. How do you entertain yourself?


I’d probably design a game or two.

Penguins vs Hippos

New 18 Oct 2012 Asked by saizeo 16 Comments

Magic needs more penguins. How about a new plane, splited into tropical island and frozen wasteland, where penguins and polar bears fight an eternal war against hippos and apes? Do it now! You know you want it.


Frozen Tundra World. I’ll get right on it. : )

Deer Creature Confusion

New 13 Apr 2012 Asked by scry3 4 Comments

What's the deal with that deer creature in Avacyn Restored (card 244)? It doesn't have any power or toughness, its text is just a giant mana symbol, and its name is Forest. It seems that this card could be very easily confused for a basic land.


If the creature is small enough in the art, as with the deer in question, it won’t pull focus as Birds of Paradise did in the original Tropical Island art.

Creatures on Land Cards

New 10 Apr 2012 Asked by snikersnack-blog 4 Comments

I figure ill add to the billion AVR question you just got, but I noticed in the last forest spoiled has a deer in it. how very observant of me. I was wondering why the lands are overwhelming depicted without any animals in them and why this one was, if there is a reason besides "It looks really, really good"?


The art on the original Birds of Paradise was originally submitted for Tropical Island. The problem was that everyone noticed the bird and not the island, so the art was moved to Birds of Paradise. In general, this is the issue. As soon as you put an object, especially a creature, on a land card, it steals the focus as land tends to feel like background. By just featuring the land, we make it the focus.


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