• Island Fish Jasconius (Original Art)
  • Island Fish Jasconius (Original Art)

    Island Fish Jasconius (Original Art)

    Artist
    Jesper Myrfors
    Year
    1993
    Set/Console Name
    Arabian Nights
    Console/Game
    Magic the Gathering
    C.O.A.
    no
    Painted A.P.
    no
    Substrate Material
    Illustration Board
    Substrate Dimensions
    7 3/16"H x 8 3/4"W
    Image Area Dimensions
    5 3/4" x 7 1/4"W
    Frame Dimensions
    Unframed
    Handmade Protective Case
    YES
    Reserved List
    No

    Island Fish Jasconius is one of the most iconic creatures from Arabian Nights (1993)¬–¬ a massive blue creature inspired by medieval bestiaries and Middle Eastern folklore, where Jasconius was a whale so large, sailors mistook it for an island. Mechanically, it represents a blue sea monster before Magic had refined that creature archetype. It has a huge body for its time (6/8) but comes with three drawbacks. It doesn’t untap during your untap step, it can’t attack unless the opponent controls an Island, and you must sacrifice Island Fish Jasconius when you control no Islands. At the beginning of your upkeep you may pay three blue mana to untap it. The design captures early Magic’s theme of “power with a price” ¬– stylish, mechanically clunky, but very memorable. From a competitive perspective, it’s too expensive, slow, and restrictive. Some early blue casual decks used it as a fun finisher, but cards like Mahamoti Djinn were a more common choice. It occasionally appears in Old School (93/94) and Commander (EDH) themed or flavor decks. From a collector’s and casual player’s perspective, it will always remain a gem of Magic history. Island Fish Jasconius is not on the Reserved List.
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