Library of Alexandria (Library Solara Recreation)

Library of Alexandria (LoA) is one of the most iconic and powerful land cards ever printed in Magic and was released in the Arabian Nights set in 1993. It taps for colorless mana or draws a card if you have exactly seven in hand, making it a true control staple. Unlike most draw engines, it doesn’t require any mana investment which makes this card so strong. If this card is in your opening hand, it can win games by itself due to its unmatched card advantage. There exist very few cards to answer this card effectively making it hard to remove once on the board (e.g. Strip Mine, Wasteland). Library of Alexandria was a dominating card in early Type 1 decks, often considered the cornerstone of early draw-go strategies together with cards like Ancestral Recall, Jayemdae Tome and Disrupting Scepter. In Vintage it’s a staple in almost any blue-based control deck (e.g. UWx Control, Paradoxical Outcome decks). Library of Alexandria is especially effective in mirror matches where both players are playing at instant speed and holding up counterspells. It’s banned in Legacy, Modern, and Commander and restricted in Vintage. Old School (93/94) is LoA’s most famous format, where this card is played in almost every archetype. Library of Alexandria is on the Reserved List, which cements both its scarcity and its iconic status in Magic’s history.