Overall 9.5 GEM MINT
Centering 9
Corners 9.5
Edges 9.5
Surface 9.5
It's hard to argue that Volcanic Island isn't one of the more powerful dual lands connecting the overpowered blue cards with red mainstays like lightning bolt (still possible the best direct damage card ever printed) and wheel of fortune (which continues to see action in EDH).
Rarity & Collectability
1 of 3,000 beta rare beta Volcanic Island cards printed, this card is not only difficult to find left-right centered, but it was also the only dual land not originally printed in the alpha set, left out by mistake.
The collectors looking to obtain BGS Gem Mint copies of 1st edition dual lands will need to source 1 of 21 copies graded in BGS 9.5 or the one BGS 10 copy. I'm always surprised that these have not all been locked up in permanent collections yet!
Because of the centering challenges, in my opinion, many of the 9.5 centering volcanic islands that I have seen are actually just optimistically graded on centering. Of the 8 overall BGS 9.5's copies that have a 9.5 centering subgrade, 3 of them have 9 in other subgrade categories, which means that there might actually only be 18 true BGS 9.5 grades overall. For example, look at the generous left-right centering grade on the card below.
Impressions & Artwork
If I'm being honest, the Volcanic Island is not my favorite painting of the dual lands. I do find the ABU (alpha beta unlimited) copies to have particularly rich colors which are beautiful though. Also my opinion but I think Brian Snoddy's signature is also not my favorite, as seen in the picture I found online below.
Usage & Gameplay
My favorite memory was pulling a Volcanic Island from a revised booster pack. Then I went to the mall and stuck it in a plastic shopping bag, which I then got the top right corner completely bent by jumping over a concrete wall because I was a teenager. As a grown ass man, I can't remember a time when a concrete wall was in my way. Stories like this are probably why not many of these cards exist in good condition anymore.
Awesome Dual Land... Obviously not allowed at the Bel-Air "A/AN" game because it is beta. In regards to the great debate amongst us Pro Players whether Taiga or Volcanic Island as the best dual land. I am a Taiga as #1 dual land because I love to make a channel-based kill early before my opponent even gets his twenty-sided dice calibrated on the table, just how I play. If you want to kick-around do timewalks, time-twisters or dopple-gang for thirty minutes and get to make friends with your opponent then Volcanic Island may be your #1 dual land. I don't play MTG for friends, I play for money & honor. I don't have time to chat it up over the seventh turn stretch, I shuffle and put the tourney money in the duffle.
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