Magic Cowboys: Thunder Junction vs Jakkard

So MTG decided to explore cowboys in their set and brand new plane Thunder Junction. This, however, is not the first time something Magic related has attempted to explore the Wild West: the fan made plane Jakkard has been a community darling for years now.

So a comparison is worth being made.

Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect between both planes is the story and thematic focus. Thunder Junction is secondarily a villain world, the premise being that, due to omenpaths, outlaws from all over the Multiverse have targetted this pristine world and its abundant resources. By contrast, Jakkard is about the theme of scarcity, an once vibrant world dealing with the aftermath of some event in the past that depleted its mana, and so the people venturing into the wilderness are not (only) outlaws but pioneers.

Perhaps the most interesting theme is how both sets explore colonalism. Thunder Junction alledgedly had Native consultants and depicts an off world tribe, the Atiin, based on the Navajo, who are as alien to the plane as the outlaws. This kind of plays into terra nulis myths that the Wild West was a pristine landscape without people in it, which historically has justified the murder of Amerindian tribes. I suppose the consultants decided that playing into this narrative was the lesser of two evils, as the other option would be outright invasion and genocide.

Jakkard, however, has true Native analogues, the Viashino, Snakes and implicitly some human cultures. These were dealt a rough hand: Viashino and humans were forced to abandon their traditional culture while the snakes are hibernating in the wilds. While somber, I find this to be very thematically relevant to the themes of the plane, and paints an otherwise “cowboys yeah pew pew” setting with a much heavier light and historical dignity. I would seriously like to hear your thoughts on this.

Overall, I think Jakkard is a better world if you want a meatier story, as I’m not into guilt-free spectacles.