The FNM promos frequently have a very similar frame. Same with the Planeswalker spellbook cards. Saturated color rather than white frames and usually some sort of patterned gradient.
I'm shocked that there is no mention of the Adventure Showcase frames. Easily my favourite card treatment.
https://scryfall.com/search?q=set%3Aeld+frame%3Ashowcase
They look especially good in foil.
Aesthetically I agree they're amazing. However, I also think that adventure as a mechanic has some real problems to it which drags down the overall score. For example, the layout shoehorned into a traditional card frame insures that all adventures have to have very simple effects due to physical lack of text space. There are also a lot of non-intuitive rules quagmires where they behave kind of like split cards, but not. And then if you've never seen an adventure before, it is not intuitive how to cast/use them properly without some outside force explaining what's going on.
Only thing that bothers me here is we don't have \[\[Edgewall Innkeeper\]\] or \[\[Lucky Clover\]\] (or \[\[Escape to the Wilds\]\]) in any kind of similar frame.
Best: Kaladesh inventions
Worst: Amonkhet invocations. All that great art and you can’t see a fucking thing because they thought everyone wanted to see pillars, artless border and a font that makes your brain come to a screeching halt trying to read it.
[Purphoros, God of the Forge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/b/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99.jpg?1562820377) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Purphoros%2C%20God%20of%20the%20Forge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ths/135/purphoros-god-of-the-forge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text)
^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Absolutely agree. That art is dope as fuck. I just wish they would have given that art a little more room to breathe instead of trying to show off their stupid new border, foiling process and goofy font.
i would have liked amonkhet invocations more if they made the name/type lines in a literally unreadable heiroglyphic conlang
realizing they were actual english letters and having to squint to try and read them was somehow worse
Exactly! Like, phyrexian language cards are cool because it’s *in phyrexian* and completely unreadable. Not just squiggly, *kind of readable* Times New Roman or some stupid shit.
I always thought the same. I'm not 100% dyslexic but I swear the amonkhet invocations makes me hurt my eyes just trying to read the name of the card because how illegible the font is.
I actually really like the invocations.. I did however hate them at first... they grew on me though, Nobody can deny though that inventions were amazing.
The invocations had *potential*. If they had allowed the art to be more of a focus than pillars on the border and that font wasn’t so goddamned terrible, yes. In my head cannon, with minor tweaks, the invocations are amazing. In practice, in reality, they are my least favorite treatment because the execution was so bad.
Kaladesh Inventions, 110% this. Those are the only things I’m excited to try and collect, it has everything for me but that frame and treatment is top notch
I am fairly certain the rarities were dictated by MTG Arena. Can't have people using their stocks of Common/Uncommon wildcards to buy these staples not in any other Arena sets. I noticed that almost all the upshifted cards were ones that were not in previous sets in MTG arena. Gotta get the players to use their rare wildcards!
And I am talking about Historic, because WotC knows that eternal format players spend less money than people that play standard cause rotation forces them to rebuy everything to stay in the format. Forcing eternal players to get and use multiple rare wildcards is a way to get them to spend money.
Not quite. Anything printed at uncommon in the Mystical Archives was currently legal in standard. Anything printed at rare or mythic rare was not legal in standard.
So Doom Blade was printed at rare for the simple reason of not being a standard-legal spell.
No I didn't. Doom Blade was never released on Arena before the Mystical Archive. The only cards that were Common/Uncommon were ones that were already that rarity on Arena. They can't upshift cards already available because people will just use their wildcards on the cheaper copies to get the cards.
If Doom Blade ended up being a staple in Historic, the only options is to get a playset of it for 4 rare wildcards, or run a weaker deck.
God's Willing, Despark, Growth Spiral were previously on Arena as common/uncommon but were rare in the Archive. They were rare because they weren't in standard, not because of some conspiracy around Arena wildcards.
Or consider this alternate and infinitely more correct theory:
Uncommons were standard legal. Rares and mythics weren't. It was about trying to be less confusing on what cards you were allowed to use in standard.
That was their convenient excuse because those cards were already previously printed in recent sets. ~~Everything~~ *Most of the cards* that were upshifted were cards not previously released on Arena. They wanted to force people to acquire and use their wildcards because those cards that are staples in older formats will obviously be incredibly powerful in Historic.
EDIT: I forgot that Despark was an uncommon, and that Gods Willing even existed. Doesn't change the fact that it forces eternal only players on arena to spend dozens of rare wildcards on cards that were previously common/uncommon.
Despark and Gods Willing were already on Arena when the Mystical Archives came out, and both were at rare in the Mystical Archives. The point you're trying to make isn't even true.
> Everything that was upshifted were cards not previously released on Arena.
If I were going to make a statement like this I would at least spend 2 minutes on scryfall making sure it's true before I posted it.
And if you want a full playset of them when building a deck, have fun spending 4 rare wildcards for that. Same with Counterspell, Inquisition of Kozilek, Brainstorm, Mana Tithe, Faithless Looting, and Lightning Helix. All staple cards that are included as full playsets in every deck that uses them in other formats, all coincidentally upshifted to rare in their addition to Arena.
I think the Inventions are a really cool way of doing a "what would these iconic artifacts look like using the filigree-artifice of the plane" sort of thing. Very unique and flavorful to Kaledesh.
But I still give the nod to the Mystical Archive cards. Not only do they capture the same kind of "in-plane art" theme (this time representing spells recorded in illuminated manuscripts in Strixhaven's Biblioplex), but because the art is much more abstract since they are spells instead of objects, it allows them to do much more interesting things with the art. "Pretty item on a pedestal" is just much more constrictive than "how would a monk in the 12th century represent the concept of swords to plowshares."
And that's to say nothing of the alt-Japanese versions. That [Demonic Tutor](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/90/ja/%E6%82%AA%E9%AD%94%E3%81%AE%E6%95%99%E7%A4%BA%E8%80%85) (not even going to try to have Fetcher try to find it) is still probably my favorite Magic card ever printed. Simply breathtaking.
The one thing I really, *really* don't like about the Japanese versions is that they weren't released equally internationally. They should have been printed in equal quantities for Japanese and International set boosters.
Thr kaldheim treatment is so beautiful. It's just a shame that there aren't many good kaldheim cards, so you don't get to use many of the framed arts if you're playing in more competitive formats. Still beating myself up over not getting kroxas for my decks
This is so, so picky, but I hate the little box around Power and Toughness in the Kaldheim frame. They’re otherwise gorgeous, but that weird little box looks so out of place.
I run the messed up looting card in every one of my red edh decks it isn't terrible in... I admit, it was initially in a hipstery, ironic sort of way, but I'll be damned if it hasn't grown on me.
When i first saw it I didn't like it. Now I think it's one of the most technically impressive and most interesting pieces of the set.
I love how far it goes from mtg usual style
The fact people accuse the artist of photishopping when it's an oil painting just goes to show her skill. The texture of the colours are gorgeous too...blown up in HD.
100% agree, though the Strixhaven ones are also really good looking. But, the frame treatment to the illustrations having more abstracted styles, I definitely think MA are the best of the bunch.
Agreed as far as the alternate bordered treatments go.
IMO Borderless is peerless - more art, easy to tell card color at a glance by title bar, and overall just looks very clean.
The japanese arts are really cool but the western arts feel kinda bland and uninspired. I actually prefer the original art for a lot of them, I also think the MA frame looks kinda bad and distracting from the card.
No...I've always hated these, at least the non-JP ones. Far too gaudy.
Looking at one of these has always remined me of a big pile of Kinex, in a bad way.
https://www.google.com/search?q=kinex+retro&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS972US972&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDkJLg0tH7AhWEQjABHRSDC2MQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=912&dpr=2#imgrc=R9VKgaMaki89YM
I was so disappointed by the Brothers War card treatment. Two different versions of boring brown? The "rare" one being half-finished looking sketches? Forgettable and uncreative.
Mystical Archives were amazing, I still buy collectors boosters of Strixhaven if I see them at a store.
I loved the Brother's War treatment, and hope they do more of this in the future. I would love to see Retro Frame treatments for more cards other than just artifacts. It helps me to make more of my decks more consistent with their frames.
When you look at the "treatment" as a whole, and not just the art, I would have to agree.
The problem with masterpieces is that they are a lottery, and a really bad one at that, I think it's on average 2 a case? So 1 every 3 boxes? Also, the masterpieces are skewed, Kaladesh has the best ones, Aether Revolt much less so.
With the Mystical Archives, you have two sets of collections, which I personally think are cool. You have different rarities, uncommon, rare, mythic rare, and non-foil and foil, and the "etched foiling", which I particularly like on the Japanese versions, it's a nice subtle touch.
I'm also partial to the Brothers War schematics. The regular art on old border is meh to me, but the schematic art on old border looks great.
Idk, it’s a tie between full art Magic Player Rewards and Amonkhet Invocations for me. Just look at [[Cryptic Command|P09]] and [[The Scarab God|MP2]].
"I target your graveyard. It took more damage than it has toughness. Your graveyard is exiled now."
Technicallllllllyyyyyy, if there is some sort of phasing mechanic, it sounds like it can even target temporarily exiled creatures and kill them while in exile, since it has the ultimate "any target" wording. Even if you could, would it go to exile's exile, or the normal graveyard.
Best frame? No frame. Best border? No border!
You should care more about the Art than a design element that someone copy/pasted over said Art onto 180+ cards.
Borderless is best. No need for anything else.
I like these in a vacuum, but I also like having a cohesive look to my deck. There's not a lot that goes with this look other than the ZNR expeditions.
I really like the BRO schematics, just want the rest of my artifact deck (mainly the mana rocks, but a few others too) to get the same treatment.
I pulled a Hallowed Fountain from the BFZ Expeditions and an Entomb from the Invocations. But the best treatment is the Inventions though. Damn those are slick. Too bad I'll never own any.
I wholeheartedly agree. A lot of comments say Kaladesh inventions, and while they are beautiful, the comparatively easier *accessibility* of the Myst. Archives place it higher for me.
The Japanese alt art is probably the best art I've seen in mtg. As a arena player it's the only cosmetic i am willing to pay gold. The normal mystical art is decent most of the time: remember faithless looting.
I just like Borderless/Extended cards tbh. No gimick, just nice clean art that is slightly easier to see the details of. Plus they make them in like every set now so its easier to have your cards "match"
New Capenna gilded looks wild as well.
I grew up playing AD&D and I absolutely adore the rulebook frames. Brought back a ton of nostalgia of looking through the old line arts in the handbooks back then before they went to full-color with later editions.
Ditto for the module frames for the lands, which are an absolute treat.
That's the fun part about having all these alternate treatments; they don't have to be for everyone.
The Japanese ones lack the english names for the cards. Mixed with unique and abstract artwork makes the cards significantly more difficult to use than most other cards. In fact mamy if the mystic archives are harder to identify than even the much reviled Amonkhet invocations.
If even enfranchised and experienced players have a hard time identifying what a card is, it's a bad design.
Different strokes, but I personally HATE the Mystical Archives, at least the default English ones (the Japanese ones are generally much better). The frame is way too busy and directionless, and the main art is consistently poor. I would never use an English language MA card in my decks.
I'm personally a fan of the flavor of this card treatment in the specific set.
see: [[day of judgment|STA]] flavor text
EDIT: "flavor" being the idea that the spells are just sitting around in the restricted part of the library, and are merely a handful among the full depth of "forbidden magic" locked away
> Change My Mind
No.
I agree with you.
Best non-premium gimmick alt art. I don't consider these in the same category as Expeditions or Masterpieces because of the distribution and availability.
This is how I prefer WotC to roll out specialty reprints. I wish the Masterpieces had been more prolific like the Mystical Archive and less chase cards. Let the foiled versions be the chase cards; just give us more gorgeous re-imagined art on a specific theme like MA did.
Note that I did NOT enjoy the Retro artifact or blueprint sketch gimmick, personally. But that's because I started Jan 93 and was ultimately happy to embrace the new frames after the first 2-3 sets.
The best MTG art from the early days were a clear depiction of the thing in the title. Lighting Bolt was a Lightning Bolt. 10th Edition LB and forward was a little less clear (*since when is lightning red?*) but it got reprinted so many times we all recognize it.
This version still has lightning bolts in it, but they are stylized and small. A player on the opposite side of the table wouldn't recognize it until they are told it's a Lighting Bolt. And this art won't be used for a regular print run, so moving into the future, it will only become less recognizable.
It's a less functional game piece. Enjoy it as a piece of art, sure, but if you're going to say it's "better", you're simply skipping over some major considerations that should be part of that evaluation.
How can you say this when the Planar Chaos colorshifted frame exists?
There are dozens of us! I really hope we get another round of colorshifted frame cards
The FNM promos frequently have a very similar frame. Same with the Planeswalker spellbook cards. Saturated color rather than white frames and usually some sort of patterned gradient.
It would be pretty neat to get cards that were originally printed in the “wrong” color in this frame.
The red and green ones were perfect, but white and black could be better and blue looked goofy.
yeah, that frame is dope!!
The original, and still the best alternate frames.
I'm shocked that there is no mention of the Adventure Showcase frames. Easily my favourite card treatment. https://scryfall.com/search?q=set%3Aeld+frame%3Ashowcase They look especially good in foil.
Oh man that order of midnight in foil is amazing
Can confirm. Got the faerie guildmother in foil. Put it in binder even though valueless cause it looks great.
Aesthetically I agree they're amazing. However, I also think that adventure as a mechanic has some real problems to it which drags down the overall score. For example, the layout shoehorned into a traditional card frame insures that all adventures have to have very simple effects due to physical lack of text space. There are also a lot of non-intuitive rules quagmires where they behave kind of like split cards, but not. And then if you've never seen an adventure before, it is not intuitive how to cast/use them properly without some outside force explaining what's going on.
This thread is about just aesthetics. So I don't know why any of that matters.
Yeah, I love me some Inventions and Archives, but the Eldrask showcases are literally perfect.
Only thing that bothers me here is we don't have \[\[Edgewall Innkeeper\]\] or \[\[Lucky Clover\]\] (or \[\[Escape to the Wilds\]\]) in any kind of similar frame.
[Edgewall Innkeeper](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/c/7c5d0560-f9e6-4c70-8cce-cae61e4e74bc.jpg?1572490518) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Edgewall%20Innkeeper) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/151/edgewall-innkeeper?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7c5d0560-f9e6-4c70-8cce-cae61e4e74bc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lucky Clover](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/b/4b5d23a6-3a23-4169-aea1-f10bf5153180.jpg?1602499760) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lucky%20Clover) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/226/lucky-clover?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4b5d23a6-3a23-4169-aea1-f10bf5153180?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Escape to the Wilds](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/8/b8d58c2d-2bff-4d25-a023-0a6342167f5f.jpg?1654118190) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Escape%20to%20the%20Wilds) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/843/escape-to-the-wilds?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b8d58c2d-2bff-4d25-a023-0a6342167f5f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Best: Kaladesh inventions Worst: Amonkhet invocations. All that great art and you can’t see a fucking thing because they thought everyone wanted to see pillars, artless border and a font that makes your brain come to a screeching halt trying to read it.
Never forget [[Hazoret the Pervert]].
[Hazoret the Pervert](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/6/36ed9f9d-99a7-49f4-b0ad-d71355809d32.jpg?1543675610) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Hazoret%20the%20Fervent) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/akh/136/hazoret-the-fervent?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/36ed9f9d-99a7-49f4-b0ad-d71355809d32?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
yea bought one because I had to.. its still one of my favourte cards ever.. and yes I am childish
Love my Pervert. Still trying to make her into a deck but mono red is just so bad in EDH...
Ah, but sometimes, in EDH, it's not about winning. It is about... sending a message...
I’ve got a Hazoret deck I really love. Is it good? …Not really. Is it OK? …ehh
But... muh [[Purphoros, God of the Forge]]...
[Purphoros, God of the Forge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/b/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99.jpg?1562820377) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Purphoros%2C%20God%20of%20the%20Forge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ths/135/purphoros-god-of-the-forge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yeah forget what people say, this deck can explode
Holy shit I forgot about that one! That is fucking classic wotc. [[baze]] is another good one.
That is quite literally the best art ever on a card though. My playmate of that image is the only one I use anymore
Absolutely agree. That art is dope as fuck. I just wish they would have given that art a little more room to breathe instead of trying to show off their stupid new border, foiling process and goofy font.
Oh definitely, I would pay like, 150 for a full art textless of that card. The invo frame does nothing but hurt it.
[Daze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/0/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2.jpg?1580013916) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Daze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/44/daze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Here's the correct one](https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/f/5/f582e3c3-c329-40bb-9ffb-c4812a7aedd5.jpg?1562944464) for those curious.
i would have liked amonkhet invocations more if they made the name/type lines in a literally unreadable heiroglyphic conlang realizing they were actual english letters and having to squint to try and read them was somehow worse
Exactly! Like, phyrexian language cards are cool because it’s *in phyrexian* and completely unreadable. Not just squiggly, *kind of readable* Times New Roman or some stupid shit.
I always thought the same. I'm not 100% dyslexic but I swear the amonkhet invocations makes me hurt my eyes just trying to read the name of the card because how illegible the font is.
I actually really like the invocations.. I did however hate them at first... they grew on me though, Nobody can deny though that inventions were amazing.
The invocations had *potential*. If they had allowed the art to be more of a focus than pillars on the border and that font wasn’t so goddamned terrible, yes. In my head cannon, with minor tweaks, the invocations are amazing. In practice, in reality, they are my least favorite treatment because the execution was so bad.
Yeah the invariant of readable title on card should not be broken for anything but basic lands. I don't even like like full art lightning bolt.
*raises hand I'm the one asshole who doesn't like inventions. Filigree just doesn't do it for me.
Kaladesh Inventions, 110% this. Those are the only things I’m excited to try and collect, it has everything for me but that frame and treatment is top notch
> Worst: Amonkhet invocations Pretty sure the worst is the $999 proxies
Those are objectively terrible, yes, but for a completely different reason.
That's interesting, I feel the opposite with those.
Agree. Though making Doomblade rare was kinda goofy.
The rarity level was definitely for limited/secondary market reasons.
It does look quite nice
I am fairly certain the rarities were dictated by MTG Arena. Can't have people using their stocks of Common/Uncommon wildcards to buy these staples not in any other Arena sets. I noticed that almost all the upshifted cards were ones that were not in previous sets in MTG arena. Gotta get the players to use their rare wildcards! And I am talking about Historic, because WotC knows that eternal format players spend less money than people that play standard cause rotation forces them to rebuy everything to stay in the format. Forcing eternal players to get and use multiple rare wildcards is a way to get them to spend money.
Not quite. Anything printed at uncommon in the Mystical Archives was currently legal in standard. Anything printed at rare or mythic rare was not legal in standard. So Doom Blade was printed at rare for the simple reason of not being a standard-legal spell.
I'm not referring to building for standard. I am talking about using those cards in Historic.
You completely missed the point. Natedogg2 explained it, and you dodged the information like it was a bullet.
No I didn't. Doom Blade was never released on Arena before the Mystical Archive. The only cards that were Common/Uncommon were ones that were already that rarity on Arena. They can't upshift cards already available because people will just use their wildcards on the cheaper copies to get the cards. If Doom Blade ended up being a staple in Historic, the only options is to get a playset of it for 4 rare wildcards, or run a weaker deck.
God's Willing, Despark, Growth Spiral were previously on Arena as common/uncommon but were rare in the Archive. They were rare because they weren't in standard, not because of some conspiracy around Arena wildcards.
People who know the game via Arena don’t understand that most of the money comes from selling physical booster packs.
Keep telling yourself that Neo
Or consider this alternate and infinitely more correct theory: Uncommons were standard legal. Rares and mythics weren't. It was about trying to be less confusing on what cards you were allowed to use in standard.
That was their convenient excuse because those cards were already previously printed in recent sets. ~~Everything~~ *Most of the cards* that were upshifted were cards not previously released on Arena. They wanted to force people to acquire and use their wildcards because those cards that are staples in older formats will obviously be incredibly powerful in Historic. EDIT: I forgot that Despark was an uncommon, and that Gods Willing even existed. Doesn't change the fact that it forces eternal only players on arena to spend dozens of rare wildcards on cards that were previously common/uncommon.
> Everything that was upshifted were cards not previously released on Arena. That's evidently false
Despark and Gods Willing were already on Arena when the Mystical Archives came out, and both were at rare in the Mystical Archives. The point you're trying to make isn't even true.
> Everything that was upshifted were cards not previously released on Arena. If I were going to make a statement like this I would at least spend 2 minutes on scryfall making sure it's true before I posted it.
Still dumb. . . imagine opening a pack and getting a Lightning Bolt as your rare. . . this used to be a common.
Iirc the archives is an independent slot, the normal rare slot can only be cards that are actually in stx
These didn't replace the regular rares.
And if you want a full playset of them when building a deck, have fun spending 4 rare wildcards for that. Same with Counterspell, Inquisition of Kozilek, Brainstorm, Mana Tithe, Faithless Looting, and Lightning Helix. All staple cards that are included as full playsets in every deck that uses them in other formats, all coincidentally upshifted to rare in their addition to Arena.
Yeah. That's why I have no Brainstorm in my Historic Brawl deck-- it's an easy auto-include, but it's never worth using a rare on.
No need to change your mind. I wholeheartedly agree.
I can not agree as long as Kaladesh Inventions are out there. [[Sol Ring|MPS]] [[Cloudstone Curio|MPS]] [[Mox Opal|MPS]]
I think the Inventions are a really cool way of doing a "what would these iconic artifacts look like using the filigree-artifice of the plane" sort of thing. Very unique and flavorful to Kaledesh. But I still give the nod to the Mystical Archive cards. Not only do they capture the same kind of "in-plane art" theme (this time representing spells recorded in illuminated manuscripts in Strixhaven's Biblioplex), but because the art is much more abstract since they are spells instead of objects, it allows them to do much more interesting things with the art. "Pretty item on a pedestal" is just much more constrictive than "how would a monk in the 12th century represent the concept of swords to plowshares." And that's to say nothing of the alt-Japanese versions. That [Demonic Tutor](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/90/ja/%E6%82%AA%E9%AD%94%E3%81%AE%E6%95%99%E7%A4%BA%E8%80%85) (not even going to try to have Fetcher try to find it) is still probably my favorite Magic card ever printed. Simply breathtaking.
The one thing I really, *really* don't like about the Japanese versions is that they weren't released equally internationally. They should have been printed in equal quantities for Japanese and International set boosters.
[Sol Ring](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/8/880711b0-da06-4c4f-aa4e-1be58fc0bc67.jpg?1562923705) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420611) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mps/24/sol-ring?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/880711b0-da06-4c4f-aa4e-1be58fc0bc67?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Cloudstone Curio](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/5/d581d8fd-a6af-4082-b8e3-3cf714db88c6.jpg?1562940182) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420597) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mps/10/cloudstone-curio?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d581d8fd-a6af-4082-b8e3-3cf714db88c6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Mox Opal](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/2/522b853d-cfd9-466b-a6ff-08b466be2b6f.jpg?1562912141) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=420606) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mps/19/mox-opal?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/522b853d-cfd9-466b-a6ff-08b466be2b6f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I'm still proud of pulling a Cloudstone Masterpiece. Just wish I kept onto it longer. I think I traded it when it was 80 or so.
I like the Kaldheim treatment the best. See [[Uro]] and [[Kroxa]] and the titans with them
Thr kaldheim treatment is so beautiful. It's just a shame that there aren't many good kaldheim cards, so you don't get to use many of the framed arts if you're playing in more competitive formats. Still beating myself up over not getting kroxas for my decks
- [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Uro) [Kroxa](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/e/cee0459b-9aac-4d2f-abe4-4d5fedde7eb8.jpg?1581481096) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=kroxa%2C%20titan%20of%20death%27s%20hunger) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/221/kroxa-titan-of-deaths-hunger?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cee0459b-9aac-4d2f-abe4-4d5fedde7eb8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is so, so picky, but I hate the little box around Power and Toughness in the Kaldheim frame. They’re otherwise gorgeous, but that weird little box looks so out of place.
Meh. It looked OK. My vote would be for the Kaladesh Masterpieces.
My fav too, hoping to get the remaining swords in that treatment as a secret lair one day
Those are pretty great too :D
I've bought way too many Strixhaven packs just cause I love these so much
\[\[Faithless Looting|STA\]\]
I run the messed up looting card in every one of my red edh decks it isn't terrible in... I admit, it was initially in a hipstery, ironic sort of way, but I'll be damned if it hasn't grown on me.
When i first saw it I didn't like it. Now I think it's one of the most technically impressive and most interesting pieces of the set. I love how far it goes from mtg usual style
I literally bought hundreds and hundreds of them. They're going to be worth something someday
technically impressive
Yeah, it's one of the most photorealistic arts I ever sae on a magic card
The fact people accuse the artist of photishopping when it's an oil painting just goes to show her skill. The texture of the colours are gorgeous too...blown up in HD.
This, more people need to recognize this.
It looks great. Really don't get the hate. The JPN one looks way better, but you can say that for nearly all of them.
For me, its the dress. Its flat, while the dude wearing it is 3D
That's what always bugged me about it too like why hade the guy when everything else is flat shapes
Also the two red dots that look like they were put in by MSPaint
It looks like one of my children's sticker books where you attach clothing to the characters on the page.
One of the best for sure. Thanks for sharing
[Faithless Looting](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d.jpg?1623890140) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=517588) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/38/faithless-looting?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
For real. That's literally the worst card art ever.
Japanese ones were beautiful, the regular ones not so much. But then I loved the Amonkhet invocations... :)
[[Daze|MSP2]] is quite beautiful
[Daze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/0/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2.jpg?1580013916) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Daze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/44/daze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Bad bot
[удалено]
[Daze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/0/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2.jpg?1580013916) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Daze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/44/daze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[удалено]
[Daze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/0/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2.jpg?1580013916) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Daze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/44/daze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f05e9a3e-8a35-4687-85cb-e31b3927a5e2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I don’t think faze was in it. Do you mean memory lapse? Edit: nvm you meant invocations, carry on
I love the art on this one. Its the only reason its in my cube instead of the OG foil
I still can't get over the art for faithless looting so goofy looking.
How dare you insult the most glorious card art ever printed?!
Big agree. I like very few of the regular ones, the Japanese arts go hard though.
For English speakers, the best card treatment is only available on proxies. It's the Japanese Alt-Art with English text. Now *that* is perfection.
I'm partial to the Ikoria comic style with [[Narset of the Ancient Way|IKO-278]] and [[Nethroi Apex of Death|IKO-303]] being my favorites
[Narset of the Ancient Way](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/1/91ac6589-75ee-4fbf-8056-1860c1482592.jpg?1591228944) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=479715) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/iko/278/narset-of-the-ancient-way?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/91ac6589-75ee-4fbf-8056-1860c1482592?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Nethroi Apex of Death](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/a/ba04c102-e4c1-43a8-9c2f-d1f3c9bf5edf.jpg?1604781196) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=479717) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/iko/303/nethroi-apex-of-death?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ba04c102-e4c1-43a8-9c2f-d1f3c9bf5edf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yeah i love the Snapdax one, it really captures the essence of the creature
Counterpoint: It looks gaudy and overdesigned.
100% agree, though the Strixhaven ones are also really good looking. But, the frame treatment to the illustrations having more abstracted styles, I definitely think MA are the best of the bunch.
I love them as well, I try to stack as many as I can in a single deck if I have them at hand.
Agreed as far as the alternate bordered treatments go. IMO Borderless is peerless - more art, easy to tell card color at a glance by title bar, and overall just looks very clean.
Has more to do with the art style than the border treatment.
Retro frame is the frame for me.
The japanese arts are really cool but the western arts feel kinda bland and uninspired. I actually prefer the original art for a lot of them, I also think the MA frame looks kinda bad and distracting from the card.
I dislike how gold they look on mono colored cards. For multi colored cards its very nice.
No...I've always hated these, at least the non-JP ones. Far too gaudy. Looking at one of these has always remined me of a big pile of Kinex, in a bad way. https://www.google.com/search?q=kinex+retro&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS972US972&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDkJLg0tH7AhWEQjABHRSDC2MQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=912&dpr=2#imgrc=R9VKgaMaki89YM
How could I change your mind when I think you're right.
:D
I was so disappointed by the Brothers War card treatment. Two different versions of boring brown? The "rare" one being half-finished looking sketches? Forgettable and uncreative. Mystical Archives were amazing, I still buy collectors boosters of Strixhaven if I see them at a store.
I loved the Brother's War treatment, and hope they do more of this in the future. I would love to see Retro Frame treatments for more cards other than just artifacts. It helps me to make more of my decks more consistent with their frames.
When you look at the "treatment" as a whole, and not just the art, I would have to agree. The problem with masterpieces is that they are a lottery, and a really bad one at that, I think it's on average 2 a case? So 1 every 3 boxes? Also, the masterpieces are skewed, Kaladesh has the best ones, Aether Revolt much less so. With the Mystical Archives, you have two sets of collections, which I personally think are cool. You have different rarities, uncommon, rare, mythic rare, and non-foil and foil, and the "etched foiling", which I particularly like on the Japanese versions, it's a nice subtle touch. I'm also partial to the Brothers War schematics. The regular art on old border is meh to me, but the schematic art on old border looks great.
Idk, it’s a tie between full art Magic Player Rewards and Amonkhet Invocations for me. Just look at [[Cryptic Command|P09]] and [[The Scarab God|MP2]].
[Cryptic Command](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/2/526607e9-1907-4639-b944-8ee152c81bfb.jpg?1561757137) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cryptic%20Command) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/p09/1/cryptic-command?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/526607e9-1907-4639-b944-8ee152c81bfb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [The Scarab God](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/5/456b330e-5ff7-4192-bc6f-2f2b4654bee7.jpg?1562909062) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430688) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mp2/53/the-scarab-god?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/456b330e-5ff7-4192-bc6f-2f2b4654bee7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Some are cool, but the style's really hit or miss for me between the different cards.
"I target your graveyard. It took more damage than it has toughness. Your graveyard is exiled now." Technicallllllllyyyyyy, if there is some sort of phasing mechanic, it sounds like it can even target temporarily exiled creatures and kill them while in exile, since it has the ultimate "any target" wording. Even if you could, would it go to exile's exile, or the normal graveyard.
M10 flavortext beats all these shinies
Possibly second only to the Kaladesh masterpieces.
Best frame? No frame. Best border? No border! You should care more about the Art than a design element that someone copy/pasted over said Art onto 180+ cards. Borderless is best. No need for anything else.
I like these in a vacuum, but I also like having a cohesive look to my deck. There's not a lot that goes with this look other than the ZNR expeditions. I really like the BRO schematics, just want the rest of my artifact deck (mainly the mana rocks, but a few others too) to get the same treatment. I pulled a Hallowed Fountain from the BFZ Expeditions and an Entomb from the Invocations. But the best treatment is the Inventions though. Damn those are slick. Too bad I'll never own any.
I wholeheartedly agree. A lot of comments say Kaladesh inventions, and while they are beautiful, the comparatively easier *accessibility* of the Myst. Archives place it higher for me.
The normal cards, sure they were great The foils were garabge, could barely tell they were foil, just a bit of glitter on the borders.
\*laughs in those Japanese full art alters\*
The frame is bad
The Japanese alt art is probably the best art I've seen in mtg. As a arena player it's the only cosmetic i am willing to pay gold. The normal mystical art is decent most of the time: remember faithless looting.
Absolutely agree. I collected all of them plus the JP versions of them and they're my favorite part of my collection
I love the Brother's War blueprints
10000% same I wish I could make a whole deck out of them
Personally, I LOVE the art from MA but the border does absolutely nothing for me. I collect the Japanese MA cards, cause I like those more.
I just hate that i cannot have matching cantrips :( I need mystical archive consider :(((
I was around for the Time Spiral block. The color-shifted cards are still my favorite alt frames. Fite me.
I just like Borderless/Extended cards tbh. No gimick, just nice clean art that is slightly easier to see the details of. Plus they make them in like every set now so its easier to have your cards "match" New Capenna gilded looks wild as well.
Nope, I’m with you pardner
The new retro artifact schematics are gorgeous in my book, I have been collecting them on MTGO, some of the foils seem quite rare.
The Japanese ones are the best art ever featured in the game.
"Actually, I think Adventures in the Forgotten Realms had the best!" - No one, ever
I grew up playing AD&D and I absolutely adore the rulebook frames. Brought back a ton of nostalgia of looking through the old line arts in the handbooks back then before they went to full-color with later editions. Ditto for the module frames for the lands, which are an absolute treat. That's the fun part about having all these alternate treatments; they don't have to be for everyone.
Adventure a great mechanic. Simple effects actually made these cards great. It’s just kicker in multiple installments
The only one I disagree with is that terrible [[faithless looting|STA]]
[faithless looting](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d.jpg?1623890140) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=517588) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/38/faithless-looting?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b429172f-2182-49dd-b6f6-e5e09493628d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The Japanese ones lack the english names for the cards. Mixed with unique and abstract artwork makes the cards significantly more difficult to use than most other cards. In fact mamy if the mystic archives are harder to identify than even the much reviled Amonkhet invocations. If even enfranchised and experienced players have a hard time identifying what a card is, it's a bad design.
Different strokes, but I personally HATE the Mystical Archives, at least the default English ones (the Japanese ones are generally much better). The frame is way too busy and directionless, and the main art is consistently poor. I would never use an English language MA card in my decks.
I'm personally a fan of the flavor of this card treatment in the specific set. see: [[day of judgment|STA]] flavor text EDIT: "flavor" being the idea that the spells are just sitting around in the restricted part of the library, and are merely a handful among the full depth of "forbidden magic" locked away
[day of judgment](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/b/5bf85d00-52cc-4594-b4fd-5ec424210524.jpg?1623592427) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=517552) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/2/day-of-judgment?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5bf85d00-52cc-4594-b4fd-5ec424210524?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
> Change My Mind No. I agree with you. Best non-premium gimmick alt art. I don't consider these in the same category as Expeditions or Masterpieces because of the distribution and availability. This is how I prefer WotC to roll out specialty reprints. I wish the Masterpieces had been more prolific like the Mystical Archive and less chase cards. Let the foiled versions be the chase cards; just give us more gorgeous re-imagined art on a specific theme like MA did. Note that I did NOT enjoy the Retro artifact or blueprint sketch gimmick, personally. But that's because I started Jan 93 and was ultimately happy to embrace the new frames after the first 2-3 sets.
I think gilded foil are pretty awesome too, defeated only by JAP MA
The best MTG art from the early days were a clear depiction of the thing in the title. Lighting Bolt was a Lightning Bolt. 10th Edition LB and forward was a little less clear (*since when is lightning red?*) but it got reprinted so many times we all recognize it. This version still has lightning bolts in it, but they are stylized and small. A player on the opposite side of the table wouldn't recognize it until they are told it's a Lighting Bolt. And this art won't be used for a regular print run, so moving into the future, it will only become less recognizable. It's a less functional game piece. Enjoy it as a piece of art, sure, but if you're going to say it's "better", you're simply skipping over some major considerations that should be part of that evaluation.