One of the best bits about Magic: The Gathering is all the fantastic art that gets created for the game. With the release of each new set and Secret Lair drop, we’re treated to hundreds of pieces of incredible art. There’s no cost-cutting with wonky AI generation, either, it’s all 100% human-created art, as it should be.
Unfortunately, while the artists Wizards of the Coast employs are an incredibly talented bunch, there’s no accounting for taste. Some MTG players just won’t like the certain styles of some artists while other players adore their work. This divisiveness is most common in Secret Lair drops, but even main MTG sets have their fair share of art-based controversy.
Despite initially being an interesting and beloved showcase treatment, anime-style artwork has quickly become controversial. Now that it appears so often, it’s arguably losing some of its once-special charm. Now, it seems things have been taken a step further, as anime-art reprints are appearing out of the blue in Innistrad Remastered.
A Deep Rooted Reprint
Yesterday, the Good Time Society on YouTube unveiled a plethora of new Innistrad Remastered spoilers for us to admire. Within this selection were such treats as Olivia Voldaren and the returning Slow Lands. As you’d expect for a remastered set, each of the revealed cards was distinctly Innistrad in flavor. The same was true of Tree of Perdition.
Hailing from Eldrich Moon, Tree of Perdition is an expected reprint to see in Innistrad Remastered. Currently selling for around $16, this card is a great pull from packs that’ll help to boost value overall. On top of that, Tree of Perdition is also just a weird and wonderful card that’s always a treat to see again.
It’s worth mentioning, as well, that there’s even a rare Tree of Perdition combo in Innistrad Remastered. Thanks to the reprint of Triskaidekaphobia there’s a non-zero chance for a blow-out combo in limited. Admittedly you may struggle to find both parts you need for this, but Perdition is only a rare now, so it’s worth looking out for.
Overall, Tree of Perdition isn’t exactly the most popular bomb from all of Innistrad. Right now, the card only really sees play in Commander and Pioneer. In Pioneer, Perdition works wonders alongside Agatha’s Soul Cauldron which can give its effect to other creatures. This ideally means that Voldaren Thrillseeker can tap to bring your opponent to two before finishing your opponent off.
Ultimately, Tree of Perdition is a pretty good reprint, in every sense of the word. Not only does it add some decent value to packs, but its price could drop a fair amount too. So far this is unremarkable for a remastered set, but there is one problem. Tree of Perdition doesn’t really look that Innistrad-y.
A Peculiar Perdition
As you can see Wizards decided to use the anime-style artwork of Tree of Perdition for Innistrad Remastered. While we’re definitely looking at the same tree as usual, this is a rather weird choice. The original Eldrich Moon art was fittingly dark and foreboding, distractingly so almost. The Jumpstart 2022 art, however, is far brighter, more colorful, and has a spooky lil’ anime girl there too.
As much as the art by Yuchi Yuki is delightful, and beloved by some, it’s not very Innistrad Remastered. The whole point of remastered sets is reveling in retro appeal, often using the Retro Frame border. While it’s not the most egregious misstep in Magic’s history, the choice not to use Eldrich Moon’s art is utterly bizarre.
Understandably, a fair few MTG players were confused and unhappy with this artistic choice. Some players, such as Werewolfcommanderplayer, even took their complaints directly to MTG’s Head Designer, Mark Rosewater. On Blogatog, Werewolfcommanderplayer asked for “no more manga/anime art outside of booster fun.”
“Tree of Perdition using the J22 anime art as the default printing in INR is a flavor disaster for what is supposed to be a lover letter to the plane and aesthetic of Innistrad.”
Werewolfcommanderplayer
Sadly, when responding to this question, Mark Rosewater didn’t offer any developmental insight about why this art had been chosen. Instead, Rosewater focused on the first point that’d been made, turning it around into a question. “How do others feel about the only version of some new Jumpstart cards being anime?”
Unsurprisingly, since everyone has their own opinions about art, discourse on the Blogatog post was mixed. Some players, like Thornthallid, stated they “Hate anime art,” when it’s not an optional extra treatment. Others, like Randomette2, simply stated “It’s fine, variety is good.” Overall, the majority of the post’s notes were negative, however, it clearly wasn’t a cut-and-dry case. After all, some players absolutely love anime art.
The Right Reprint
Ultimately, there’s a simple solution to this problem that Wizards arguably missed the mark on here. When it comes time to reprint a card, it’s simply a matter of picking the right art for the set. For some sets, like Innistrad Remastered, using the original most nostalgic art is best. Other times, it may be prudent to commission new art for one reason or another.
For example, any Kaladesh-based reprints could probably benefit from new art in Aetherdrift. While we’re not advocating for the past to be erased, this would be an interesting opportunity to show the plane’s development. Avishkar is fundamentally a different place to Kaladesh and the more Wizards can show that, the easier it’ll be to comprehend.
Obviously, the anime-exclusive cards from Foundations Jumpstart should also be given a new lick of paint in the future. Technically, this will make these cards harder to reprint since they’ll require more resources, but it’d be welcome, I’m sure. Throughout the entire Blogatog post, the consensus was that more options are always better, so hopefully, players can get exactly that.
