Balance

Balance was originally released as part of the Alpha set in 1993, designed by Richard Garfield to serve as a powerful equalizer in Magic: The Gathering. The card allows a player to force both participants to discard cards and sacrifice lands and creatures until they have the same amount, effectively resetting the board state to punish players with aggressive card advantage. Its inclusion in the 1997 Pro Tour Collector Set was part of a limited-run collection that showcased staple cards from the early competitive era of the game, providing players with fixed, non-tournament-legal versions of these iconic spells.

The artwork for this version was provided by Mark Poole, a foundational illustrator for the game known for his ethereal and painterly aesthetic. Poole’s design for Balance features a minimalist, symbolic composition that leans into the card's theme of cosmic equilibrium. While the card is infamous among players for its high power level—leading to bans or heavy restrictions in almost every competitive format—Poole’s illustration remains a classic representation of the game's early visual identity, characterized by a simplicity that contrasted with the increasingly complex art styles of later sets.