Bone Splinters

Bone Splinters was released in May 2012 as part of the Avacyn Restored expansion for Magic: The Gathering. As a common sorcery, it serves as a utility card designed for Limited play environments, reflecting the set's dark, gothic horror aesthetic centered on the plane of Innistrad. The card functions as a removal spell, requiring the player to sacrifice a creature to destroy an opponent's creature, a mechanical trade-off thematic to the set's focus on sacrifice and resurrection.

The artwork was commissioned from Nils Hamm, a frequent contributor to the game whose style is often noted for its moody, painterly, and atmospheric quality. In this piece, Hamm illustrates the visceral imagery of bone-based necromancy, aligning with the card's mechanical function. Upon its release, the card was received as a standard but efficient piece of removal, valued by players for its ability to bypass defensive mechanics by utilizing one's own creatures as a resource.