Borrowing 100,000 Arrows

Borrowing 100,000 Arrows was released in 2013 as part of the Commander 2013 product line, a series of preconstructed decks designed specifically for the Commander format of Magic: The Gathering. The card was featured in the Evasive Maneuvers deck, which focused on the Derevi, Empyrial Tactician commander and the 'tap' mechanic. Its design draws thematic inspiration from the famous historical stratagem attributed to Zhuge Liang in the 14th-century Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where he famously tricked his enemies into firing arrows at his straw-covered boats to restock his own supply.

The card was illustrated by veteran artist Winona Nelson, who sought to capture the cleverness and efficiency of the legendary historical maneuver through the lens of fantasy warfare. In the context of the game, the card functions as a powerful defensive tool that scales in effectiveness based on the number of attacking creatures an opponent controls. Upon its release, it was received as a flavorful and mechanically distinct addition to blue-aligned control strategies, specifically valued for its ability to punish aggressive board states while reflecting the strategic depth typical of the Commander format.