Contaminated Bond

Contaminated Bond was released in 2005 as part of the Ninth Edition core set for Magic: The Gathering. As a core set, Ninth Edition served to refresh the available card pool for standard play, featuring a mix of reprints from previous expansions. The card itself was originally printed in the Urza's Destiny set in 1999, representing the dark, industrial aesthetics that defined the storyline of the Urza block.

The artwork for the Ninth Edition printing was illustrated by Greg Staples, who contributed to the game's shift toward more polished, atmospheric digital painting styles during this era. The design of the card reflects the mechanical focus of black-aligned cards in the game's mid-history, which often penalized opponents through persistent resource drains. While not a centerpiece of professional tournament play, it remains a notable example of the game's classic enchantment-based removal and taxation effects.