Cudgel Troll

Cudgel Troll was released in 2010 as part of the Magic 2011 core set, a collection designed to refresh the Magic: The Gathering card pool while introducing a mix of classic tropes and modern mechanics. At the time of its release, the set was intended to bridge the gap between new players entering through the Duels of the Planeswalkers video game and veteran players familiar with the core set's iterative design. The card was created as a functional creature to populate the common and uncommon tiers of the set, serving as a reliable green threat with the classic regenerative ability characteristic of trolls in the game's lore.

The artwork was commissioned from Jesper Ejsing, a prominent fantasy illustrator known for his dynamic and textured depictions of creatures. Ejsing chose to emphasize the brutish, physical nature of the troll, highlighting its formidable size and the eponymous, heavy wooden weapon it wields. The illustration was received as a standard but evocative example of fantasy creature design, fitting seamlessly into the established visual language of the game's green color identity while providing a gritty, grounded representation of a forest-dwelling monster.