Deathlace

Deathlace was originally released as part of the Alpha set in 1993, a foundational expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game designed by Richard Garfield. As one of the game's earliest black-border cards, it was intended to interact with the color-coding mechanics of the system by changing the color of a permanent to black. This mechanic was part of an experimental era of game design that sought to explore extreme versatility, though it was later deemed to have limited competitive utility.

The 30th Anniversary Edition version, bearing collector number 396, was produced by Wizards of the Coast in 2022 to commemorate three decades of the franchise. This commemorative run utilizes the original illustration by Christopher Rush, an iconic figure in the game's visual history whose work defined the aesthetic of the early sets. While this edition is a non-tournament-legal reproduction, it serves as a tactile tribute to the game's formative years and the distinctive art style that initially captured the imagination of early hobbyists.