Devil's Play

Devil's Play was originally released as part of the Innistrad set in 2011, later appearing in the 2012 Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt as collector number 72. The card was designed as a direct-damage sorcery featuring the flashback mechanic, which allows players to cast it a second time from the graveyard for a higher cost. This design reflects the Gothic horror aesthetic of the Innistrad plane, where the line between life and death is famously blurred.

The artwork for this version was created by illustrator Matt Stewart, who sought to capture the chaotic, impulsive nature of Tibalt, the set's titular planeswalker. Stewart's depiction emphasizes the jagged, fiery imagery associated with Tibalt's red-aligned magic. Upon its release, the card was received as a functional, scalable damage spell that found a home in various red-based control and burn decks, remaining a notable example of the graveyard-recursion themes central to the Duel Decks series.