Hex

Hex was released in 2005 as part of the Ravnica: City of Guilds expansion for Magic: The Gathering. As a rare sorcery, the card represents the destructive potential inherent to the Golgari Swarm, one of the ten guilds featured in the set. The set was designed to explore the urban environment of the plane of Ravnica, a world covered entirely by a singular, sprawling city, and Hex serves as a thematic demonstration of the efficient, cyclical recycling of life and death that defines the Golgari guild's philosophy.

The artwork was commissioned from Michael Sutfin, whose illustrations often lean into dark, atmospheric, and visceral themes. For Hex, Sutfin created a piece that emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the spell, depicting a multitude of targets being simultaneously overtaken by a shadowy, organic force. Upon release, the card gained interest from players for its high-impact board clearing ability, though its specific mana cost and timing restrictions meant it was utilized primarily in specialized control decks and casual formats rather than competitive tournament play.