Hideous End

Hideous End was originally released in the 2009 Zendikar expansion, designed as a flavor-rich removal spell that captured the dangerous, otherworldly nature of the plane. It was later reprinted as card number 52 in the 2016 Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis, a preconstructed product curated by Wizards of the Coast to highlight the long-standing animosity between the elven planeswalker Nissa Revane and the demonic Ob Nixilis. This specific deck iteration serves as a narrative vehicle, pitting Nissa’s connection to the land against the destructive, dark-aligned powers of Nixilis.

The artwork for this version, illustrated by Aleksi Briclot, emphasizes the visceral, shadow-based magic associated with Ob Nixilis. Briclot, a prolific contributor to the Magic: The Gathering aesthetic, utilized high-contrast lighting and sweeping motion to convey a sense of swift, unavoidable doom. Within the context of the Duel Decks, the card functions as a thematic tool for the Ob Nixilis deck, providing both essential tactical removal and an evocative visual representation of the character's ruthless personality.