Innocent Blood

Innocent Blood was originally released in the 2001 Odyssey expansion, capturing the dark, sacrificial aesthetic of the set's narrative involving the Cabal. The version featured in the 2016 Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis serves as a functional reprint, chosen to balance the deck's mechanics by forcing both players to sacrifice a creature, which thematically mirrors the destructive power struggle between the planeswalkers Nissa Revane and Ob Nixilis.

The artwork by Carl Critchlow emphasizes the grim, visceral nature of the spell through stark imagery that has become a staple of Magic: The Gathering's visual identity. Critchlow, a long-time contributor to the game, utilized a style that highlights the high-stakes, ruthless environment of the battle, consistent with the thematic tension of the Duel Decks series that pits two powerful characters against one another in a focused gameplay experience.