Karma

Karma was released as part of the Revised Edition of Magic: The Gathering in 1994, serving as the third core set for the burgeoning trading card game. Originally debuting in the Alpha and Beta sets, this card was brought back to satisfy the growing demand from a rapidly expanding player base during the mid-nineties. It reflects the game's early design philosophy, which heavily utilized color-coded mechanics, in this case, rewarding white-aligned decks for punishing players who controlled black permanents.

The artwork for the Revised Edition iteration features the iconic minimalist aesthetic of early Magic. While much of the early card art was commissioned from a pool of freelance fantasy illustrators to establish the game's distinct high-fantasy identity, the illustration for Karma is noted for its literal interpretation of the card's effect. It was received as a niche utility card, often finding a place in sideboards as a specific countermeasure against black-themed decks during the era's competitive play.