Merciless Eternal

Merciless Eternal was released in 2017 as part of the Hour of Devastation expansion for Magic: The Gathering. The set depicts the cataclysmic arrival of the dragon planeswalker Nicol Bolas on the plane of Amonkhet, where he effectively destroys the society he had previously groomed. The card represents the corrupted, undead soldiers known as Eternals, who were once the plane's honored warriors but were transformed through a ritual to serve as Bolas's eternal army.

The card was illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez, who sought to capture the cold, mechanical aesthetic of the zombie soldiers. Designed as a creature with the 'afflict' ability, the card was intended to create a persistent threat on the battlefield, forcing opponents to choose between taking damage or blocking a creature that would ultimately deplete their resources. It received moderate attention in the limited format of the set as a reliable, aggressive mid-game threat.