Millstone

Millstone was originally introduced in the Antiquities expansion of Magic: The Gathering in 1994, reflecting the game's early focus on artifact-heavy themes and deck-depletion strategies. By the time it was reprinted for the Seventh Edition core set in 2001, the card had become a quintessential example of 'mill' strategy, where players aim to win by forcing an opponent to exhaust their library. The Seventh Edition version features new, evocative artwork by the artist Greg Staples, who transitioned the card from its original industrial aesthetic to a more ominous, gothic depiction of a grinding stone.

The design of the Seventh Edition set marked a notable visual shift for the game, utilizing a modernized card frame and distinct art direction intended to unify the aesthetic of the core set. Greg Staples' illustration for this iteration emphasizes the dark, mechanical power of the artifact, capturing a sense of slow, inevitable ruin. The card was well-received by players of the era as a reliable, if slow-moving, win condition that remained a staple in casual play and thematic artifact-focused decks.