Onyx Talisman

The Onyx Talisman was released in 1995 as part of the Ice Age expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Developed by Wizards of the Coast, the set was designed to introduce a colder, more desperate atmosphere to the game’s lore, focusing on a world trapped in a magical permafrost. The card was crafted to fit the set's mechanical emphasis on artifacts and graveyard interaction, providing players with a way to gain life whenever they cast spells of a specific color.

The illustration was provided by artist Quinton Hoover, a figure whose distinctive, fluid style became iconic during the early years of the game. Hoover sought to evoke an ancient, mystical aesthetic through the design of the talisman, utilizing his signature ink-work to suggest a dark, relic-like quality. Upon its release, the card was received as a functional utility piece within the set's broader artifact cycle, though it remains primarily valued today as a nostalgic representative of mid-nineties card design.