Price of Progress

Price of Progress was released in 1998 as part of the Exodus expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Developed by Wizards of the Coast, this set was notable for completing the Rath Cycle and introduced several mechanics that rewarded strategic deck building. The card itself functions as a red sorcery designed to punish decks utilizing non-basic lands, reflecting the set's aggressive mechanical focus on resource management and environmental volatility within the game's lore.

The card’s illustration was provided by artist Kev Walker, who was a frequent contributor to the game during this era. Walker’s aesthetic in the late 1990s often leaned into dark, gritty, and industrial themes, which perfectly complemented the Rath setting—a plane of existence being artificially overlaid onto the game’s primary setting of Dominaria. His design emphasizes the destructive, transformative nature of the spell, effectively communicating its role as a punishing tool against advanced land development.