Riding Red Hare

Riding Red Hare was released in 1999 as part of the Portal Three Kingdoms expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set was uniquely designed to introduce the game to the Asian market by centering its narrative and artistic direction on the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The set was initially distributed with limited availability, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, which has led to its status as a sought-after rarity among global collectors.

The card’s illustration depicts the legendary steed Red Hare, famously associated with the warrior Lü Bu. The design team focused on incorporating mechanics that reflected the tactical themes of the Three Kingdoms era, utilizing the 'horsemanship' keyword to represent the mobility and dominance of cavalry on the battlefield. Because the set was intended as an introductory product, the art style shifted toward a more narrative, illustrative tone compared to the high-fantasy aesthetic standard in earlier expansions.