Rishadan Cutpurse

Rishadan Cutpurse was originally printed in the 1999 expansion Mercadian Masques, a set defined by its focus on mercantilism, political intrigue, and the bustling, corrupt port city of Rishada. Designed as a creature with a tax-based ability, the card reflects the set's central mechanic of forcing players to pay additional mana for their spells, effectively slowing the game down and punishing those without excess resources.

The card’s illustration was created by artist Daren Bader, whose work throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s helped define the aesthetic of the Mercadian Masques block. Bader captured the opportunistic nature of a street thief, using shadow and dynamic posing to emphasize the cutpurse’s role as an urban nuisance. The card remains a staple of 'Rishadan' creature design, recognized by players for its classic synergy within disruption-focused deck archetypes.