Rockslide Ambush

Rockslide Ambush was released in 1999 as part of the Portal Three Kingdoms expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set was specifically designed to introduce the game to new players in the Asian market, drawing heavy inspiration from the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The set utilized simplified rules and focused on flavor-rich, top-down designs that reflected the tactical themes and legendary figures of the historical period.

The card was illustrated by Qu Feng, whose work for this set captured the dramatic, sweeping aesthetic common to the era's promotional materials. The design of the card mechanically represents a strategic counter-maneuver, fitting the tactical warfare theme of the Three Kingdoms lore. While the set was initially distributed in limited regions, it eventually gained significant interest from international collectors due to its unique historical framing and the relative scarcity of its print run compared to standard core sets.