Slobad, Iron Goblin

Slobad, Iron Goblin, released in 2023 as part of the Phyrexia: All Will Be One expansion, features the return of a legendary character from the original Mirrodin block. Created to highlight the tragic corruption of the plane of Mirrodin into New Phyrexia, this card depicts Slobad, a goblin artificer previously known for his immense ingenuity and connection to the soul of his world. The design focuses on his transformation into a Phyrexian entity, serving as both a mechanical tribute to his original card's artifact-centric identity and a narrative anchor for the set's overarching theme of compleation.

The card’s artwork was rendered by artist Mark Tedin, a veteran illustrator whose history with the Magic: The Gathering franchise dates back to the game's inception. Tedin, known for his distinctively grotesque and biomechanical aesthetic, was a fitting choice to portray the descent of a classic character into the horrors of Phyrexia. The illustration captures the metallic, unnatural fusion of organic and inorganic elements central to the expansion's lore, and it was received by fans as a poignant, if unsettling, update to a character long absent from the game's evolving timeline.