Spitting Image

Spitting Image was released as part of the Commander 2016 expansion, a set designed to expand the multiplayer Commander format through the introduction of four-color legendary creatures and thematic synergies. The card is a sorcery that functions as a clone effect, specifically allowing a player to put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of a target creature, with the added benefit of being able to retrace the spell from the graveyard by discarding a land card. It emerged during a period where Wizards of the Coast was heavily refining the utility of the graveyard as a resource in casual play.

The card’s illustration was crafted by artist Nils Hamm, whose work often utilizes a distinct, painterly aesthetic that leans into the surreal and organic. Hamm designed the visual to evoke the unsettling act of biological duplication, aligning with the mechanics of the card to create a sense of morphing, multi-limbed mimicry. Within the community, the card is recognized for its versatility and sustained value in decks that benefit from recurring spell effects, rather than for a singular narrative history.