Tomb Robber

Tomb Robber was originally released in the 2018 Magic: The Gathering set Rivals of Ixalan. It was designed as a rare black creature centered on the set's exploration theme, reflecting the archetypal fantasy trope of mercenaries delving into ancient ruins for treasure. Mechanically, the card was intended to provide card selection and resource management through its ability to discard cards in exchange for creating Treasure tokens, a keyword mechanic that debuted in the Ixalan block to represent the plunder discovered by seafaring factions.

The card’s illustration was provided by artist Xi Zhang, who captured the character in a moment of frantic discovery. The visual style aligns with the high-adventure, Mesoamerican-inspired aesthetic of the Ixalan plane. While it saw limited competitive play upon its release, it became a notable inclusion in 'The List,' a curated collection of reprints periodically inserted into Set Boosters, which served to reintroduce the card to a new generation of players and highlight the flavor of the Rivals of Ixalan expansion.