Zealot il-Vec

Zealot il-Vec was released in 2006 as part of the Time Spiral expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. The set was designed to explore the history of the game, featuring mechanics that referenced older cards and returning creature types that had been absent from the modern era. The Vec were a nomadic culture from the Rath plane, originally introduced during the Tempest block, and their inclusion in Time Spiral served as a nostalgic nod to long-time players familiar with the game's mid-nineties lore.

The card was illustrated by Greg Staples, who contributed extensively to the franchise during this period. Staples utilized a dark, atmospheric painterly style to capture the intense, fanatical nature of the il-Vec warriors. The design aimed to convey the character's swift, aggressive combat role, utilizing the shadow ability to represent the shifting, ethereal nature of the Vec as they moved through the rifts in time that served as the primary narrative focus of the set.