I was compiling a list the other day of artists with one hundred or more artworks, and I thought of the Magic Online Community Cup, with its flavorful challenge Ironroot Chef. Wondering if they would change it up, I tried to formulate something more art-focused instead of flavor-driven. Commander decks and even Duel Decks have used tribal themes, but decks only with artists often struggle to be built due to the lack of land commissions.

I saw an opportunity to showcase artists who have been dynamite in changing their style, showcasing their reliability, and also to create a Magic format based on their staying power. Flavorful decks often are below the power level of decks that don’t have a theme, but say we remove streamlined Spike decks. Instead of making an unequal format, how can a format have powerful, memorable moments while still keeping that flavor? Focus on the artist as the central tenet, and zoom out.

I bring you Artist Sealed, a new format.

To start, we choose from a list of fifty-two artists to build a Sealed Deck pool from the cards they were commissioned to make artworks for in the physical Magic game. By having artists with over one hundred artworks, it mirrors a sealed deck format with ninety cards. The extra cards allow for a slightly more powerful deck—and a heckuva fun time looking at artworks you may have missed on promo cards and reprinted card arts you may have missed in, for example, Seventh Edition.

To make it to a hundred art commissions, you need serious talent and an incredible ability to adapt. With every year, there’s a new setting with a unique look and feel—from Lorwyn being bright and painterly to New Phyrexia being cold, sterile, and digital-looking—you have to find a way, as an artist, to endure. Hitting one hundred artworks takes years of consistent work and is a testament to truly great artists—compared to just good.

Format Rules

• Deck lists must be constructed from one artist who has created one hundred or more artworks for the physical Magic: The Gathering game. The reason is that no card technically exists for Magic Online cards like Vintage Masters. Also, this is a recognition format of an artist’s diligent work in Magic over years of the game, with changing styles, color palettes, and adaptability. In short, you need to take the space of an incredible artist to become a staple artist of Magic.
• Decks must have a minimum of forty cards but can go over forty cards.
• Basic lands need not be created by the artist. All basic lands are artist-independent to make the format accessible.
• Artists who made multiple artworks of the same card can include both versions. Terese Nielsen painted two versions of Eternal Witness, and either or both can be included.
• Sideboards are unlimited to the number of cards in the pool.
• Matches play the standard three games with sideboarding between games.
• You must choose an artist with at least one artworks credited to his or her name. Joint cards, such as Suppress by Terese Nielsen and Tom Baxa, can be used in either deck. They count as both.
• Tim Hildebrandt is included with his brother Greg. On an individual art-by-art basis, provenance isn’t readily available for a format to learn which pieces are Greg’s, Tim’s, Greg and Tim’s, or one Greg signed as both of them but Tim didn’t touch them. So, both are being included, just like Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai. As explained on their Spiderweb Art Gallery on the art page of Shuko, the brothers’ number of artworks kind of vary:

The Hildebrandt brothers were, and indeed are, revolutionary artists. I’ll write more on them soon. Their talent and hard work demands a full article from me and not just a blurb. Hold me to that!

• There are fifty-two artists who have over one hundred artworks. This list will slowly grow, as a few artists are into the nineties for numbers of commissions. This also allows for a tournament of forty-eight people, with six pods of eight. Clearly, someone having Kev Walker will be at an advantage—if he’s included in a formal tournament at all!

This is the beginning. The format is in its infancy, but I will dedicate myself to building these decks, at least proxied to play in a tournament or two with an art prize!

Ban List

• All ante cards are banned from the format. They don’t add to the flavor and prevent future games making sense, as adding an artwork from another artist makes no sense in the format.
• Vanguard cards are banned in the standard format but can be used in the same manner as included cards.
• All artist-matters cards in Unhinged are bans due to their immediate format-warping ability

Tips

• Like the drafting Cube format, know that any Equipment from Loxodon Warhammer to Umezawa's Jitte is incredibly effective at winning games.
• Many artists who had numerous cards before the year 2,000 have silver-bullet cards like efficient creatures with a landwalk or a protection ability. Game 2s can swing very quickly with evasive creatures.
• Tim-like creatures, those who can tap for 1 damage on a repeatable mechanic, are incredibly powerful with creatures like Lotus Cobra, Birds of Paradise, and Noble Hierarch bending the format.
• Mana-fixing is at a serious premium. Four-color decks are oddly difficult to create.

To test out the new format, I went through piles of commons and uncommons and went through a good twenty pages worth of printed proxies. With the help of a friend, we came across two artists who might make an interesting duel:

Terese Nielsen vs. Daarken (Mike Lim)

via layerpaint.com	via graphicpolicy.com

Both of these artists are incredibly hard-working artists, they are on social media, and they’re some of the friendliest people I’ve met. Let’s dive into a head-to-head duel!

Daarken?s List of Illustrated Cards

• Creatures (56)
• 1 Archfiend of Depravity
• 1 Archwing Dragon
• 1 Ashmouth Hound
• 1 Bala Ged Scorpion
• 1 Barony Vampire
• 1 Blistergrub
• 1 Bloodghast
• 1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
• 1 Blur Sliver
• 1 Bog Tatters
• 1 Bog Wraith
• 1 Briarpack Alpha
• 1 Corrosive Mentor
• 1 Dark Revenant
• 1 Dementia Bat
• 1 Disciple of Deceit
• 1 Dragon's Herald
• 1 Dread Warlock
• 1 Drudge Skeletons
• 1 Dutiful Thrull
• 1 Everflame Eidolon
• 1 Glacial Stalker
• 1 Harbor Serpent
• 1 Hellkite Hatchling
• 1 Kalonian Behemoth
• 1 Kragma Butcher
• 1 Kulrath Knight
• 1 Loch Korrigan
• 1 Manaplasm
• 1 Marshdrinker Giant
• 1 Midnight Banshee
• 1 Nessian Demolok
• 1 Nimana Sell-Sword
• 1 Pawn of Ulamog
• 1 Penumbra Wurm
• 1 Prescient Chimera
• 1 Preyseizer Dragon
• 1 Progenitor Mimic
• 1 Raving Dead
• 1 Scarland Thrinax
• 1 Scourge Servant
• 1 Shambling Attendants
• 1 Shipwreck Singer
• 1 Singe-Mind Ogre
• 1 Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers
• 1 Spawnwrithe
• 1 Spiked Baloth
• 1 Umbra Stalker
• 1 Vital Splicer
• 1 Voiceless Spirit
• 1 Ethersworn Shieldmage
• 1 Soul of New Phyrexia
• 1 Keranos, God of Storms
• 1 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
• 1 Kruphix, God of Horizons
• 1 Triad of Fates

• Planeswalkers (3)
• 1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
• 1 Sarkhan Vol
• 1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

• Spells (53)
• 1 Crypsis
• 1 Fiery Fall
• 1 Nature's Claim
• 1 Needlebite Trap
• 1 Offering to Asha
• 1 Reach of Shadows
• 1 Renounce the Guilds
• 1 Riddle of Lightning
• 1 Ride Down
• 1 Steel Sabotage
• 1 Trapmaker's Snare
• 1 Vanishment
• 1 Bitter Ordeal
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Clan Defiance
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Desecrated Earth
• 1 Essence Feed
• 1 Essence Harvest
• 1 Feral Contest
• 1 Hidden Strings
• 1 Infernal Plunge
• 1 Into the Void
• 1 Mind Grind
• 1 Portent of Betrayal
• 1 Postmortem Lunge
• 1 Praetor's Counsel
• 1 Rakdos's Return
• 1 Spore Burst
• 1 Stronghold Discipline
• 1 Traitorous Instinct
• 1 Tyrant's Choice
• 1 Arrest
• 1 Asceticism
• 1 Bridge from Below
• 1 Call to the Grave
• 1 Crescendo of War
• 1 Curse of the Nightly Hunt
• 1 Dictate of Kruphix
• 1 Druids' Repository
• 1 Ethereal Armor
• 1 Font of Return
• 1 Form of the Dragon
• 1 Grave Peril
• 1 One Thousand Lashes
• 1 Outpost Siege
• 1 Secret Plans
• 1 Suicidal Charge
• 1 Altar of the Lost
• 1 Birthing Pod
• 1 Contagion Engine
• 1 Dragon Throne of Tarkir
• 1 Echo Circlet

• Lands (3)
• 1 Badlands
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Fetid Heath

Buy This Deck

Terese Nielsen?s List of Illustrated Cards

• Creatures (79)
• 1 Aku Djinn
• 1 Angel of Jubilation
• 1 Arc Mage
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Blessed Orator
• 1 Bogardan Firefiend
• 1 Catapult Master
• 1 Conclave Equenaut
• 1 Deeptread Merrow
• 1 Dryad Militant
• 1 Elder of Laurels
• 1 Elvish Ranger
• 1 Elvish Ranger
• 1 Enslaved Dwarf
• 1 Essence of the Wild
• 1 Essence Warden
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Ethereal Champion
• 1 Gaea's Skyfolk
• 1 Grotesque Hybrid
• 1 Guiding Spirit
• 1 Imagecrafter
• 1 Immerwolf
• 1 Infested Roothold
• 1 Ivy Dancer
• 1 Ixidron
• 1 Jukai Messenger
• 1 Kavu Monarch
• 1 Keening Apparition
• 1 Keeper of the Flame
• 1 Kindercatch
• 1 King Cheetah
• 1 Kird Ape
• 1 Lotus Cobra
• 1 Loxodon Punisher
• 1 Luminous Guardian
• 1 Magus of the Candelabra
• 1 Master Apothecary
• 1 Mistral Charger
• 1 Moon Sprite
• 1 Mundungu
• 1 Nimble Mongoose
• 1 Nyx-Fleece Ram
• 1 Obstinate Familiar
• 1 Raging Cougar
• 1 Revenant
• 1 Rushwood Herbalist
• 1 Samite Elder
• 1 Saprazzan Heir
• 1 Scalding Salamander
• 1 Shinewend
• 1 Silvercoat Lion
• 1 Spiritual Guardian
• 1 Stalking Tiger
• 1 Stronghold Biologist
• 1 Stronghold Machinist
• 1 Sturmgeist
• 1 Surveilling Sprite
• 1 Tangle Spider
• 1 Timber Protector
• 1 Troubled Healer
• 1 Unstable Shapeshifter
• 1 Venerable Monk
• 1 Victual Sliver
• 1 Voidstone Gargoyle
• 1 Voracious Cobra
• 1 Wall of Nets
• 1 Wild Dogs
• 1 Yavimaya Enchantress
• 1 Zombie Mob
• 1 Clockwork Steed
• 1 Frogmite
• 1 Stocking Tiger
• 1 Basandra, Battle Seraph
• 1 Ertai, Wizard Adept
• 1 Hanna, Ship's Navigator
• 1 Sydri, Galvanic Genius
• 1 Thromok the Insatiable

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Garruk Wildspeaker
• 1 Liliana Vess

• Spells (93)
• 1 Delirium
• 1 Dismember
• 1 Divine Offering
• 1 Energy Arc
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Giant Growth
• 1 Heroes' Reunion
• 1 Honor the Fallen
• 1 Hunter's Insight
• 1 Jilt
• 1 Kodama's Might
• 1 Lull
• 1 Ovinize
• 1 Provoke
• 1 Ray of Dissolution
• 1 Repel
• 1 Sonic Seizure
• 1 Spell Burst
• 1 Stun
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Team Spirit
• 1 Visions of Beyond
• 1 Faerie Trickery
• 1 Barrin's Spite
• 1 Blast of Genius
• 1 Call of the Conclave
• 1 Call to Mind
• 1 Chill of Foreboding
• 1 Despise
• 1 Disorder
• 1 Enter the Infinite
• 1 Foresight
• 1 Head Games
• 1 Lay Waste
• 1 Life from the Loam
• 1 Mana Severance
• 1 Natural Order
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Nature's Spiral
• 1 Once More with Feeling
• 1 Organ Harvest
• 1 Plea for Guidance
• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Sealed Fate
• 1 Shattered Perception
• 1 Stream of Life
• 1 Suppress
• 1 Undo
• 1 Unnerve
• 1 Boon Reflection
• 1 Brainwash
• 1 Charisma
• 1 Choke
• 1 Circle of Protection: Artifacts
• 1 Curse of Misfortunes
• 1 Death's Approach
• 1 Delusions of Mediocrity
• 1 Descendants' Path
• 1 Dictate of Heliod
• 1 Diplomatic Immunity
• 1 Excavation
• 1 Full Moon's Rise
• 1 Glorious Anthem
• 1 Heart of Bogardan
• 1 Heroic Defiance
• 1 Hidden Retreat
• 1 Holy Strength
• 1 Infernal Tribute
• 1 Intimidation
• 1 Ley Line
• 1 Lifelink
• 1 Mana Reflection
• 1 Mourning
• 1 Penance
• 1 Pollenbright Wings
• 1 Rage Reflection
• 1 Rest in Peace
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Sacred Ground
• 1 Serra's Embrace
• 1 Sinister Strength
• 1 Thought Reflection
• 1 Unholy Strength
• 1 War Dance
• 1 Wound Reflection
• 1 Darksteel Pendant
• 1 Loxodon Warhammer
• 1 Moonglove Extract
• 1 Silverskin Armor
• 1 Static Orb
• 1 Wooden Sphere
• 1 Legacy Weapon

• Lands (10)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Island
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Bad River
• 1 Mercadian Bazaar
• 1 Secluded Glen
• 1 Springjack Pasture
• 1 Pillar Tombs of Aku

Buy This Deck

Deck 1: G/U Terese Nielsen

Eternal Witness, Rhystic Study, and Force of Will form a shell for an incredible deck. The rest felt like filler after those three. It isn’t a perfect build, but there’s definitely a deck there!

G/U Terese Nielsen ? Artist Sealed | Mike Linnemann

• Creatures (13)
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Dryad Militant
• 1 Elder of Laurels
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Gaea's Skyfolk
• 1 Kindercatch
• 1 Lotus Cobra
• 1 Nimble Mongoose
• 1 Stalking Tiger
• 1 Surveilling Sprite
• 1 Timber Protector
• 1 Ertai, Wizard Adept

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Garruk Wildspeaker

• Spells (9)
• 1 Dismember
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Spell Burst
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Undo
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Loxodon Warhammer

• Lands (17)
• 7 Island
• 9 Forest
• 1 Springjack Pasture

• Sideboard (12)
• 1 Choke
• 1 Deeptread Merrow
• 1 Essence of the Wild
• 1 Faerie Trickery
• 1 Ivy Dancer
• 1 Jukai Messenger
• 1 Moon Sprite
• 1 Natural Order
• 1 Nature's Spiral
• 1 Ovinize
• 1 Repel
• 1 Unstable Shapeshifter

Buy This Deck

Deck 1: Mono-Black Daarken

Daarken has received a ton of really powerful black cards. Demonic Tutor, Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath, and Bala Ged Scorpion seem to form a strong, curved-out plan.

Mono-Black Daarken ? Aritst Sealed | Mike Linnemann

• Creatures (18)
• 1 Archfiend of Depravity
• 1 Bala Ged Scorpion
• 1 Barony Vampire
• 1 Blistergrub
• 1 Bloodghast
• 1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
• 1 Bog Wraith
• 1 Corrosive Mentor
• 1 Dread Warlock
• 1 Drudge Skeletons
• 1 Kulrath Knight
• 1 Midnight Banshee
• 1 Nimana Sell-Sword
• 1 Pawn of Ulamog
• 1 Raving Dead
• 1 Shambling Attendants
• 1 Soul of New Phyrexia
• 1 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath

• Spells (4)
• 1 Reach of Shadows
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Grave Peril
• 1 Birthing Pod

• Lands (17)
• 17 Swamp

• Sideboard (6)
• 1 Bog Tatters
• 1 Contagion Engine
• 1 Desecrated Earth
• 1 Font of Return
• 1 Stronghold Discipline
• 1 Tyrant's Choice

Buy This Deck

Deck 2: R/G Daarken

Looking closely at the card list, another deck seemed viable! With two Planeswalkers and the addition of a possible sacrifice/devour/Birthing Pod shell, I see some semblance of an engine.

R/G Daarken ? Artist Sealed | Mike Linnemann

• Creatures (15)
• 1 Ashmouth Hound
• 1 Blur Sliver
• 1 Briarpack Alpha
• 1 Everflame Eidolon
• 1 Hellkite Hatchling
• 1 Kalonian Behemoth
• 1 Kragma Butcher
• 1 Marshdrinker Giant
• 1 Nessian Demolok
• 1 Preyseizer Dragon
• 1 Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers
• 1 Spawnwrithe
• 1 Spiked Baloth
• 1 Vital Splicer
• 1 Soul of New Phyrexia

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 1 Sarkhan Vol
• 1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

• Spells (5)
• 1 Fiery Fall
• 1 Riddle of Lightning
• 1 Clan Defiance
• 1 Portent of Betrayal
• 1 Birthing Pod

• Lands (17)
• 8 Forest
• 9 Mountain

• Sideboard (14)
• 1 Archwing Dragon
• 1 Asceticism
• 1 Blasphemous Act
• 1 Curse of the Nightly Hunt
• 1 Dragon's Herald
• 1 Druids' Repository
• 1 Feral Contest
• 1 Form of the Dragon
• 1 Infernal Plunge
• 1 Manaplasm
• 1 Nature's Claim
• 1 Outpost Siege
• 1 Spore Burst
• 1 Traitorous Instinct

Buy This Deck

So, this sums up both decks against Terese’s G/U deck. It turns out that Rhystic Study or recurring land-fetch spells allows for nearly every game hitting Loxodon Warhammer for a cheap, flyover win. It was absurd how efficiency and basically an extra fifty cards worth of commissions utterly changes a deck.

Every Game 2 had a pretty strong return, as 1-drops were instantly killed upon arrival. Planeswalkers really are nearly unstoppable in the format.

We had a heckuva fun time playing these decks. I hope the Community Cup considers an artist-focused format because it provided a pretty-easily-built Sealed pool with very difficult deck-building choices. Any professional would have a Johnny-fueled field day sitting in a Vorthosian format. I’d even be happy to judge if need be!

This is the beginning. I look forward to writing more on this format.

What do you think of an Artist Sealed deck? Build a deck out of Terese’s and Daarken’s—I’d love to see how you would’ve built the deck! Hit me up on Twitter (@VorthosMike) or in the comments below.

-Mike

P.S. Any tournament organizer looking for artists that’ll bring a crowd? Any of the one hundred-or-more-card-art artists are exactly the artists you want for a larger event!