Magi-Nation Art: Folder, compilations, artist website

Here's a list of where you can find various collections of official art, sketches, and pieces from the game.  We cannot guarantee the links work for these, as they are private accounts, but we hope they last as long as possible.  We also included below all the official artist's pages, both archived and current!  Compiled with assistance from the community, and u/Zucriyamsuna

Magi-Nation Duel Image Compilations: 

Foghammer's dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zq0tf56dkb03b66/AACLXUK5Vf1E5YI9XjqfJCmHa?dl=0 

You can also find more neat images in ROMzombie's albums below. (Click both album links; the Picasa link no longer works.) https://old.reddit.com/r/MagiNation/comments/3fs0g8/awesome_picasa_web_albums/ 

Album 1

Album 2

 Calendars at Blue Furok: http://www.bluefurok.com/calendar_index.html 

 Wallpapers in the archives of the original website: https://web.archive.org/web/20030207024045/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/downloads.html 

 

Artist's Pages: 

Official artists for Magi-Nation duel included Matt Holmberg, Rich Werner, Mike Vega, Mike Christopher, Chana Goodman, Ryan Shreve, and even Allison Strom (Whyrl)

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Matt Holmberg

Old Tumblr: https://ajninart.tumblr.com/ 

New Tumblr:https://orwin-dm.tumblr.com/ 

Old DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/ajnin 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/0rwin/?hl=en

Old art website: http://www.ghostcircles.com/matt/category/mnd/

MN Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20040304070835/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/Artists/matt/

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Rich Werner

Rich has various custom and different MND pieces here, and will even do Magi-Nation commissions! https://www.richwerner.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richwerner_is_stoops/   

MN Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20040304070213/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/Artists/rich/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rich_werner

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Chana Goodman

http://www.chanagoodman.com/ 

MN Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20050205001017/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/Artists/chana/ 

Website: https://www.behance.net/ameth14307/

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Mike Christopher

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/341072/dathkadan 

Archive (nothing interesting is available anymore): https://web.archive.org/web/20110201210414/http://dathka.com/

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Mike Vega

Old art website: http://www.ghostcircles.com/mike/

Websites (NSFW! content not suitable for children are included on some of these sites) 

https://twitter.com/miupix 

https://www.deviantart.com/cookingpeach  

https://cookingpeach.tumblr.com/ 

https://askjamstuff.tumblr.com/ 

https://paperamp.livejournal.com/

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Ryan Shreve 

MN Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20040304070526/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/Artists/ryan/

Web archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20110715220108/http://www.ryanshreve.com/  

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Tim Gillette

https://www.artstation.com/tgilletteart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgilletteart/ 

MN Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20040304070835/http://www.magi-nation.com/Moonlands/Artists/tim/

Other Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20150524015544/https://tgilletteart.blogspot.com/ 

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Allison Strom

https://alliebirdseed.tumblr.com/ 

http://alliestrom.squarespace.com/

https://twitter.com/clearbluenel 

https://www.instagram.com/alliebirdseed/?hl=en

https://www.deviantart.com/shirotsuki/gallery 

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Jerry Lim 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjL-td4vPv82ypzM5K3BDRw

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The Slow March Towards Phyrexia

With the recent storylines tying up loose ends, and old villains Eldrazi and Nicol Bolas being defeated or 'handled', there have been whispers and hints at the more pernicious villain, the Phyrexians, is rising once more.  

We knew that New Phyrexia rose and took over Mirrodin from Karn's folly, spreading from Xantcha's heartstone, and corrupting the entire plane through Memnarch's actions (formerly the Mirari). In that battle of New Phyrexia, Venser gave his life to save Karn through Melira's ability to cure Phyrexian corruption, and Elspeth was forced to flee by Koth.  

The last we heard, Elspeth (who was born on a Phyrexian corrupted plane) was killed, but has escaped the Theros Underworld, while Karn is seeking tools and allies to stop the potential spread. The Gatewatch is scattered after the loss of Gideon, and Liliana and Nissa's departures, and the War of the Spark.  The current Gatewatch may only comprise of Jace, Chandra, Ajani, Teferi, and Kaya, with support from planeswalkers who they worked with, such as Arlinn, Kiora, Saheeli, Huatli, Niko, Sorin, Ugin, Karn, or Tyvar.  Tamiyo, as we will cover below, is lost...

During Dominaria (~2 years ago in story): 

The Gatewatch was still gathering planeswalkers to fight Bolas, and Karn was met on Dominaria, seeking the Golgothian Sylex.  He retrieved it, and took it with him, hoping to use it against Phyrexia's growing threat.   

 

War of the Spark (~1.5 years ago in story): 

The beacon and the war brought many planeswalkers together.  Many met the Gatewatch, and saw Gideon's sacrifice. The list above includes some that may be interested in working with the Gatewatch again in the future.  They have met, and several are actively speaking about the potential threat to the multiverse of Phyrexia.

Kaldheim (0.5 years ago to Present): 

A mysterious, interplanar contact hired Kaya to stop and kill Vorinclex, green praetor, on Kaldheim.  While she was met with help on the plane, she was in the end unsuccessful in stopping his efforts or killing him.  We do not know who was the hiring agent, but it must be someone with knowledge of what the Phyrexians are up to, and with access to multiple planes.  The Phyrexians are working with Tezzeret currently, who has within him the Planar Bridge, an artifact made on Kaladesh that can transport non-living material between worlds.  His discomfort at seeing planeswalkers turned to aid Phyrexia unquestioningly has led us to suspect he may be the one hiring Kaya.  

Vorinclex's plan on Kaldheim, beyond spreading the Phyrexian gift to the realms of Kaldheim and potentially corrupting Tibalt, was to steal a sample of Tyrite.  Tyrite on Kaldheim is made from the sap of the world tree, and grants the Gods of Kaldheim their godhood, powers, and immortality.  Vorinclex not only retrieved a sample and left the plane, but he also managed to start corrupting Esika, God of the Tree.  

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow (Present): 

While no Phyrexians were found or discovered during the recent events on Innistrad, Teferi questioned Arlinn Kord after their success in restoring daylight.  He specifically asked if she heard of the Phyrexians on Innistrad, or oil, or metallic flesh, to let the Gatewatch know.  He let her know to be ready, too - for what may come.  

Kamigawa: The Neon Dynasty (Present): 

Kaito Shizuka, a native planeswalker of Kamigawa, discovered the reality chip and met Tamiyo, in efforts to aid the Wandering Emperor, and stabilize her planeswalking.  However, in this effort, they encountered Jin-Gitaxias, blue praetor of Phyrexia.  Tezzeret assisted Jin-Gitaxias, and in the end, managed to manipulate the Reality Chip and kidnap Tamiyo to New Phyrexia, where Jin-Gitaxias compleated (phyrexian-ized) her, creating the first Phyrexian Planeswalker.  At this point in the background, we see Tezzeret scowling at Tamiyo, and she wonders if he is a threat to Phyrexia.  He does not seem fully thrilled at seeing a planeswalker becoming compleated.  

 

Soon...

Next we head to the streets of New Capenna, where we may encounter more compleating, or not.  Summer 2022 brings another Dominaria expansion, and 2023 is still shrouded in mystery! 

Update: The Slow March - Part 2 - to Phyrexia!

 

Magi-Nation Taco Cards!

compiled with help from u/ZucriyAmsuna

Some of the fun and possibly great things about Magi-Nation Duel were the silly references and Easter eggs hidden in the game and cards.  Something the artists started doing secretly was hiding images of tacos in the card art, and so, we continue to record our history of the game - please join us for the catalog of all tacos in Magi-Nation Duel!

But wait... why tacos?  Well, it seems the artists really loved tacos.  Particularly Matt Holmberg!

Mohani

This d'Resh Magi has a distinctly taco shape behind her.  It's likely the planet their moon orbits, but it could be a taco!  (Other fun reference, Mohani's name might be a reference to the Seattle Museum: Museum of History and Industry, aka MOHAI).  

 

 

Desiccate

Check out this dry magi's left shoulder! Another taco!

Blizzard Core

Matt Holmberg is the actual artist, despite credits of a blank card to show a true blizzard! The 'artists' credited here were not actual 2i artists at all, but rather other 2i staff, primarily Organized Play managers (Steve McLaughlin, Mike Liesik, and Jimmer Sivertsen)!  A story mentioned from a fan, u/Frisbey while visiting 2i's offices: "Matt pulled up the PSD file for Blizzard Core, and he proved to us that there was indeed a drawing of a taco in the under layers", as seen here: 

 Tacodor the Burninator

Matt Holmberg had posted this photo in 2012 of a sketch on an actual Blizzard Core card. Mike Welling, a well-known MND player, had named it Tacodor...the Burninator! (Referencing Homestar Runner!)

Scarletsong Banner

On this never-paper released card from Traitor's Reach, the top of the pole for Mijji is a taco!  Guess they're important on Paradwyn flags!

 

Have you found any secret Easter eggs tacos that we may have missed?  Or anything that might be a suspicion of a taco?  Let us know in the comments!  The community loves to find new Easter eggs!

Update, March 2022: We found some more.  Check out the second article!  https://changevoyage.blogspot.com/2022/02/magi-nation-taco-cards.html

Ravnica Ascending: An Allegiance of Guilds readying for War

 The third Ravnica 'block' returned for three sets, to conclude the final battle with Nicol Bolas, taking place as the War of the Spark, on the plane of Ravnica.  This article encompassed the sets Guilds of Ravnica, Ravnica Allegiance, and War of the Spark, to form a pseudo-block, showcasing this story across three sets of Magic.  

The stories of this block were muddled, released in confusing order, and culminated in a novel which received heavy criticism.  

We have published the emailed stories of The Gathering Storm, by Django Wexler, which kick off the main story.  

The Gathering Storm, by Django Wexler  

The opening main story for the War of the Spark

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

Guild of Ravnica Trailer:

Guild of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance Side Stories:

These stories were short tales of the lives of various characters living their lives in Ravnica.  They often interact with the guilds, and represent different perspectives than those characters facing the highest challenges with the world and plane.   This all occurs simultaneously or before the Gathering Storm. 

Guilds of Ravnica:

1. Under the Cover of Fog

2. Testing the Dark Waters

3. Clans and Legions  

4. Death's Precious Moments

5. Bound and Bonded 

Ravnica Allegiance: 

1. The Illusion of Child's Play

2. Rage of the Unsung 

3. The Principles of Unnatural Selection 

4. The Ledgers of Hidden Fortunes 

5. The Ascension of Reza 

Ravnica Allegiance Trailer: 

War of the Spark Synopsis:

 With the stage set from The Gathering Storm, the plot for the main war mainly took place in the War of the Spark novel. The novel showed how the planar beacon was turned on and drew hundreds of planeswalkers to the plane.  The plan involved multiple portions: Tezzeret used the planar bridge to transport the Lazotep zombie army to Ravnica to kill planeswalkers, with Liliana controlling them as Zombies.  Dovin Baan maintained the Immortal Sun artifact taken from Ixalan, which prevents planeswalkers from leaving the world.  Domri Rade was tasked with disrupting the guilds, something he desired anyway through the Gruul Clan. Nicol Bolas had also found "The Elder Spell" on Dominaria, which could harvest a planeswalker's spark,  the goal was to gain as many planeswalker sparks as possible, and re-ascend with enough power of an old-walker, godlike in power.  

The walkers and guilds of Ravnica joined together with the Gatewatch to subdue each of the elements, from Beacon, to Sun, to Bridge.  Then they found that Liliana could not bear that she had betrayed the Gatewatch, and sent the zombie army after Bolas himself.  Breaking her contract meant her death, but Gideon stood with her and absorbed her contract energy, dying in her place.  Meanwhile, a plan by Ugin (possibly using the powers of Ashiok and Narset), found the Meditation Realm plane, and once Nicol Bolas' spark was removed, Ugin transported both body and spark to the Meditation Realm,  erasing Bolas' memory, trapping him there indefinitely, thus ending the War of the Spark. 

War of the Spark Trailer:

 

There is also an aftermath novel: War of the Spark: Forsaken.  However, much of the book's content has been retconned, and the book was terribly received.  Wizards even put out a statement about a character's portrayal, apologizing.  This caused even this author to stop reading Magic lore for some time.  

Finally, there are side stories from the character, Rat, in War of the Spark, that weave through the first novel.  

War of the Spark Side Stories: 

1. Old Friends and New

2. The Path to Opulent 

3. Rallying the Reluctant

4. Desperate Operatives

5. Operation Desperation 

 As this was a low point in Magic story, not for amount of content, but for quality, we may have missed some things.  Let us know in the comments what might be missing.