Aesthetics of Annihilation | Magic Cards That Bring The End

[@RhysticStudies]

shoutout to all the Coheed fans in the comments here. I've been following the band since I was in middle school (almost 20 years now), been to a ton of shows, know all their songs on guitar, own all the comics, etc. Happy to see so many fellow COTF in the MTG space.

[@wrenfrances]

second stage turbine blade -> good apollo is such an unbelievable stretch of good music that any band should wish to emulate. was so happy to see coheed love in this video 🖤

[@PaulWostenberg]

Coheed is incredible. The beginning of your video took me by surprise. I've been a fan for 15+ years so I suppose you beat me out! Great video.

[@badger616]

OATF

[@TravelingTavern]

My Coheed story is almost identical to yours! It was a shock to see the YotBR album cover at the start of the video. Glad to learn you, too, are one among the fence.

[@alexdoran527]

Seen them live twice and even got to go to a meet and greet, got my copy of Good Apollo IV signed by them. So awesome seeing them used to illustrate the theme of this video.

[@Spice8Rack]

"After the bomb the apocalypse stopped looking so human." is the hardest bar imaginable in a Magic the Gathering video

[@monorayjak4377]

The Spicyboi has spoken!

[@astrid9920]

"Before the bomb, the apocalypse looked like this: [...] Of many headed beasts, and demons, and dragons. After the bomb, the apocalypse stopped looking so human. " Man that got me.

[@LineManRT71]

"There was a terribly ghastly silence. There was a terribly ghastly noise. There was a terribly ghastly silence." Douglas Adams

[@MM-lv7iy]

I know you can’t cover all board wipes ever printed, but shout out to Farewell, from Kamigawa; N.D. The brilliant white of a traditional wrath juxtaposed by a young girl blowing a dandelion is hauntingly beautiful, and is a standout piece for me.

[@vitorgodoy4804]

It makes me sad to know who is the artist of this masterpiece called Farewell.

[@mrfishfr]

@@vitorgodoy4804 You have the alt-art if you want to avoid the one paint by a despicable human being. ;)

[@KillerKlowns112]

@@mrfishfr You guys are crazy lol. This man likes something I don't so he's despicable. Only someone who hasn't seen evil can call something so stupid despicable.

[@KingBobXVI]

@@mrfishfr - Despicable is quite harsh, as far as I can tell from the events at that time, he didn't go into anything with malice. He was brought into it by people he trusted, and wasn't initially aware of the context or background of the organizers. He was tricked into supporting something shitty, however, refused to own up to that mistake and apologize. Imo, people are too quick to declare some kind of eternal and irredeemable judgement on people. Sometimes it's deserved, but in this case, if he were willing to own up to his mistake I think the community would (and should) be accepting of that.

[@riccardo1796]

@@vitorgodoy4804 you've got to be a special kind of idiot to discount McKinnon's entite career as an artist over a political disagreement...

[@christopherlundgren1700]

I remember when the Wizards website revealed the concept for the Planar Chaos set. A picture of the Kev Walker Wrath of God filled the screen, then slowly faded to reveal Damnation. It was a real “holy $&#” moment and explained the set perfectly.

[@silmourne]

These titles are always so good. You can tell Sam’s been at it for a while

[@wrenfrances]

I've been embittered by wotc and the amount of predatory product ramping they've been doing but this channel highlights every single thing I love about magic and art. I sincerely appreciate the work Sam does on these essays and am thankful for how they reinvigorate my love for these things when I'm feeling jaded.

[@christiankoll1528]

I feel you, but you can hardly blame wotc. It's cause they got bought by hasbro, which was only a matter of time in the capitalist model we find ourselves in. When you get too big, you get absorbed by something bigger.

[@mads_in_zero]

There's a Magic the Gathering manga, working as a period piece and slice of life story about characters buying cards and playing Magic through the years. The eras of Magic are put in the context of real world history by constantly bringing up whatever the latest apocolypse prediction is. Nostradamus or Y2K or 2012, or what have you, giving us the manga's title - _Destroy All Humankind, They Can't Be Regenerated._ And as an allusion to the board-wipe cards this sort of name evokes, the two main characters primarily play Mono Black and Mono White.

[@MomirViggwilv]

I was sad that there wasn't a moment in this video to look at Obliterate, especially the original printing from Invasion. Obliterate is a rare boardwipe that touches on an underexplored topic of eschatology: the *emotion* behind mass destruction. The depts of rage and grief and hopelessness that drives something to dedicate so much energy to such complete destruction. The character of Barrin is so small in that art, barely visible but for the small blue pinprick of his glowing staff. And it is the moment when Barrin feels the smallest too, the moment when his daughter Hannah has died, and when he has given up hope completely. The contrast between the smallness of Barrin and the enormity of his destructive spell highlights the intensity of his emotions: for a parent, the death of a child truly feels like the end of the world.

[@RiKSh4w]

There's also blue 'wraths' which weren't touched on like Hurkyll's Final Meditation.

[@Amouat2000]

don't forget the poor dog as well

[@MomirViggwilv]

@@Amouat2000 Unironically the worst flavortext in MtG

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

​​@@MomirViggwilv There’s a million terrible lines that read like reject MCU quips in Magic's history that I'd say are all worse, I think Obliterate just sticks out because the original flavor text from Invasion is so tragic in contrast to the extreme goof of the reprint.

[@danielemmanuel7829]

Remy doing a rap on Supreme Verdict and then a Studies video on Wraths can’t be a coincidence

[@jomiak994]

Same thing happened with Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, coincidence?

[@KingBobXVI]

@@jomiak994 - Well, in the case of Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, it made sense because the card was revealed shortly before the videos were made.

[@giacomofasulo3861]

It's not a coincidence

[@noejaun2540]

It was mandated by the Azorious

[@antivalidisme5669]

Damnation original artwork has always made me think of the first destruction of Tokyo in Akira. The thing is, I realize now almost 30 years later, I discovered this freaking unique game during my studies somewhere in Brittany, at the same time I watched that incredible movie for the first time during a festival, with the same people I was playing Magic or RPG with. I have every version of the card and they all still get me. "Black hole sun" like Chris Cornell would have sang. I also find Seb Mckinnon's approach on "Farewell" very unique and unsettling at the same time. Thank you, always a blast. And great Satie's like music at the end BTW.

[@TemplarOne]

One of my favorite arts is Seb McKinnon’s Damnation. Between that and the malevolent majesty of OG Elesh Norn art. But Seb captures this almost Bosch feel in his Damnation art and I cannot get enough of it, not to mention Seb’s signature style that I love.

[@lyanderthegreat663]

This community is so blessed to have a content creator as good as you in it.

[@xpendabull]

I always think of Black Hole Sun whenever I see Kev Walker’s Damnation. Like if such a things existed, that’s what it would look like.

[@Bluecho4]

"(Black Hole Sun! Black Hole Sun!) Won't you come?"

[@TaosoftheVoid]

​@@Bluecho4 "And wash away the rain"

[@kcrad1527]

The other side of the coin, protection cards like Safe Passage evoke an eminent air to them. I havent found a card that has the same encompassing presence as a beaten up copy of Safe Passage.

[@BatCaveOz]

Safe Passage prevents damage... not destroyed effects.

[@0xGRIDRUNR]

the serene background piano music contrasts incredibly well with the bombastic depictions of annihilation and I think thats my favorite detail of this video

[@kornrocket1]

Holy shit i didn't expect Rystic Studies to not only Name-drop Coheed but also dedicate a whole lead-in segment to it! Hell yea!

[@alext.1244]

i was also super hyped that he followed that up with references from Akira (manga AND movie) & then.... SUPER SMASH BROTHERS!?!?!

[@tehjamerz]

Coheed sucks and that part of the video was a complete waste of time, irrelevant to the video

[@RealBenda]

Combining visual arts, poetry, philosophy, game history and mechanics knowledge... this truly is a gesamtkunstwerk.

[@coyoten8897]

i really love how you touched on Fade from History, its such a perfect illustration of what comes long after the life-cleansing wave: life springs anew

[@sanitarymailbox-8023]

Having spent the entirety of my time being 8-12 years old being obsessed with two things; coheed and Cambria and Magic the Gathering, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see the comparison being drawn by one of the GOATs

[@ruferd]

When I played MtG heavily (2013-2020) I never cared about anything other than trying to Spike a tournament and playing 'the best deck.' But now that I've quit playing, Sam has made me step back and truly appreciate the sheer scale that MtG is. It's not a game. It's art. It's a story. It has depth and character I've never known about. Every tiny detail and aspect of the game is poured over and painstakingly curated. Thank You Sam, for showing me the Forest when I was looking at the trees.

[@voraito]

The amonkhet invocation Wrath of God art is absolutely gorgeous. I would love that on a playmat.

[@artemi7]

I honestly never really looked at the art for that version before. Like REALLY looked at it. It's so much like a fantasy version of The Stand, and I never realized. The procession of people, what looks like a trail of ants climbing a pyramid until you follow it back and see it's people. The desolate sands, with the original sun of the plane looking pale and washed out, like it's light is no longer needed here. And the arrow. Oketra's vast arrow, larger then the pyramid it's descending on, brighter then the sun in the background, shattering the sky with a pulse and punching a hole through the clouds, and falling with a slow, terrible grace; just a moment before impact... and the end. It's incredible, seeing a masterpiece for the first time.

[@RaptieFeathers]

It's by far the best of the Wrath arts, and maybe now in my top Magic art of all time? I hadn't seen it until this video, but now that I have, holy moly

[@thenachobush]

Haven't watched the video yet, but I wanted to drop a comment about a similar thought I had about a card whose art I love just in case you cover it, which I hope you do. That card is Farewell. Whenever I see that art, the little girl blowing dandelions into the wind, it evokes such a strange sense of finality in my head. It doesn't feel like a traditional "end" but like everything that is being exiled is just blowing away. No destruction or devastation, but a passing of moments that are truly just fragments of a larger time, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I absolutely love it.

[@skylersparks4794]

Coheed and Cambria has been my absolute favorite band since I was 15. I turn 30 this year. I just really like talking about The Amory Wars and all my tattoos. Just wanted to share and talk about them... again.

[@sevespas]

holy moly this is awesome

[@LadyGainhart]

Fuck yeah, follow COTF.

[@officialtigerfish7633]

Coheed and Cambria is my favorite band, too!

[@tristanphipps8077]

After playing Magic for so long, my main interest now lies in the artwork, history, and influences of Magic's card design and worldbuilding. When I wake up to another Rhystic Studies video, I know it's gonna be a good day.

[@lucasmucas6876]

Reminds me of one of my favorite magic card texts: Harness Infinity “As I stepped into the star arch, it all became perfectly clear. Life and death are not opposites, but an endless path, twisting around and back upon itself, never ending and never beginning.” 
-Zhaer, professor of biophilosophy

[@thecarrotclarinet]

As part of an international Scouts camp I, at 15 years, went to Japan. The whole thing was a massive event but I remember one thing quite clearly, which was us, as part of the program, travelling to the park and atom bomb museum of Nagasaki. There, at the end of the museum, which was filled with quite horrific depictions of death, ruins, and the devastating effects of radiation, was a picture of a single plant growing in the formerly irradiated soil. It impressed me so much that I incorporated it in a little improvised speech we could give at the end of the museum tour. So thank you very much for this video and for bringing to mind again how much human made apocalypses have scarred our present imaginations.

[@Uoper12]

As much as I love the impersonal destruction of Wrath of God, there's something poetic about the personal nature of something like Obliterate from Invasion. The starkness of the art combined with the flavor text really drives home the madness and grief that caused the events depicted in the art to occur.

[@ExhaustedElox]

I appreciate the nonchalant reference to who The Disk is named after.

[@gabrielarchanjo6028]

I have a Codie, vociferous codex spellslinger edh. My deckkbuilding rule was to never run permanent spells so stuffing it with board wipes is a perfect fit. But i've never thought i'd feel so powerfull blowing the board over and over again. The fantasy of the catastrophe mage is indead pleasing.

[@iainoftheizzetleague9850]

My codie deck was every charm and command I could find. It's wacky.

[@gabrielarchanjo6028]

@@iainoftheizzetleague9850 That sounds really fun actually. The link between all of magic organizations (guilds, khans, shards and alike).

[@lucasmilone5902]

Fun fact, there’s a manga called “Destroy All Humankind. They Can't Be Regenerated”, about high schoolers playing MtG.

[@DylanHunter64]

My personal favorite Wrath of God is the Portal version which reads "Put all creatures into their owners' discard piles. (This includes your creatures.)" It also has a King Lear quote

[@EmperorPylades]

"As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport."

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Damnation art by Seb Mckinnon from his secret lair is amazing as his version of a Heironymus Bosch Hell painting :P

[@ProfDragonite]

Ah yes, board wipes. The piece of Magic's arsenal so often overlooked, yet so incredibly vital.

[@LlywellynOBrien]

Yeah it is amazing how much a format like Standard varies depending on the quality of board wipes.

[@DeathByForklift]

On top of all the excellent recollections of design philosophies, observations of design space, and the influences that make Magic's magnificent art, you had to go and top it all off with a kickass intro talking about a Coheed & Cambria song. You rock, Sam.

[@JohnNelson1]

You are killing it in this medium. Keep doing what you are doing. Quite a pleasure to watch.

[@jonaderjona5805]

16:35: A toxic wasteland shrouded in noxious green gases you say? Sounds just like my crib, amirite? Also, Ron Spencer is my absolute favourite mtg artist, so it fits doubly.

[@alainpbat3903]

This is not just a meditation on death and Magic's relationship with the end of everything, it's a moment in time, revelling in the potency within it's art, and absorbing meaning in this game we share. It's beautiful

[@haden8673]

I love a man who cites his sources

[@horstkalesen]

I missed a shoutout to my boi Jokulhaups. It includes all lands as well, highlighing the destruction being world ending like Ragnarok. However, the only permanent unaffected are enchantments. I always liked that the magic of the destroyed world remains, giving slight hope that something can always be salvaged, no matter how grave the destruction. I also like to resolve this, while having painstacks effects like Pyrostatic Pillar in play, and see my opponents suffer :) Great video as always!

[@PressAtoDefendEarth]

My favorite board wipe is and will always be Duneblast from Khans of Tarkir. Not for the art or the flavor text, those don't come close to the display of power that is that card. They broke the rules of appropriate wording for the rules text just to make it feel more badass. The right wording would be: "Choose up to one creature. Destroy all creatures other than the chosen creature." But that's not what the card says, Duneblast reads: "Choose up to one creature. Destroy the rest."

[@smartkaboose3806]

Great work as always :) I thought it was so cool when FTV: Annihilation came out with Heliod being the God whose wrath was called upon.

[@xgamer25125]

We used to be taught Cavafy/Καβάφη at school and he is one of the few greek writers I appreciated to such an extent. Rhystic Studies is the last place I expected to see his famous lines, but it was definitely pleasant.

[@satansamael666]

The blue sweepers are also very scenic art pieces in and of themselves. Cyclonic Rift being a citywide cyclone is a horrifying scene, Upheaval; an unusually powerful sweeper that’s banned in commander is a terrifying piece of the world crumbling apart and Sunder is an ominous scene of white light bursting out of a city. Blue sweepers in particular strike an almost out of this world terror of destruction without reducing any pieces, just messed up in an unusable fashion.

[@luisyanez6261]

Terminus is probably one of my favorite pieces amongst the ones featured here. It perfectly marries lore integration, graphic design and gameplay. The effect of shuffling all creatures is indeed destructive and violent but it is not a massacre. Instead, their souls are in a way reincarnated or saved. The helix of white beams alludes to the ever-present white lights of sweeper of MTG tradition, evoking the intervention of a divine power who intervines. The miracle cost of one further emphasizes the idea of a divine intervention, by saving the caster from their doom. However the way these elements combine within the context of Innistrad is what makes it brilliant. In a world of gothic horror, when death is usually not the end, but rather, a terrible new beginning, the shuffling makes all the more sense. Terminus doesn't kill, in a way, it actually saves the souls of those condemned to death while also cleansing the monsters, like zombies, who could potentially come back from their graves. The divine aspect is represented by Avacyn and her liberation from the Helvault. A man-made god whose role is to protect humanity, her divine wrath does bring destruction while also sheltering humans from becoming undead. The miracle cost represents the state of the world before the shattering of Helvault, a world overrun by the horrors of the night but saved in the last second by the power of the restored Avacyn.

[@SamundraDarion]

21:51 the Poetic Analysis is simply MAGNIFICENT!

[@bradsimpson8724]

I've been playing MTG since the late 90s, but I've only really gotten into the created content in the past year or so. I found you through your two recent Shuffle Up and Play appearances, where you proved that you were exactly the kind of player we'd want at our game table - that Unesh deck would have been the highlight deck of the year. Your channel was considerably different than what I was expecting, but I really get into it. I love the style and will be binging on it for months. What a great channel.

[@ProfaneVestige]

The words and vocabulary you use brings so much detail and focus on the art at our fingertips.

[@CherryDad]

Surprised you didn't touch on Seb McKinnon's Damnation and Farewell :0

[@dominiciancabatit6012]

Seb Mckinnon's Damnation is probably my favorite. Kev Walker's Damnation and Wrath are iconic, but Seb's is just... Haunting. Biblical. With so many points of interest to look at. Special mention to Junji Ito's Damnation. Everything he makes is just AMAZING.

[@ToastbackWhale]

Seb Mckinnon is my favorite MTG artist and it's not even close. Assassin's Trophy, Deathsprout, Bedevil, Farewell, Harness Infinity, Soulherder...so many brilliant illustrations.

[@calenhoover1124]

Love your videos Sam! They always invigorate me to learn about art and philosphy.

[@CandeIero]

The editing feels especially well-done in this one, although every single Rhystic Studies video is a masterpiece.

[@evanfelch7689]

As someone who watches KZbin at 2x speed I can't here. Your cadence and demands to be listened to as uploaded and I always look forward to you uploads.

[@grape3964]

This works video well with the shuffle up and play game!

[@Kyrbi0]

You just never miss. One of my favorite card-types/concepts & you really did it justice.

[@Eramiserasmus]

Loved this whole video! The editing, music choices, and the discussion itself were thought-provoking and intense.

[@PaulDodd]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@CSLWoodward]

This is it. This is the best one you've done. Well done.

[@Krlytz]

Thank you for helping us understand the beauty behind these art pieces ❤

[@Prosfair]

Another excellent video. "Epilogues become Prologues" said with that haunting piano melody drifting in the background gave chills.

[@thesamuraiman]

I've been watching some of your older videos lately. Love the content. This is the first new video that I'll have seen since I've been around.

[@raindrainxi]

My favorite board wipe is Jokulhaups from Ice Age. It is a natural phenomena, and the Fifth Ed art evokes viking imagery. I have a bit of an issue with it being red, but the flavor is what Ice Age is.

[@Razomka]

Great video! I always love watching a Rhystic studies video.

[@benjabin4268]

I just wanted to come back to this video to say thank you for introducing me to The Triumph of Death. I had never seen that piece before but really love it. After spending a couple days with it, it has inspired me to pick the brush back up after a couple years absence

[@chubshansen3873]

I’ve just recently started watching your videos. Skateboarding, coheed, magic. Dude you are soul animal. Thanks for the amazing content

[@robertunijat8299]

Brilliant! As always.

[@geerat1205]

I can thank this video for introducing me to Coheed and Cambria. I’ve binged their albums (my favorite song so far being Welcome Home and A Favor House Atlantic), I tracked down and am reading through Year of the Black Rainbow the novel and am going to see them live next month. Thanks Sam for always showing me something I didn’t know I needed in my life.

[@robertwatson4840]

I adore these videos. So thoughtful and intellectually stimulating.

[@albion33856]

Wonderful work as always! Congratulations again, and let me say that I love the music in this video essay.

[@Aarson20]

This video is strangely very calming considering the topic, very well done, thank you.

[@fernandob2275]

Beautiful piece. Thank you

[@thygrrr]

That Soundtrack. Perfect to vibe through the apocalypse to. My favourite wrath is Jokulhaups.

[@theunwelcome]

man, your content is always top shelf, and this is no exception; that reference to Samus Aran, though, just [chef's kiss]

[@sethcarver6275]

Your videos never fail to leave me in tears

[@justinhuber5497]

I’m brand new to MTG and these videos are accelerating my love for the game. Absolutely love these. Bravo

[@marleen14]

Your videos help me realize the beauty that Magic the Gathering has in it's lore. A deeper lore, more visceral, and emotional. They make me yearn to play the game, in a way that no other videos do. Thank you so much! Your delivery is simply stunning. Much love!

[@datasneb7069]

Always a treat to get a new video from you.

[@daveprice5911]

for the first time in my life I saw a sponsored segment on KZbin and immediately clicked buy, holy shit I'm so so hyped for the go-shintai playmat I ordered

[@dahuntre]

Incredible as always!

[@smashbuddie]

I loved the segment on the Ron Spencer player's reward cards! They are some of my all-time faves!

[@paraalso]

Beautiful as always

[@romeoxero]

Absolutely phenomenal sam. I love your work, keep it up brudda!

[@xbrain13]

Thanks for the documentary. Really high quality of content and narration 😊

[@PTNLemay]

Thanks for the great content!

[@probablypragmatic6893]

I've been an off and on Magic fan for most of my life. By chance a friend of my partner finally go pulled into Commander through the LotR sets, and my partner showed some interest. Turns out she's quite good at it and really enjoys how much there is to offer in this crazy hobby. I showed her this video (and bunch of others, but I started with this) and between your documentary-like approach and the way you weave in tangentially related items to make a sort of intellectual tapestry, she was completely engrossed (as was I, the first time I saw your stuff a few weeks ago). I couldn't think of a better way to expound on the little details that make this hobby so damn interesting. It is safe to say, at this point, that your videos are just as masterful and beautiful as the subjects covered therein. I will happily show these to people who have no interest in Magic just so they can experience the joy of seeing the hobby through your lens.

[@TheEliera]

Awww YISSSss another quality video from Rhystic studies

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Another great video as always!

[@TheFeintOfHearts]

Did not expect a Coheed reference to start off the vid! That was great. Much respect and love :)

[@guthriecollins5307]

Weird. When I look at the constant resales of new sets without allowing for any of the themes or flavors to set in I just see an annihilation of aesthetics.

[@misterwile]

always excellent. thank you.

[@moody-Bayonetta]

Fantastic video, thanks for sharing.

[@Ezghiel]

Reminds me of my favorite flavor text in all of Magic: “I have seen planes leveled and all life rendered to dust. It brought no pleasure, even to a heart as dark as mine.” - Sorin Markov, Day of Judgement

[@JonNuclear]

I LOVE the roundup of the different Wrath of Gods from 21:49 on. I collect Wrath of God printings and have most of the different variants you mentioned here, eventually I want to own every single printing it has. I got into them from the manga Destroy All Humanity, They Cannot Regenerate. A manga about Japanese Magic players in the late 90s early 2000s. It is truly amazing and one of my favorite manga and what started my now deep love for the history and meaning in Magic Cards that drew me to your channel years ago. I would highly recommend anyone who hasnt to give it a read. Covers old school magic culture, competitive scene, and is a RomCom. Brings back so many memories of playing early YuGiOh with my friends back in school when that was the newest card game on the black

[@tonyrgb]

always great!

[@bgcomputernerd]

watching this after the riddles escapade on shuffle up and play is truly whiplash in tone

[@asura2545]

Masterful as always

[@MothFable]

This is gonna sound a bit weird and off topic but liesa: fallen angel is one of my favorite cards. I think one of the largest reasons is that she can counter board wipes by simply returning your creatures to your hand. Her ability doesn’t apply to her which means that she gives her life to return everyone else who died, and yet it isn’t an ability based around just doing that. It’s odd and I really enjoy it. This discussion of board wipe cards brought it back to mind lol

[@zemineriver8043]

I love Coheed and Cambria so cool that you mention them in this one

[@LizaPlz]

whenever my love for this game wavers you bring right back in full. thank you for reminding me why I love this game.