iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Grath @grath.org · 16/09/2026

I picked up the Phyrexian one for my deck that's 58% non-English cards, it's my favorite pairing of playmat and deck.

The old Tolarian Community College playmat, "Reading the card explains the card", with ten Magic cards in different languages - Spanish, German, Italian, French, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Phyrexian, and English (but the English card is notoriously confusing card Chains of Mephistopheles.)

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Grath @grath.org · 13/09/2026

Fun fact: Dack can target your opponents with his +1. Normally you wouldn't, but sometimes...

Chains of Mephistopheles, which turns Dack Fayden's "target player draws 2 cards then discard 2 cards" into "discard, draw, discard, draw, then discard two".

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Grath @grath.org · 13/09/2026

I don't necessarily feel the need to jam this into decks, but I love this translated name.

Sarkhan the Mad from Rise of the Eldrazi, the Spanish translation as "Sarkhan el loco".

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Grath @grath.org · 08/09/2026

Nobody in London, anyways.

Four panels from Hot Fuzz, depicting the conversation between Nicholas Angel and the Andies:
"You do know there are more guns in the country than there are in the city?
Everybody and their mums is packing round here."

"Like who?"

"Farmers."

"Who else?"

"Farmers's mums."

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Grath @grath.org · 31/08/2026

My dog likes to ride shotgun when I run errands around town, so I got him a dog bed that partially attaches by clicking into the buckle because he sets off the passenger airbag sensor.

A blue pitbull shelter mutt, curled up in a dog bed in the front seat of a car. Picture taken while safely stopped in a fast food drive-through.

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Grath @grath.org · 30/08/2026

I got lucky, snagged tickets to the Carnegie Hall stop of his second self-indulgent vanity tour.

Weird Al striking a pose on stage at Carnegie Hall as he was approaching the mic.

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Grath @grath.org · 27/08/2026

If only WotC had some mechanism where they could credit both the artists who contributed to the composition of a card's illustration.

Freyalise Supplicant from Ice Age, printed in 1995, the first card with illustration credit attributed to two people: Liz Danforth & Douglas Shuler

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Grath @grath.org · 22/08/2026

you know what's better than one Massacre Wurm? Six of them.

Rite of Replication
{2}{U}{U}
Sorcery

Kicker {5} (You may pay an additional {5} as you cast this spell.)

Create a token that’s a copy of target creature. If this spell was kicked, create five of those tokens instead.

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Grath @grath.org · 15/08/2026

Here's some of the contemporary male Avens of Doninaria to make your own decision:

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Grath @grath.org · 14/08/2026

People think guns are a lot more modern than they really are, given that Europe's got documented use of firearms from the 1300s. They didn't look like modern firearms, and the replica of the Tannenberg Handgonne I've shot was obviously inferior to subsequent technology but it was still a gun.

A video snapshot of firing a modern replica of the Tannenberg Handgonne, which was discovered in the water well of Tannenberg castle in Seeheim-Jugenheim, destroyed in 1399 so it can't be newer than that.

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Grath @grath.org · 22/07/2026

There's a couple cards that have fantastic translated names

The French translation of "Chaos Wand", named "Baguette du chaos"

The Spanish translation of "Sarkhan the Mad", named "Sarkhan el loco"

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Grath @grath.org · 09/07/2026

Not even in a deck box, just on my desk in piles.

Two Tempest Lotus Petals, an Urza's Legacy Memory Jar, and a foil extended art Sea Gate Restoration, worth about $165

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Grath @grath.org · 05/07/2026

It's a double-whammy of fireworks and thunderstorm here, my poor rescue pup normally comes and begs for a taste of whipped cream while I dish ice cream and tonight he was trapped hiding from the noise in my office.

Ramos, a silver pitbull mutt, looking anxious and reluctant despite a palm-full of whipped cream

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Grath @grath.org · 17/06/2026

Ooh spooky, look at how terrifying this horrible unnatural food is! So many chemicals!

An image of a banana, attached to a breakdown of all the individual chemicals which make up a banana.

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Grath @grath.org · 08/06/2026

Tetsuya Nomura says... "more".

Lulu, Stern Guardian from the Final Fantasy X commander deck. Lulu's character design, created by Tetsuya Nomura, is notorious for having a dress that's made using approximately a dozen belts.

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Grath @grath.org · 18/05/2026

Hear me out... First, the flavor text, for your intended meaning; and second, I finally found a deck where it's actually worthwhile: Phyrexians. I was getting boardwiped by an Exude Toxin for X=6, so I tapped two random Phyrexian tokens to airdrop a Blightsteel Colossus into play.

Cryptic Gateway
{5}
Artifact

Tap two untapped creatures you control: You may put a creature card from your hand that shares a creature type with each creature tapped this way onto the battlefield.

Its lock changes to fit each key.

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Grath @grath.org · 16/05/2026

Having a James Turner sandwich for lunch today.

A PB&J sandwich (actually two) cut in half to show that it actually contains peanut butter and jelly

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Grath @grath.org · 15/05/2026

@rebell.bsky.social [Feedback] Page: Deck Builder Browser: Chrome / Desktop Removing cards from the bottom of a mana value section in the mana curve view results in the "remove card" button going under the subsequent mana value's header --- Sent from Commander Template beta feedback

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Grath @grath.org · 29/04/2026

Until Ultimate Masters, the only printings of Demonic Tutor with flavor text were the (IMO creepy) Kothophed-branding-Liliana art from the Divine vs Demonic duel deck and the German FWB printing which has a quote from Faust as flavor text:

The German white-bordered printing of Demonic Tutor, with the flavor text: "Das also war des Pudels Kern! Ein fahrender Skolast? Der Kasus macht mich lachen." This line comes after Mephisto appeared before Faust, disguising himself first as a dog and then as a traveling scholar.

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Grath @grath.org · 19/04/2026

That's why it's important to order slices that are measured in feet.

The 2-foot-long Super Slice from Pizza Barn in Yonkers, NY

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Grath @grath.org · 09/04/2026

I went to one of their performances on the 2022 North American tour, it was fantastic.

A moment from Heilung's live performance

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Grath @grath.org · 09/04/2026

Post four records that represent the diversity of your taste.

The Temptations - "Ball of Confusion" (That's What The World Is Today)

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Grath @grath.org · 24/03/2026

Had to make this, after watching the video.

XKCD "Compiling" comic, about programmers slacking off by having a sword-fight on office chairs while their code is compiling, but with Kathleen slacking off because Final Cut was rendering.

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Grath @grath.org · 10/03/2026

I don't have a problem, I can stop building decks any time I want to. (This doesn't include at least a dozen decks that overlap on color identities.)

The 32 Challenge, featuring decks I have built of each color identity; the full list is available at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ORtVu2AwMQup95I7uhGB8NC2WFhDbYFEGkfDEyAyzc8/edit?usp=sharing

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Grath @grath.org · 28/02/2026

The original MKC art for Trouble in Pairs was a collage of other artists' art; I don't know if the axe and right arm were yet another artist's work or if they were actually original.

The image from https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/1bpue7q/my_redacted_trouble_in_pairs/ redoing the artwork from the Murders at Karlov Manor Commander printing of Trouble in Pairs with the stolen artwork replaced with redactions that state the names of the original artists those pieces were stolen from.

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Grath @grath.org · 24/02/2026

Luckily, so far no power problems and I was able to find someone with a plow truck to clear the driveway rather than trying to shovel literal tons of snow. Front steps still need to be cleared but I can get out via the garage and actually drive places if needed.

Stairs buried in so much snow that you can't tell where the steps are anymore

Back deck with over a foot of snow, partially cleared

Snow blocking the front door from opening this morning

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Grath @grath.org · 14/02/2026

Get this printed on the back of a t-shirt?

A graphic saying "please stand on the right" (for escalator etiquette) with a figure illustrating where to stand.

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Grath @grath.org · 02/02/2026

This reminds me of that time I tried asking my math professors about the interactions between multiple Precursor Golems and kicked Rite of Replications.

Precursor Golem
{5}
Artifact Creature — Golem

When this creature enters, create two 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature tokens.

Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single Golem, that player copies that spell for each other Golem that spell could target. Each copy targets a different one of those Golems.

3/3

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Grath @grath.org · 27/01/2026

Plus the oddity of riding a train through the middle of the still-active maximum-security prison that is the origin of the expression "up the river" describing someone in prison.

Train tracks in front of a brick wall, which then has a chain link fence with razor wire before another brick wall with barred windows, taken from a Hudson line Metro North train as it passes through the middle of Sing Sing prison.

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Grath @grath.org · 15/01/2026

Or the Simpsons' depiction of the Democratic Convention from 1994...

A screenshot from the 1994 episode of The Simpsons, "Bart Gets an Elephant", showing the Democratic Convention with banners saying "We hate life and ourselves" and "We can't govern!"

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Grath @grath.org · 09/01/2026

We're inviting everyone except Uncle Istvan

Uncle Istvan
{1}{B}{B}{B}
Creature — Human

Prevent all damage that would be dealt to this creature by creatures.

Solitude drove the old hermit insane. Now he only keeps company with those he can catch.

1/3

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Grath @grath.org · 24/12/2025

Now that this isn't a spoiler...

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Grath @grath.org · 26/11/2025

For Wizard Wednesday: This guy, or more specifically this guy plus six of his closest clone friends.

Lullmage Mentor
{1}{U}{U}
Creature — Merfolk Wizard

Whenever a spell or ability you control counters a spell, you may create a 1/1 blue Merfolk creature token.

Tap seven untapped Merfolk you control: Counter target spell.

“Many voices are needed to quiet this land.”

2/2
Illustrated by Jaime Jones

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Grath @grath.org · 28/10/2025

I prototyped a version of this with Yurlok of Scorch Thrash as the commander but I'd rather have them be the actual commanders. The timing is a little awkward on them (Raggadragga wants them to attack first, Tyvar wants them to tap for mana first) but all-manadorks deck is surprisingly powerful.

Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss
{2}{R}{G}
Legendary Creature — Human Boar

Each creature you control with a mana ability gets +2/+2.

Whenever a creature you control with a mana ability attacks, untap it.

Whenever you cast a spell, if at least seven mana was spent to cast it, untap target creature. It gets +7/+7 and gains trample until end of turn.

4/4

Tyvar the Bellicose
{2}{B}{G}
Legendary Creature — Elf Warrior

Whenever one or more Elves you control attack, they gain deathtouch until end of turn.

Each creature you control has “Whenever a mana ability of this creature resolves, put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the amount of mana this creature produced. This ability triggers only once each turn.”

“Today, we become gods again.”

5/4

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Grath @grath.org · 27/10/2025

I run a Chromatic Lantern in my five-color bracket 4 Superfriends deck alongside the best color fixing money can buy. Is it necessary? Rarely, but it's nice to have when I need it.

A (foil Korean) Chromatic Lantern next to foil signed fetchlands, foreign black bordered duals, and foil foreign signets.

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Grath @grath.org · 23/10/2025

I still miss being able to donate non-white decks a very beneficial gift of Celestial Dawn in my Zedruu deck.

Celestial Dawn
{1}{W}{W}
Enchantment

Lands you control are Plains.

Nonland permanents you control are white. The same is true for spells you control and nonland cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield.

You may spend white mana as though it were mana of any color. You may spend other mana only as though it were colorless mana.

010

Grath @grath.org · 22/10/2025

I mean, Poughkeepsie Proper has nothing but Vassar, but it's sandwiched between IBM's still-existent-albeit-smaller office campus to the south and the CIA to the north. That said, I wouldn't choose to live in Poughkeepsie Proper.

the CIA - the Culinary Institute of America, which has their main campus in Hyde Park just north of Poughkeepsie

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Grath @grath.org · 21/10/2025

But why is "this ability requires a hybrid mana cost" okay when it's hidden inside the comprehensive rules/reminder text on Blind Obedience but not okay when it's printed on Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier? They're both triggered abilities that require hybrid mana but could be paid in mono-white.

Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier
{3}{W}
Legendary Creature — Spirit Soldier

Vigilance

Whenever Agrus Kos becomes the target of an ability that targets only it, you may pay {1}{R/W}. If you do, copy that ability for each other creature you control that ability could target. Each copy targets a different one of those creatures. ({R/W} can be paid with either {R} or {W}.)

3/4

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Grath @grath.org · 16/10/2025

My pittie mix needs not just a harness, but the extra-long harness with the extra strap that goes behind the ribcage; he's never been aggressive with other dogs, but he got so scared that he pulled his way out of a more conventional just-around-front-legs harness.

Ramos, a blue pitbull/maybe lab or hound shelter mutt, sitting and looking back at the camera while wearing his extra-secure harness.

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Grath @grath.org · 12/10/2025

I'm looking forward to Universes Beyond Costco

The officially licensed Costco edition of Monopoly

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Grath @grath.org · 29/09/2025

Yeah, if it was actually Bluesky declaring they didn't like Antifa it would either be straight-up suspended accounts or an Extremist label:

The "Extremist" label from Bluesky's moderation service.

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Grath @grath.org · 23/09/2025

The second print run of German Revised Demonic Tutor - I have 24 copies of it, all signed by Douglas Shuler. I started collecting it because of the flavor text from Faust - at the time, the only other printing with flavor text had art showing Kothophed creepily carving tattoos into Liliana's chest.

Six copies of the foreign white bordered Demonic Tutor, with Douglas Shuler's signature on it. The card features the flavor text "Das also war des Pudels Kern! Ein fahrender Skolast? Der Kasus macht mich lachen. - J.W. Goethe, Faust", referencing Faust's first encounter with Mephistopheles, who transformed from being disguised as a poodle to a new disguise as a wandering scholar.

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