Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Relic Amulet Artist Spotlight: Yeong-Hao Han and Zendikar Rising’s Quiet Power
In the tapestry of Zendikar Rising, colorless artifacts often do more with less, and Relic Amulet is a perfect case study 🧙♂️. This two-mana artifact rewards thoughtful spell density, turning a handful of instant, sorcery, or Wizard casts into a growing reservoir of power. When the counters finally meet a tap-to-fire moment, the card morphs from a neat utility piece into a precise, single-shot finisher. The art by Yeong-Hao Han captures that tension—an ancient device waking with a subtle glow, ready to unleash controlled fury. The piece feels both archaic and contemporary, a hallmark of Han’s ability to fuse classic fantasy with modern digital polish. 🔥
Yeong-Hao Han’s MTG career is marked by clean composition and a magnetic sense of light on metal. His work on Relic Amulet stands as a crisp example of how his line work invites you to study the artifact’s surface, the runes along its edge, and the moment of activation all at once. Across other MTG pieces, Han’s signature style tends to lean into luminous color, sharp edges, and a quiet confidence that makes even a simple artifact feel narratively loaded. For fans, this is a welcome reminder that an artist’s touch can elevate a card from mechanic to myth. 🎨💎
Old power finds new purpose.
From a gameplay perspective, Relic Amulet is a study in resource conversion. You don’t get the ramp of a ramp spell; you get a charged engine that grows with each instant, sorcery, or Wizard you cast. The cumulative counters are your fuel, and at two mana, you’re not stuck waiting for a later turn to cash in your investment. When you finally pay {2}, tap, and clear the counters to deal damage equal to the number of counters to a target creature, you’re converting small incremental advantages into a pointed strike. It’s a design that rewards planning and sequencing, especially in formats that encourage big stacks of spells, like Historic or Commander. ⚔️
Collectors appreciate Relic Amulet not only for its nostalgic flavor text—"Old power finds new purpose"—but also for its artful representation of a relic that has outlived its original era. In Zendikar Rising, artifacts like this one are more than just colorless loaners; they are dynamic participants in the spell economy, punching above their weight as the game unfolds. The fact that Relic Amulet exists in both foil and nonfoil prints adds to its appeal for collectors who want to celebrate Han’s work in a tangible, display-worthy form. 💎
Card Design and Signature Style
Han’s Relic Amulet offers a compact lesson in how art and mechanics can reinforce each other. The artifact’s mana cost is modest, but the card prompts a deliberate approach: maximize the number of instant, sorcery, and Wizard spells you cast in a given sequence to maximize charge counters. The ability to turn counters into direct damage creates a nuanced decision point—when is it best to cash in for a targeted strike, and when should you let the counters accumulate for a bigger payoff later? This tension—between tempo and power—echoes a broader design philosophy in Zendikar Rising, where landfall and spell economy intersect. 🧭
The rarity label of uncommon keeps Relic Amulet accessible for many players, while the foil treatment allows it to present as a striking centerpiece in a binder or on a display shelf. Its legality across multiple formats—Historic, Modern, Commander, and more—means that Han’s art can be enjoyed in both competitive and casual circles, a true testament to MTG’s design ethos: accessibility paired with depth. The set’s flavor carries through the artwork, too, as the relic’s glow suggests a long history of adventuring minds bending magic to their will. ⚡
Gameplay Techniques and Deck Building Tips
- Maximize counters with cheap spells: fill the Amulet with charge counters quickly by weaving in turn-efficient instants and cheap cantrips, then unleash the final blow when it counts.
- Wizard synergy: The inclusion of Wizards as a spell type that can grow counters makes Relic Amulet a natural fit for a spell-focused shell that includes Wizard creatures and effects to drive the counter engine.
- Timing is tactical: You don’t want to burn counters too early unless you’re aiming for a specific lethal push. Look for moments when a single target creature or a planeswalker is most vulnerable.
- Format considerations: In Commander and Modern, Relic Amulet shines as a value engine and a political piece—steady ramp that can become a surprise finisher in the right build. 🔥
At its heart, Relic Amulet is a delightful fusion of flavor and function. The artifact’s theme—old power rediscovered and repurposed—resonates with the Zendikar Rising motif of awakened salvation and ancient artifacts re-emerging in a dangerous, changing world. For players who love a card that rewards careful planning as much as it rewards a flashy moment, Relic Amulet is a small treasure that feels big on the battlefield. 🧙♂️🎲
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Relic Amulet
Whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or Wizard spell, put a charge counter on this artifact.
{2}, {T}, Remove all charge counters from this artifact: It deals that much damage to target creature.
ID: 0ab97a84-fe8c-4986-afd8-3abdcc029f7f
Oracle ID: b3998d9c-56b1-486c-818c-a6882e999d54
Multiverse IDs: 491898
TCGPlayer ID: 222197
Cardmarket ID: 496830
Colors:
Color Identity:
Keywords:
Rarity: Uncommon
Released: 2020-09-25
Artist: Yeong-Hao Han
Frame: 2015
Border: black
EDHRec Rank: 17982
Penny Rank: 11463
Set: Zendikar Rising (znr)
Collector #: 247
Legalities
- Standard — not_legal
- Future — not_legal
- Historic — legal
- Timeless — legal
- Gladiator — legal
- Pioneer — legal
- Modern — legal
- Legacy — legal
- Pauper — not_legal
- Vintage — legal
- Penny — not_legal
- Commander — legal
- Oathbreaker — legal
- Standardbrawl — not_legal
- Brawl — legal
- Alchemy — not_legal
- Paupercommander — not_legal
- Duel — legal
- Oldschool — not_legal
- Premodern — not_legal
- Predh — not_legal
Prices
- USD: 0.10
- USD_FOIL: 0.22
- EUR: 0.06
- EUR_FOIL: 0.26
- TIX: 0.03
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