Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Celebrating Evan Shipard’s World-Weary Auras
If you’ve spent any time rifling through the Modern Horizons 2 showcase, you’ve felt the moody fingerprints of Evan Shipard on several cards. In particular, World-Weary stands as a quintessential example of how a single Aura can tilt a game with both mechanical cleverness and a storytelling edge. It’s a black enchantment that does two seemingly simple things at once: it nerfs a creature you control and, through its landcycling ability, quietly reshapes your mana base. The contrast between oppressive flavor and practical utility is exactly the kind of flavor-first design that MTG fans adore 🧙🔥💎⚔️.
Card Spotlight: World-Weary
World-Weary is an Enchantment — Aura from the Modern Horizons 2 set. Its mana cost is {3}{B}{B}, giving it a respectable five‑drop floor for a creeping, late‑game install in a black deck. The aura’s text is a crisp two‑parter: “Enchant creature” and “Enchanted creature gets -4/-4.” That minus-four applies to the creature you attach it to, making even a formidable blocker or attacker retreat into the shadows. And because the card includes the powerful Basic landcycling ability, you can discard this aura to search your library for a basic land, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. It’s the kind of hand‑fixing utility black players often crave, especially in multiplayer formats where long games demand flexible ramp ≤ regular threats. The presence of “Typecycling,” “Landcycling,” and “Basic landcycling” as keywords hints at the broader design philosophy: utility that grows your options on both the battlefield and the mana table 🧙🔥🎲.
Enchant creature. Enchanted creature gets -4/-4. Basic landcycling {1}{B}.
In the lore sense, World-Weary embodies a resourceful blight—an enchantment that drains a creature’s vitality while offering the strategic concession of land familiarity. The set’s Modern Horizons 2 label positions this card at the intersection of modern reprints and innovative drafting ideas, a hallmark of MH2’s drafting-infusion theme. Shipard’s art leans into a gothic vibe that feels both intimate and monumental, which is exactly the mood you want to evoke when you drop a -4/-4 aura onto the battlefield and then cycle your way toward a basic swamp to fuel an endgame plan ⚔️🎨.
Top World-Weary Cards from This Artist — Why This One Shines
- Aura utility meets mana strategy — World-Weary doesn’t just punish a creature; it also quietly scaffolds your mana with landcycling. That dual play pattern is a trademark of Shipard’s ability to blend flavor with practical board presence 🧙🔥.
- Elegant color identity — Ringing the color bell of black, the card reinforces a core theme of black’s control and attrition. The -4/-4 debuff is brutal when you’re racing to outvalue with removal and recursion, and the landcycling lets you keep your tempo intact ⚫💎.
- Set‑design context — In MH2’s draft‑invention environment, World-Weary shows how a single enchantment can contribute both board control and hand‑fixing. That versatility is part of what makes Shipard’s World-Weary a memorable study in card design 🎲.
- Accessibility and collectibility — While the card is a common rarity, its foil version offers a nice tactile upgrade for players who love theme‑balanced black cards. The price highlights on Scryfall point to affordable inclusion in many decks, allowing newer players to experience Shipard’s art without a huge investment 💎.
- Artwork and mood — The moodiness of Shipard’s illustration—paired with the somber aura of a world-weary traveler—helps fans feel the weight of the card’s narrative just as much as its stats. It’s one of those pieces that looks great on the table and even better in a display case or binder spread 🎨.
For fans who love the intersection of flavor and function, this World-Weary piece is a stellar entry point into Evan Shipard’s portfolio. If you’re exploring Modern Horizons 2 through a black‑leaning patient control shell, you’ll find that the aura’s dual utility remains relevant, especially in formats where you can maximize value from hand disruption and board presence. And if you’re chasing a more budget‑friendly path, the card’s common rarity means you can slot it into decks without stretching your wallet—while still appreciating the art and the strategic depth the card offers 🧙🔥⚔️.
A Quick Look at Collecting and Value
World-Weary’s pricing on modern price trackers sits at a practical level: approximately $0.02 in non‑foil form and around $0.04 for foil copies. That makes it a sensible pick for new players and budget builders who want to add a little narrative bite to a black deck without breaking the bank. In broader EDH culture and cube environments, its lands cycling aspect and solid body‑shrink power for the cost echo the era’s fascination with modular, stackable benefits. The card’s presence in both Modern and Legacy circles underlines how a modest aura can cross play styles while still delivering a satisfying thematic punch 🧙🔥💎.
And if you’re looking to commemorate this aesthetic in real life beyond the battlefield, consider a little parallel treasure for your desk or playmat rotation. A fan‑mave of the world-weary vibe might enjoy a neon‑lit setup that echoes the card’s atmosphere, like a neon mouse pad that’s currently featured in a limited‑edition product drop. It’s a playful nod to the same mood you feel when you crack open a new MH2 pack and glimpse Shipard’s signature style in the art booth 💎🎲.