The instant you see Block, you’re caught in the heartbeat before impact.
A single outstretched hand rises, palm forward, against a teal-green blur of motion. Behind it, an arrow’s tip slices through the air—frozen in time just inches from flesh.
The mood is taut focus: that razor’s-edge moment when life hangs on a single gesture of will.
Illustration Breakdown
At center, a human hand, unarmored and resolute, stands firm against a deadly projectile.
Every tendon and knuckle is rendered with lifelike detail, from the subtle knurls of skin to the faint shadow where the thumb meets palm.
The sleeve carving a partial arc in the foreground hints at armored support, contrasting the vulnerability of bare flesh.
The arrow itself—a steel-tipped shaft—gleams with harsh realism.
Light glints off its faceted tip, and soft focus on its fletching suggests the speed of its approach.
Behind, the background dissolves into horizontal streaks of teal and white, evoking both water’s fluidity and the blurred rush of wind. This abstract treatment ensures no detail distracts from that critical junction.
The palette shifts from the cool, deep greens of Ionia’s martial philosophy to the almost clinical clarity of the arrow’s metal.
Subtle highlights on the sleeve and blade accentuate shape and motion, while the overall tone remains grounded in realism rather than fantasy spectacle.
Gameplay Integration
Mechanically, Block is a 2-cost Ionia Spell with:
Hidden (Hide now for 1 green to react with later for 0.)
Action (Play on your turn or in showdowns.)
Give a unit Shield 3 and Tank this turn. (+3 defense while it’s a defender; must be assigned combat damage first.)
The artwork’s split-second interception mirrors Shield 3: a temporary barrier that catches the first three points of damage.
The bare hand halting the arrow parallels Tank, forcing enemies to strike this shielded unit before any other.
Hiding Block for zero cost embodies that sudden, reflexive shield—springing a defense at the very moment an attack threatens to break through.
Collector Details / Value Mention
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Set Code: OGN
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Card Number: 057/298
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Rarity: Common
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Foil Version: Included in Origins booster packs
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Alt Art / Overnumbered: None announced
Though common in play, Block’s stark, moment-focused art makes its foil pull a striking binder piece.
Collectors who gravitate toward visceral, high-stakes imagery will prize how the metallic arrowhead and the sleeve’s subtle sheen pop under foil treatment.
In both draft and constructed, Block will be a reliable pick for reactive Ionia builds—and a memorable visual in any art-focused collection.
Read more – The Art of Meditation from Riftbound TCG
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