Evolution of Borderless and Showcase for It That Heralds the End

In TCG ·

It That Heralds the End card art from Modern Horizons 3

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Borderless, Showcases, and the Eldrazi Drone in MH3

Magic: The Gathering has always rewarded players who notice the little shifts—the way a card’s frame, border, or tint can shift your perception of a spell's power. In recent years, borderless and showcase variants have become more than cosmetic Easter eggs; they are a language all their own. They whisper to collectors and grinders alike: this version matters, this run is special, this art carries a story you can actually hold in your hands. Modern Horizons 3 (MH3) sits at a crossroads of these ideas, layering the thrill of borderless design with the playful experimentation of showcase frames. And in the middle of that conversation stands It That Heralds the End, a modest two-mana Eldrazi Drone whose true punch comes from how you leverage colorless identity and mass nostalgia for colorless power.

It That Heralds the End doesn’t win the race with flashy colors or a splashy mana curve. Its mana cost of {1}{C} anchors it in the colorless lane, a lane MH3 leans into with a surprisingly generous toolbox. The card is an uncommon with a clean, no-frills frame in the standard MH3 printing, but its abilities invite players to imagine what a borderless or showcase version could look like on a table-top shelf or in a tournament-ready deck. The Eldrazi flavor—crisp, cold, and relentless—lands in the lore of the Multiverse as a stark reminder that even the smallest drone can herald an age of unending march. Flavor text from General Tazri, allied commander, anchors the sentiment: “At first we ignored the little ones. By the time we realized our error, it was too late.” That line is a nod to the escalating pressure such entities impose in a world where the little aspects accumulate into unstoppable force. 🧙‍♂️🔥

What makes borderless and showcase variants feel special in practice

  • Borderless frames extend or alter the visual composition, often increasing the canvas area around the art and sometimes swapping fonts or frame motifs. They are prized by players who want a card that looks less boxed in and more like a painting you can draft with.
  • Showcase variants swap in alternate art or a different border treatment to celebrate a moment in the card’s journey—sometimes with a shimmering alternate frame that catches the light differently during a tournament day.
  • Collectors value the perceived rarity and the tactile joy of a distinct printing, which can push secondary-market curiosity even for cards that aren’t the absolute top tier in power.
  • Designers weave these options into the set’s narrative, using variant frames as a way to signal different print runs, encounters, or drafting experiences.
  • For colorless strategies, borderless and showcase variants often feel like a wink to the broader flavor of Eldrazi and other “colorless-first” archetypes—cards that reward you for leaning into the uncolored power in your deckbuilding. 🎲

In practice, It That Heralds the End is a neat microcosm of this trend. Its ability to reduce the cost of colorless spells with mana value 7 or greater by {1} is a subtle nod to the late-game inevitability of colorless dominance, while other colorless creatures you control get +1/+1 tightens the synergy with a fleet of colorless threats. The card’s tonal balance—two power for two mana—doesn’t shout glory, but it sings in a chorus when you lean into a colorless-heavy deck and play into the late-game inevitability. The result is a drafting and gameplay experience that feels like it’s designed to be collected as much as played. And that’s precisely where borderless and showcase variants shine: they invite players to savor the moment even while the board state grows increasingly hectic. 💎⚔️

“At first we ignored the little ones. By the time we realized our error, it was too late.” —General Tazri, allied commander

You can sense the deliberate craftsmanship in MH3’s approach to frames and finishes. The card’s artist is Alex Konstad, whose work anchors the Eldrazi drone in a stark, architectural realism that contrasts with the otherworldly menace of the Eldrazi. The image, available in foil and nonfoil, mirrors the dual life of borderless and showcase: you can appreciate it as a piece of art or as a practical unit in a fragile drafting environment. The Modern Horizons 3 set itself as a draft_innovation experiment, and this card is a small but vivid example of how design choices ripple through play, collection, and conversation. 🧙‍♂️🎨

For collectors who enjoy the tactile ritual of unboxing and sorting cards, the MH3 printings create a rich tapestry of variants—from the crisp borderless to the shimmering foil—each offering a different way to connect with the same iconic moment in the Multiverse. The card’s flavor, lore, and mechanical whisper all invite you to imagine how borderless versions might alter the perceived power level during a draft and how a showcase frame might celebrate the card’s place in your deck-building journey. And yes, those slimmer, more elegant print lines make this champion feel like a piece of modern art that you can play. 🎲🔥

On a practical note for players who want to explore this shield-breaching niche without sacrificing performance, It That Heralds the End remains a solid pick for colorless-based strategies in Modern Horizons 3. Its design encourages you to lean into colorless synergies and to appreciate how a two-mana drone can contribute meaningfully to a late-game plan. If you’re new to these concepts, think of borderless and showcase variants as cinematic re-skins—variants that invite long, thoughtful look-aways to savor the art and the mechanics at the same time.

While you’re deep in the drafting machine, you might want a small, real-world keepsake to accompany your MTG obsession. If you’re also into premium, protective gear for your everyday gadgets, consider a Slim Lexan Phone Case for iPhone 16: ultra-thin, glossy finish, and built to travel with you on your next tournament day or casual Friday nights. This is the kind of cross-promotion that feels natural for fans who live at the intersection of style and strategy. It’s all about keeping your tech as sharp as your play. 🧙‍♂️💎

Slim Lexan Phone Case for iPhone 16 Ultra-thin Glossy finish

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