Madcap Experiment - Magic the Gathering

"Hope it's not a fox again..."

Compared to Woodweaver's Puzzleknot, Madcap Experiment is a much more normal sounding name. The word that stands out is "madcap", a less used English word meaning rash or reckless. The one benefit of the name is that it perfectly describes the card and its effect. The card is madcap and it is an experiment.

Also unlike Woodweaver's Puzzleknot, the art is much more dynamic. It is trying to capture the explosive aftermath of the experiment, with dirt and debris flying. But instead of showing us the results, it's showing the reaction of the subject. I love this view point, since it keeps with the perspective of the player. The player doesn't know what they are going to get, just like how we can't tell what the experimenter got in the art. I also enjoy how patchwork the experimenter's clothing look. It's another way of capturing that madcap feel. It also gives us some contrasting blues to focus on in the mostly red and gold palette.

Finally we have the text. I love weird effects like this, since they are things card games don't do too often, making this feel special. The extra text space also allows them to get a bit more creative with the effect. The flavor of this card is also a lot stronger than Woodweaver's Puzzleknot. You are performing a reckless experiment, unsure of what will happen. In the end you will get an artifact, but there will also be some negative reactions, and the results may not be what you were hoping for.