Alternate art
Some Magic: The Gathering cards have two or more arts. Such cards are said to have alternate art.
A few early sets (once such being Alliances experimented with alternate art for cards. However, Wizards came to believe that this impeded easy recognition of a card and that having multiple versions caused confusion when identifying a card at a glance. Consequently, alternate art is now only used sparingly and mostly for promotional cards. That said, when older cards are reprinted in new (non-Core Edition, and not "timeshifted" reprints in the Time Spiral set) sets, Wizards of the Coast has guaranteed that they will be printed with new art to make them more collectible.[1]
Alternate arts are used nowadays in reprints, and promotional cards, such as APAC lands and pre-release cards.
Alternate art cards
- Crusade: was changed in art due to ethnical/publical demands.
- Plateau The cards original art was accidentally deleted on wotc's database so when the land was reprinted in later editions it was given new art.
- Unholy Strength: was changed in art due to ethnical/publical demands.