Magic: The Gathering - Witch Engine

I'm only really posting favorite cards that I had bothered to scan before losing my collection, which is very few, and yet, that just happens to include a monster specifically requested! I could see into the future!



The "Witch Engine" is another "Horror," and an important player in the Phyrexian armada. Oh, wait, some of you don't play and don't know what the hell I'm talking about! Phyrexia, you see, is/was a dimension best described as a biomechanical hell; nine hollow, mechanical spheres of filth, decay, pestilence and chaos inhabited by partially metallic undead mutants with a hatred for all life. Phyrexia was referenced across hundreds of cards since the early days of magic, culminating in an epic war during which the dimension was finally destroyed. Witch Engines seemed to function as field sorcerers in the Phyrexian army, appearing on several different spell cards, like this one:



You can't tell at this size, but clouds of flies are actually pouring directly from the fuzzy backs of the Witch Engines in the background! The actual Witch Engine creature card simply has the ability to produce black mana, used to pay the cost of other spell and creature cards.

I love the creepy bird-like vibe of these things, despite having no actual bird features. They remind me a little of something from Labyrinth or the Dark Crystal, so I guess they overall remind me a little of Brian Froud.

Incidentally, the Bone Shredder was another one of Phyrexia's indigenous fauna, and I'll be talking about several more Phyrexian horrors as well. In fact, now that I think about it, Phyrexia is going to totally dominate these posts...and why shouldn't it?