The recently released Magic: The Gathering Jumpstart 2022 collection features a character based on a pet cat belonging to the artist, Billy Christian. The character in question is a Cat Shaman called Runadi, Behemoth Caller. The publisher behind MTG, Wizards of the Coast, launched the Jumpstart 2022 collection on December 2.
“This one is special because it features our cat Mucha for the face model,” Christian said on the popular platform ArtStation, prompting all sorts of positive replies. “Beautiful composition and lighting,” a user going by Victor Sales commented. “Great piece,” another user known as Katherine Zhuk mentioned. “And if I had an opportunity to give a personal like for your cat, I would!” The artist also posted a picture of two cats along with an image of the relevant card.
Christian is no stranger to MTG, having already designed several dozen cards for a variety of different collections, the most recent of course being Jumpstart 2022. These can for the most part be seen on the “powerful MTG card search” tool called Scryfall.
According to Wizards of the Coast, the Jumpstart collections are a “fun, unique way to pick up and play MTG. By combining any two Jumpstart booster packs, you’ll create your own 40-card themed deck and you’re ready to go.” This means that players can “skip the deck building and jump right into playing games of MTG.” The publisher adds that potential participants only have to “choose any two Jumpstart booster packs, shuffle them together, and voila! You just made a new deck. Find a worthy opponent and start playing.”
The official description explains how the Jumpstart 2022 collection “continues the fun and mayhem of the original Jumpstart, featuring 46 themes and loaded with reprints from throughout MTG’s history.” Because each booster pack features a randomized theme, “by mixing and matching from two booster packs, you can find and create some wild combos.” These most notably include “Spicy and Goblins, Detective and Unlucky 13,” as well as of course “Cats and Rats!”