MTG PRINTING GUIDE
Dark Ritual began in Limited Edition Alpha in August 1993, as a common illustrated by Sandra Everingham; catalogues identify it as LEA #98. That original is nonfoil. This guide organises the long history into five collecting families: the early original, later old-border artwork, the Invocation, modern Masters reprints and Mystical Archive’s global/Japanese alternatives. Seven selected records show why “old border” or “foil Dark Ritual” alone is not enough to identify the version.
QUICK ANSWER
Dark Ritual first appeared in Limited Edition Alpha (LEA), 5 August 1993. The original is LEA #98, at common, illustrated by Sandra Everingham. Available original finishes: Nonfoil only.
Printing records and official context reviewed . Use the shortlist for a physical-edition comparison and the explorer for current availability and format data.
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REPRESENTATIVE PRINTING
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RULES & FORMAT CONTEXT
Dark Ritual adds three black mana for a one-black-mana instant. Its printed wording and frame have changed across releases, but the current Oracle identity governs play. This guide focuses on identifying the actual edition rather than ranking decks that use it.
The catalogue lists it legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage and Pauper at this review. Its original common status is distinct from later special or rare editions. Compare Necropotence and Demonic Tutor for other black-card collecting histories without assuming that their legality or release products are identical.
PRINTING HISTORY
The Alpha catalogue dates #98 to 5 August 1993. The number is a modern database identifier; it is not a collector-number line printed on the Alpha card. Later early editions can share artwork and lack modern set information, so identifying an original requires the edition as well as the familiar picture.
Urza’s Saga #127 in October 1998 credits Tom Fleming and is nonfoil-only. Mercadian Masques #129 followed a year later with Rebecca Guay’s artwork and both nonfoil and traditional foil. This pair makes the late-1990s art history readable without treating every older frame as the same release.
Amonkhet Invocations #21 arrived in 2017 with Richard Wright’s illustration and a foil-only special frame. Masters 25 #82 in 2018 uses Clint Langley’s artwork with both ordinary finishes. Its Alpha watermark signals the card’s origin, not that this physical copy was produced in 1993.
Mystical Archive in April 2021 introduced global #26 by Robbie Trevino and Japanese-art #89 by Rien. Both catalogue records offer nonfoil, foil and etched. This is a curated path through the physical history, not a dump of every language, Commander reprint or digital platform entry.
PRINTING SHORTLIST
Selected physical editions; not every language, digital entry or minor reprint.
| Release / set | Collector number | Rarity | Artwork / treatment | Artist | Available finishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Edition Alpha (1993) | LEA #98 | common | Original illustration; database collector index | Sandra Everingham | Nonfoil only |
| Urza’s Saga (1998) | USG #127 | common | Old-border alternate illustration | Tom Fleming | Nonfoil only |
| Mercadian Masques (1999) | MMQ #129 | common | Old-border alternate illustration; booster foil available | Rebecca Guay | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Amonkhet Invocations (2017) | MP2 #21 | special | Invocation frame and alternate illustration | Richard Wright | Traditional foil only |
| Masters 25 (2018) | A25 #82 | common | Modern-frame illustration; Alpha watermark | Clint Langley | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Strixhaven Mystical Archive (2021) | STA #26 | rare | Global showcase illustration | Robbie Trevino | Nonfoil, traditional foil, etched |
| Strixhaven Mystical Archive (2021) | STA #89 | rare | Japanese-language alternate-art edition | Rien. | Nonfoil, traditional foil, etched |
Finish labels belong to the individual source record. An etched or textured treatment is not an extra finish invented for every edition. A missing price is unknown, not zero.
ARTWORK & FRAME COMPARISON
Everingham’s Alpha image is the historical reference; Fleming’s Saga and Guay’s Masques illustrations are later artwork choices in old borders. A black border or an old type line is not sufficient evidence that a Ritual is Alpha.
The Invocation is an artistic and frame-led reinterpretation by Wright. A25 #82 is another credited image, by Langley. Choose between those pictures before treating one reflective surface as an automatic upgrade over another.
The Archive pair changes artist and language presentation, not only reflectivity. #26 is the global showcase record; #89 is the Japanese-language alternate artwork. Specify STA plus the number and finish when comparing a listing that describes the card loosely as “Japanese Ritual”.
FOILS & SPECIAL TREATMENTS
Alpha and the listed Saga printing are nonfoil-only. MMQ #129 is a verified old-border printing with a traditional foil, so it provides a physical foil choice without inventing an original 1993 foil.
MP2 #21 is foil-only. A25 #82 supports nonfoil/traditional foil, while STA #26 and #89 each list those finishes plus etched. A gold showcase frame is not itself a foil finish, and an etched Archive card is not an Amonkhet Invocation. Keep these products separate when comparing photographs.
MANASCOUT RECOMMENDATIONS
Original-era collection: LEA #98 is the Alpha reference. Ask for enough edition and condition information to identify the actual card; the catalogue number alone is not printed proof of authenticity.
Old-border art: compare USG #127 and MMQ #129 in nonfoil first. If Guay’s picture wins and you want a foil, #129 has that genuine option.
Premium frame: MP2 #21 and STA #26 offer very different visual languages. The Invocation is foil-only; the Archive record has a broader finish menu. These are collector preferences, not a financial-value ranking.
Alternate-language illustration: STA #89 offers Rien.’s art and three finishes. Keep its language and collector number visible and compare the same finish against #26 before making a surface-led choice.
ALL PRINTINGS / LIVE EXPLORER
Use the shared set, language and finish filters to inspect an exact printing. Cardmarket links are independent third-party destinations. Catalogue prices are live reference fields where available, not fixed GBP offers. The digital foil animation is illustrative, not a photograph of a physical finish.
SCOUT MORE
Necropotence — compare another black card’s original art and premium reprints.
Demonic Tutor — follow an Alpha-era black card through later art and frame changes.
Thoughtseize — compare Lorwyn’s illustration with later etched and textured editions.
Sol Ring — compare Alpha-era acceleration, original artists and later collector editions.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL REVIEW
Reviewed . The linked exact-edition catalogue records support dates, artists, rarity and finish availability; official sources support product treatment and format context where cited. The live explorer retrieves current Scryfall data separately. This is a dated editorial selection, not a guarantee of stock, price or unchanged future legality.
Supporting source: magery.com/mtg/mp2/dark-ritual.
Supporting source: mtgprices.io/set/lea/card/98-dark-ritual.