MTG PRINTING GUIDE
Thoughtseize’s original is Lorwyn #145, released in October 2007, at rare with Aleksi Briclot’s artwork and both nonfoil and traditional foil. Six artist-led families make the later catalogue easier to understand: Briclot, Lucas Graciano, James Ryman, Chuck Lukacs, Junji Ito and William Tempest. This guide separates their illustrations from retro frames, borderless presentation, etched finish and textured treatment, so a collector label does not hide which physical record you are choosing.
QUICK ANSWER
Thoughtseize first appeared in Lorwyn (LRW), 12 October 2007. The original is LRW #145, at rare, illustrated by Aleksi Briclot. Available original finishes: Nonfoil, traditional foil.
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
Thoughtseize makes the target reveal their hand, discards a chosen nonland card and costs its caster 2 life. The catalogue’s rulings note that the life loss still happens if no nonland card can be chosen. Different editions retain the same Oracle card.
The catalogue currently lists it legal in Commander, Modern and Pioneer, but bonus-sheet membership does not itself make a card legal in Standard. Its printing history is distinct from Demonic Tutor’s search history or Vampiric Tutor’s promotional foils; compare their collecting options without treating discard and tutoring as the same gameplay action.
PRINTING HISTORY
Lorwyn #145 debuted on 12 October 2007 with both finishes. Theros #107 followed in September 2013 with Lucas Graciano’s art, still at rare and still with nonfoil and foil. These are two different pictures, not simply a new expansion symbol around the original.
Amonkhet Invocations #45 credits James Ryman and is foil-only. The catalogue groups it under the product’s 28 April 2017 set date; that date should not be read as a claim about the first distribution day of every Invocation wave. Identify the ornate Invocation frame and #45 rather than confusing it with Arena’s Amonkhet Remastered edition.
Double Masters in 2020 offers a useful pair: regular #109 returns to Briclot, whereas borderless #344 credits Chuck Lukacs. Both have nonfoil and foil. Time Spiral Remastered #334 then pairs Briclot’s image with a retro frame in 2021; it is a later timeshifted printing, not an original Lorwyn card.
Secret Lair #1117 in 2022 introduced Junji Ito’s interpretation with nonfoil and etched options. Breaking News in April 2024 added William Tempest’s newspaper art: #20 is nonfoil/traditional foil, while #70 is the separate textured-foil-only record. The mythic label belongs to those OTP records, not the 2007 debut.
PRINTING SHORTLIST
Selected physical editions; not every language, digital entry or minor reprint.
| Release / set | Collector number | Rarity | Artwork / treatment | Artist | Available finishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorwyn (2007) | LRW #145 | rare | Original illustration | Aleksi Briclot | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Theros (2013) | THS #107 | rare | Alternate illustration | Lucas Graciano | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Amonkhet Invocations (2017) | MP2 #45 | special | Invocation frame; catalogue set date | James Ryman | Traditional foil only |
| Double Masters (2020) | 2XM #109 | rare | Regular-frame original-art reprint | Aleksi Briclot | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Double Masters (2020) | 2XM #344 | rare | Borderless box-topper illustration | Chuck Lukacs | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Time Spiral Remastered (2021) | TSR #334 | special | Retro-frame original-art reprint | Aleksi Briclot | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Secret Lair Drop (2022) | SLD #1117 | rare | Special Guest: Junji Ito; alternate illustration | Junji Ito | Nonfoil, etched |
| Breaking News (2024) | OTP #20 | mythic | Newspaper showcase illustration | William Tempest | Nonfoil, traditional foil |
| Breaking News (2024) | OTP #70 | mythic | Textured edition of the newspaper artwork | William Tempest | Textured foil only |
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
For Briclot’s illustration, compare LRW #145, 2XM #109 and TSR #334. Their shared artist makes the frame and release identity the main comparison. In particular, an older-looking TSR border is not proof of an older release.
Graciano’s THS #107, Ryman’s Invocation and Lukacs’ borderless #344 each offer an actual change of illustration. “Full art” is an imprecise seller description: use the source’s borderless or Invocation identity and exact number rather than treating every expanded picture as the same version.
Ito’s #1117 is its own artist-led edition. Tempest’s OTP #20 and #70 instead compare finishes/treatments of the newspaper image. Buying the textured #70 does not introduce a seventh artist to this shortlist.
FOILS & SPECIAL TREATMENTS
Lorwyn already has a legitimate original foil. The Theros and Double Masters entries also support ordinary foil, while the Invocation is foil-only. Finish and artwork should be decided separately wherever the printing offers that choice.
The Junji Ito record is specifically nonfoil or etched. Do not invent a traditional-foil option for #1117 just because another Secret Lair card has one. Likewise, the newspaper textured treatment belongs to OTP #70; it is not an additional finish silently available on #20. Both distinctions are visible in the comparison table.
MANASCOUT RECOMMENDATIONS
Historical original: LRW #145 is the debut in either surface. That is a release-identification choice, not a promise that the original will be the cheapest or most expensive.
Original art with a classic border: TSR #334 is the targeted comparison against the Lorwyn card. Hold finish constant to judge the frame rather than the lighting.
Different painting: compare THS #107, 2XM #344 and SLD #1117. Choose Graciano, Lukacs or Ito first, then check that printing’s actual finish menu.
Premium treatment: distinguish MP2 #45 foil, SLD #1117 etched and OTP #70 textured. These are separate collecting directions. Ask for photographs and the full collector identity instead of relying on “premium foil Thoughtseize”.
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
Demonic Tutor — compare another black card’s long-running artwork and premium editions.
Vampiric Tutor — separate original art, Judge foils and later collector treatments.
Dark Ritual — follow black-card collecting back to Alpha and old-border illustrations.
Force of Will — contrast another tournament staple’s regular, borderless and foil versions.
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.