Deck View: Pioneers (Red Edition) Playing Cards

Discovery. Liberty. Curiosity.

Following the success of the OG Blue Edition, Pioneers Red Edition Playing Cards brings a bold new colorway to Ellusionist's vintage-inspired series. Designed by Oban Jones, the deck remains fully custom, with every detail... from the tuck box and card backs to the pips, aces, and jokers, painstakingly hand-drawn.

The card back retains its intricate artwork featuring Lady Liberty, a phoenix, and references to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, while concealing a fully marked system for magicians. The striking red colour palette gives the deck a fresh look while preserving the original's period-inspired aesthetic.

Housed in a tuck designed to resemble vintage paper stock, the Red Edition is printed by Cartamundi, delivering smooth handling and durability for collectors, magicians, and everyday play.

Deck View: El Reino de los Muertos (Expert Edition) Playing Cards

Tradition. Mythology. Modern.

The El Reino de los Muertos (Expert Edition) Playing Cards celebrate Mexico’s rich cultural heritage through a fully custom deck inspired by Día de los Muertos traditions and pre-Hispanic mythology. Created as both an artistic and cultural tribute by Sextante studio, the deck explores themes of life, death, remembrance, and the journey to Mictlan, the underworld of Aztec belief.

Every card features original artwork, from the custom courts and aces to the numbered cards, jokers, and back design. The courts depict iconic Mexican figures reimagined in the style of calaveras and catrinas, including revolutionary heroes and ancient deities. The aces combine traditional Day of the Dead imagery with pre-Hispanic symbols, while the vibrant back design incorporates cempasúchil flowers, papel picado, skull motifs, and indigenous influences.

Printed by Cartamundi on Slimline B9 stock and finish, the deck offers premium handling alongside its striking artwork. Limited to 5,000 decks, it stands as a distinctive fusion of Mexican tradition and modern playing card design.

Deck View: Rattler Gorge (Noir Edition) Playing Cards

Legends. Noir. Western.

The Rattler (Gorge Noir Edition) Playing Cards reimagines the Old West through the lens of classic black-and-white cinema. Designed by Tim Coonfield in collaboration with DeckIdea, this fully custom deck captures the characters, stories, and atmosphere of a frontier town where every card contributes to the narrative.

The two-way back design centers around a revolver chamber, enhanced with intricate ornamental details inspired by engraved firearms. Custom courts introduce a cast of memorable western personalities, from lawmen and outlaws to travelling salesmen, while the Ace of Spades pays tribute to the weapons that defined life on the frontier.

What truly sets the Noir Edition apart is its monochromatic aesthetic. The black, white, and silver-toned palette evokes the silver-screen westerns that helped turn frontier folklore into legend. This theme extends to the distinctive tuck box, which features strategic die-cut windows resembling saloon doors on the front and a circular cutout on the back that reveals the revolver-inspired card back design beneath.

Printed by Cartamundi on Slim Line stock with B9 Finish, the Noir Edition combines storytelling, custom artwork, and innovative packaging into a striking tribute to the mythology of the American West.

Available from Rare Playing Cards for $31.

Deck View: Grid Series Four Playing Cards

Bold. Typographic. Futuristic.

Grid Series Four playing cards was launched in 2022 and continues the typographic approach of designer Luke Wadey, building on the success of the earlier Grid decks with a striking neon green visual identity. 

Rather than relying on traditional pips, the cards communicate their values through graphic text, numbers, and layered visual cues. Each card contains multiple pieces of information... up to seventeen elements! Allowing the value to be interpreted in several different ways. 

The faces feature full-bleed black and red designs, while the backs use a minimal white-and-green graphic pattern that creates a strong visual effect in fans and spreads. Distinctive Jokers and ad cards bring the deck to 56 cards in total. The redesigned tuck box introduces a unified style intended to carry forward across future Grid releases.

Printed by Cartamundi on Slimline stock with B9 True Linen finish, and available now on Luke Wadey's store for $20.

Deck View: Escape Velocity (Red Edition) Playing Cards

Cosmos. Interstellar. Explore.

The Escape Velocity playing cards is a tribute to the incredible history of space exploration, honoring the brave heroes who defied gravity and ventured into the great unknown.

Designed by Vitaly Sinkevich and produced by Montenzi, each card in this deck is a symbol of the unbreakable spirit and relentless curiosity that drives humans to explore the universe. The Red edition draws inspiration from the fiery bursts of rocket engines. These fully custom decks feature original symmetric courts adorned with retro astronauts, celebrating the pioneers of space exploration. Also, the original pips and layouts for number cards make this deck unique.

The decks come in foil-stamped and embossed red boxes, with a stunning night sky printed inside. As a finishing touch, the sides of the tuck form an image of a rocket, reminding you of the incredible journey you’re about to embark on.

Printed by Cartamundi in Belgium on premium True Linen B9 Slimline stock, they offer exceptional quality for your card games and magic tricks. Available NOW from Montenzi for $16.

Deck View: Aurelian (White Edition) Playing Cards

Power. Majesty. Rome.

The Aurelian Playing Cards by Ellusionist are among the most intricately designed decks the company has ever produced. Inspired by Roman Emperor Aurelian, who ruled from 270 to 275 AD, the deck was conceived by Geraint Clarke and illustrated by Oban Jones to capture the majesty and power of ancient Rome with an extraordinary level of detail.

Inside, the cards feature hypnotic back designs and fully custom court and number cards, all rendered with refined detail while still maintaining a familiar structure. The Ace of Spades stands out with golden swords, spears, and whips, while the jokers are a nod to classic Tally-Ho Cowboy designs.

The White Aurelian edition comes in a luxurious tuck box with gold foil and adorned with deep embossing. Inside the tuck, layers of gold foil oak leaf illustrations represent the Emperor’s Civic Crown, offering a regal finishing touch.

Printed by Cartamundi on E7 luxury pressed stock.

Warrior Playing Cards by Ellusionist

Warrior Playing Cards bring a minimalist aesthetic combined with hidden card revelations. Designed by Romy Meermans from Elluionist, these cards are inspired by the timeless elegance of classic two-logo decks like Jerry’s, Rounders, and Kings. 

Warrior Playing Cards blend style with substance, crafted to honor those who move boldly forward, no matter the challenge. The deck are available in Black and White editions.

The White Version includes a fully customized deck with a double-backed card and a duplicate 4 of Clubs. The Black Version offers a unique Angle Z gaff card alongside the duplicate 4 of Clubs, making each colorway distinct and versatile for magic or cardistry.

Printed on Cartamundi’s luxury E7 slimline stock. Available now for $12.95 on Ellusionist, Warrior Playing Cards are more than a deck—they’re a tribute to resilience and effortless style.