Lindsey Crummett

set invites players into a world of shadowed woods and whispered horrors. But not all is darkness. Even in 

 there are moments of radiance and hope, however small and fleeting.

We've been having a blast giving a glimpse into the mechanics behind 

and today, we’re honored to take a look at some of the set's art with the reveal of 

 Founder and Creative Director, Erik Olofsson.

“The prompt was that it was to be much like the famous painting of the same name,” Lindsey explains, referencing the Italian painter Sassoferrato, “but also have a magical effect coming from the hands clasped in prayer.”

Sassoferrato painted more than one version of the Virgin, one looking downward, the other gazing to the heavens. Lindsey considered both before settling on the expression that she felt captured the tone of 

“I tried to capture a serenity in her expression, a gentle softness in how she holds her hands together, and maybe a little melancholy since (as we see in 

) there is a lot of darkness in the world.”

That contrast, light amid the looming darkness, provided a welcome reprieve from the darker characters she painted in the set. “It was lovely,” Lindsey shares, “I love character pieces, and this seemed a good opportunity for it. I loved the subtlety as opposed to some of the hit-your-over-the-head evil characters I've done,”

Plus, it allowed her to recruit a friend to serve as a reference photo. After staging an elaborate photo shoot with her friend as the model, the resulting reference images helped her capture not just the spirit of the piece, but the intricate textures and lighting that bring 

“I draped cloth over her in just the right way, and moved the lighting around to get the shapes I wanted…she did a great job doing what I asked of her!”

 stretches from the brooding to the beautiful, she can’t really pick a favorite, especially in a set like 

“It’s really difficult to choose, I feel like it’s different aspects of my own personality!” she says. “I’ve always loved villains - when I was 5 years old, I memorised Darkness’s monologue from the 1985 fantasy film, 

Much like Darkness says in the film, ‘What is light, without Dark? … I am a part of you all.’ I have to agree with him! We all have the capacity for both, so I honestly love playing with both.”

It’s a perspective that resonates deeply in 

a set defined by contrast, where even the purest light feels more vivid when cast against the shadow of 

This October, Lindsey will travel to Melbourne for PAX Australia, where she will showcase original art from 

 at the Sorcery booth, part of a collaboration with our friends at 

Join us for learn-to-play demos, card signings, and an unforgettable celebration of traditional fantasy art. Whether you’re a seasoned Sorcerer or just discovering the Realm, we can’t wait to see you at PAX!


Tickets for PAX Australia can be purchased 

Light in the Darkness: Lindsey Crummett Reveals Virgin In Prayer

Sometimes, a single booster pack can change everything.

For Cassandra Hughes, that moment came when her husband returned from a learn-to-play event run by Emmett Stokes and the Golden State Avatars, beaming with excitement and holding a 

Beta booster, left unopened so she could share in the experience.

Inside her pack? A Pathfinder Avatar. The rest, as they say, is history.

A casual TCG player at heart, Cassandra was quickly drawn into the tactics and grid-based play of 

 and soon local game store visits became a regular ritual. By November 2024, Cassandra found herself traveling to Las Vegas to attend the community-run 

This spring, she entered her first local Constructed tournament, the 

in Sacramento, and surprised even herself by taking home the championship title. Her Avatar of choice? Pathfinder.

 Organized Play Cornerstone events kicking off next week at

 stores around the globe, there will be plenty of opportunities for communities to gather and play in events in the months to come. Today, we're proud to spotlight Cassandra’s journey - and the deck that helped her carve out a win.

The main theme of the deck is aggro, utilizing air and fire elements. However, it’s not quite as fast as typical aggro decks and has a slightly higher mana curve to utilize the Pathfinder’s ability to play sites. The primary goal for me is to lean towards surprise damage. For example, utilizing Grapple Shot or Warp Spasm to effectively double the damage a minion can do on a turn, or using charge to attack an unprotected site.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL CARDS IN THE DECK?

 “I don’t necessarily know that I’d label them ‘essential’ cards, but some of my favorites are Blink, Blaze, Jihad, Infernal Legion, and Panorama Manticore.

Blink and Blaze both increase mobility, which expands the area I can attack, or can be used for evasion, too.

Jihad is always lovely as it increases attack range in a way and improves power. Playing Jihad and Monstrous Lion to directly attack an enemy Avatar for 5 damage is always great.

Infernal Legion can provide some nice unexpected damage since it deals 3 damage at the end of my turn to other units, so it hopefully does something before my opponent can remove it.

Panorama Manticore is another high-power creature. I love the airborne and lethal combo, which makes it more difficult to attack.

Since I usually have a bit more mana than typical aggro decks, I can do combos like Jihad + Monstrous Lion, Infernal Legion + Blink, or Sir Pellinore + Warp Spasm in the same turn to help guarantee damage before my opponent can react.”

What are Some of Your Favorite Tactics to Use with this Deck?

I included both the Ruby Core and Amethyst Core to help with threshold, since dual-color Pathfinder can sometimes make it difficult to achieve the thresholds I need with random site draws. I also included Blink because I appreciate mobility, and it can be useful for repositioning my Pathfinder to continue placing sites if I get boxed in.

 Blaze is another of my favorite mobility cards - it can help me attack an unprotected site, with the bonus of killing weak minions along the way. I almost took Blaze out of the deck before playing at the Gauntlet, based on advice from some local players, but I added one back in after my husband was incredulous that I had removed them (Blaze is one of his most hated cards for me to play against him). 

In the championship round of the Gauntlet, I drew that Blaze the turn I got my opponent to Death’s Door and was able to finish them off with it the next turn.

One of the deck’s strengths is that it doesn’t burn out as fast as a typical aggro deck, but the downside is that I typically can’t keep up with traditional aggro decks either. A strength of the Pathfinder is being able to play a site almost every turn, but the drawback is not being able to tactically place sites or choose thresholds when needed. 

As I mentioned, it’s usually a bit slower than true aggro decks, but if I can outlast and control the board state early on, I can gain power and start doing damage once my opponent has played most of the cards out of their hand. It’s usually faster than the typical control deck, but it also has a surprising amount of mana, allowing me to play high-cost combos and deal significant damage in a turn that can’t be countered."

It’s performed surprisingly well, especially considering it’s a Pathfinder deck. People were pretty surprised to see a Pathfinder in the Top 8 of the Golden State Gauntlet, which was cool and exciting for me. One play that was incredibly lucky happened when I was playing against my husband, and he had gotten me to Death’s Door. 

He had Sir Lamorak positioned to suicide on one of my creatures the next turn and hit my avatar with his deathrite - but I played Cloud City with the Pathfinder ability and was able to move Cloud City into an adjacent void to get out of Lamorak’s range, allowing me to turn the game around and win.

I’ve been considering adding some site destruction, like Hamlet’s Ablaze, to this deck, but I’m also excited to try new Pathfinder variants too. I know Pathfinder isn’t usually the most competitive option, but I really love it and want to keep experimenting with it for now.”

Write Your Own Story at a Cornerstone Event

Cassandra’s journey from casual newcomer to a store champion is a great example of what 

can be all about - discovering great art, finding your people, and forging your path through the realm.

As our Cornerstone organized play events ramp up at stores worldwide, now’s your chance to write your own story. With four events happening this weekend and more launching around the globe in early August, there’s never been a better time to jump in, meet your local community, and see where the realm takes you!

Find a Cornerstone event near you on the 

From Pack to Pathfinder: Cassandra’s Journey to Champion

We are proud to announce a new partnership between Erik’s Curiosa and heo Distribution, one of Europe’s leading distributors of tabletop and hobby gaming products.

“We at heo are thrilled to partner up with the visionary team behind

” shares,” André Guzmán Chief Business Development Officer at heo. “With our extensive pan-European distribution network and deep expertise in the TCG market, we're confident we can propel 

 to the prominent position it truly deserves within the European gaming landscape. We believe strongly in the unique appeal and potential of this game, and we're excited to contribute to its success.”

heo has long been a cornerstone of the European hobby scene, helping local game stores get the products they need to grow their communities. With their support, 

 will now be more accessible than ever to players across the region.

"We are delighted to see tremendous growth in Europe since 

 has reached our European player base. heo is foundational for providing many game stores access to products and services, and their commitment to the hobby retail community aligns perfectly with our vision of building strong, local player ecosystems,” shares Simon Swan, Director of Operations at Erik’s Curiosa. “With heo’s reach and expertise, we’re confident that 

 will continue to flourish across Europe, bringing our unique blend of art, gameplay, and collector appeal to more players than ever before."

This partnership is another step forward in our commitment to making 

 accessible and vibrant around the world. Europe has already shown incredible enthusiasm for the 

 - and with heo’s support, we’re looking forward to seeing even more events, more local communities, and more players discovering what makes 

If you’re a European retailer interested in carrying 

Expanding the Realm: Erik’s Curiosa Partners with Heo Distribution

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Light in the Darkness: Lindsey Crummett Reveals Virgin In Prayer

From Pack to Pathfinder: Cassandra’s Journey to Champion