Last updated on October 11, 2024
Modern Magic is a collector’s dream. Many sets have at least a couple of alternate art frames or a bonus sheet woven in that lets you pick up special cards for draft or collections. Along with showcase arts, Wizards has been flexing their foiling abilities recently.
The past sets have given us all kinds of unique foil treatments. These are often exclusive to specific sets and appear alongside traditional foils rather than replacing them. One of the most interesting foil designs we’ve gotten recently is the oil slick foil treatment.
Let’s see what it's like!
What Is an Oil Slick Foil in MTG?
Elesh Norn | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve
Oil slick foils have a special, raised foil treatment. They're a promotional foil for Phyrexia: All Will Be One and have a special deep luster. The arts are all quite dark – thematically, the foiling effect evokes the idea that the cards are coated in glistening oil.
How Do You Identify an Oil Slick Foil?
Oil slick foils have a raised foiling and glisten brightly. They also have unique art. All oil slick foils have art set on black backgrounds to highlight the inky nature of the foiling.
How Do You Get Oil Slick Foils?
Oil slick foils are an exclusive treatment unique to the Phyrexia: All Will Be One Compleat Bundles. They’re the only sealed product containing these foils.
- Bundle: Compleat Edition—contains cards with an Oil Slick Raised Foil treatment exclusive to the Compleat Edition
- 1 Compleat Edition booster—12 Oil Slick Raised Foil cards, with 2 Mythic Rares + 10 Basic Lands (2 of each type)
- 1 Exclusive Phyrexian Language Traditional Foil Rare promo card—Phyrexian Arena
- 40 Traditional Foil Land cards that celebrate the glory of Phyrexia—20 Phyrexianized Lands + 20 Panorama Full-Art Lands
- 12 Phyrexia: All Will Be One Set Boosters—the best MTG boosters to open just for fun
What Types of Packs Have Oil Slick Foils?
The only sealed product with oil slick foils is the Compleat Bundle from Phyrexia: All Will Be One, and they contain 10 oil slick basics in addition to two randomized mythic rares from 20 cards selected to receive the treatment.
What Sets Have Oil Slick Foils?
The only set with oil slick foils is Phyrexia: All Will Be One. As the treatment is connected to Phyrexians and glistening oil, it’s unlikely we'll see this treatment again soon unless we also see oil counters.
What Are the Odds of Opening an Oil Slick Foil?
The only place you can get oil slick foils are the Compleat Bundles. If you get this product, you have a 100% chance of opening some of the foils. Each bundle contains five basic lands and two mythics.
Are Oil Slick Foils Valuable?
No products found.The price of oil slick foils varies widely, depending on how much play the foiled card sees. The basics are noticeably expensive around $5 apiece or more depending on your land of choice. This is quite a lot for basics, which often cost pennies. Take the No products found. for example which is a clear favorite among the dark-themed cards.
Oil Slick Foils vs. Regular Foils
Left-Right: oil slick foil Zopandrel, foil Cultivate from Warhammer 40k, nonfoil Cultivate from Warhammer 40k.
There are a few noticeable differences between oil slick foils and regular foils. Firstly, traditionally foiled cards are foiled over the original art of the card; they don’t have alt arts. Secondly, regular foils aren’t textured whereas the oil slick foils are raised. Finally, the foiling on oil slick foils is deeper and a bit shinier.
Oil Slick Foils vs. Etched Foils
Etched foils aren’t foiled with a laminate sheet but a type of varnish that stands out on the card. The oil slick foiling technique coats the entire card with a deep, glistening sheen. Etched foils, in comparison, only highlight certain attributes of a card and do so with a sparkling finish rather than a sheen.
Oil Slick Foils vs. Textured Foils
Textured foils are a foiling technique that shimmers in such a way as to give the art a sense of movement. It’s distinguished from the oil slick foils because it makes the art of the card look like it's shifting, whereas the deep luster of the oil slick foil makes it look like the card has been soaked in glistening oil.
Can All Cards Be Found as Oil Slick Foils, or Only Certain Ones?
A total of 25 cards got the oil slick foil technique. The five basic land types got the foil treatment along with 20 select mythics from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. These mythics include the compleated planeswalkers and the five praetors.
Do Oil Slick Foils Warp or Bend More Than Regular Foils?
Like other foils, oil slick foils are prone to curling if they aren’t properly stored. Thankfully, you can combat foil curling if you need to fix a foil that was not sleeved or stored well.
Are Oil Slick Foils Tournament Legal?
Yes. oil slick foils are legal in tournaments.
Wrap Up
Sheoldred | Illustration by Ryan Pancoast
MTG has become a collector’s playground between showcase arts becoming commonplace, Secret Lairs printing all kinds of arts, and an abundance of unique foiling treatments that help different sets appeal to different players. The oil slick foils are especially collectible because they’re only available in a limited product. You can’t open these in regular boosters, making them exclusive and unique cards to add to your collection.
Do you like oil slick foils? What’s your favorite foiling technique Wizards has introduced? Let me know in the comments or on the Draftsim Discord!
Stay safe, and thanks for reading!
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