Heroes of the Nations Playing Cards USPCC

The card graphics are well designed and fun to examine. Courts feature the heroes with accompanying animals. The pips are unique and elegant. I like that the number cards have background inscriptions on the faces in the writing of the kingdoms.

The dark deck has one way backs due to the dark shading. A turned card can be located with a very narrow spread (or a large bevel).

The heroes of the nations deck is both unique and very well illustrated. The back design and core cards are intricate and fit the theme of the deck.

Excellent artwork on the tuck box that is carried through to the Court Cards, each being different and also around the border of the Aces. Two very nice custom Jokers and one double backer are also included. Nice handling deck.

I had no idea what this deck was when I first saw the box. You have to look at each individual card extremely close to fully appreciate the blend from fantasy to reality and then back again. The artwork is so stunning on each and every one of these cards, it makes you think the images that you're seeing are somehow real, and we're drawn in someone's sketchbook while observing them personally. I am forced to be somewhat vague for the rest of this review, as there is simply not enough room allotted to discuss in greater detail the intricate details of all of the artwork. Suffice to say, the deck is completely custom, as even the two thru ten cards have custom coloration, backgrounds, fonts, and pips. The back designs are symmetrical, and a double backer as well as two full sized jokers are included. Truth be told, this is not my personal style of art, and I don't recall purchasing this deck (it may have been a gift from a friend). That said, regardless of whether or not it's "my style", amazing talent still has to be appreciated and recognized, and a tip o' the cap goes to this artist for captivating me with a style of drawing and deck design that I might not have taken note of otherwise. This is a worthy addition to my collection.

These are amazing images! I know the artist personally and have seen him draw images for this deck, an unthinkable amount of work for such a small print run. Shapkin showed me pictures the size of A2, how many variants of paintings were broken...and then I saw a small card, it does not convey what masterpieces of the artist fit into such a small playing cards... Thank you to the creators of the artist Oleg Shapkin, designer Anatoly Magarchov and the Creator of the project Konstantin Sheiko for high creativity !