The finest marked deck we’ve ever created!

They say that good design is appealing… but has no story – When it does, we call it art.

That’s exactly what Pioneers are. They’re so much more than a vintage-inspired deck. They are art.

The tuck box is constructed of exquisite laid card, capturing the texture of period-accurate paper. Debossed in all the right places, to create a 4th dimension of quality.

On the back is a lady of liberty, with a phoenix at her feet. In her left hand is the flag of the United States – in her right is the lesser-known but equally poignant flag of Chicago.

Pioneers Playing Cards by Ellusionist

The deck inside is printed on luxury-pressed E7 stock for that crushed but durable feel. This is the exact stock you’ve fallen in love with from our Cohort decks.

However, you won’t notice any borrowed artwork here, Pioneers are fully custom, inside and out. From the distinctive deck seal to the impeccable pips. Every detail and line on the tuck, backs, aces, and jokers was painstakingly hand-drawn by renowned playing card artist Oban Jones.

The back design is a celebration of the 1893 World’s Fair. A 600-acre spectacle that commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival to the new world.

The Pioneers deck looks like they’ve been plucked out of that gift shop in 1893, locked in a vault for over a century, and placed gently, into your awaiting hands.

Hidden in the design are 52 easily-readable markings, to use for either magic, mischief, or both.

Pioneers are a celebration of exploration, scientific discovery, and innocent curiosity from a bygone era.