Heroes and Villains by Craig Petty

Effect

The Heroes and Villains deck presents a visually striking alternative to traditional playing cards. The audience sees a deck divided into 26 heroes (blue) and 26 villains (red), each with detailed artwork and thematic pairings. The magician can perform mind-reading effects, matching routines, and classic card tricks with a fresh twist. The deck's design makes it instantly relatable, as spectators recognize characters like Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, or Peter Pan, enhancing engagement.

Full Details

The deck features:

• 52 custom cards (26 heroes, 26 villains) with high-quality artwork.
• Optical marking system for quick identification of cards and their nemeses.
• Mother of All Book Tests (MOAB) integration, allowing word-based mentalism reveals.
• Extra cards and envelopes for predictions and packet tricks.
• Versatile applications, including shuffle board, oil and water, out of this world, and ambitious card routines.

Unlike traditional decks, each hero has a predefined villain counterpart (e.g., Sherlock Holmes vs. Moriarty), making matching effects more intuitive. The deck can be used in stacked or shuffled states, offering flexibility for different routines.

Who Should Consider the Trick

This deck is ideal for:

• Magicians who perform walk-around or close-up and want a visually engaging alternative to standard cards.
• Mentalists looking for a marked deck with built-in psychological hooks (e.g., character recognition, MOAB).
• Performers who enjoy storytelling, as the hero/villain theme adds narrative depth to classic tricks.
• Those seeking a self-working or semi-automatic deck, as many routines require minimal sleight of hand.

Difficulty

The Heroes and Villains deck is moderate in difficulty, depending on the routines performed:

• Beginner-friendly: Self-working tricks like shuffle board or out of this world require no advanced moves.
• Intermediate: Some routines (e.g., oil and water) involve basic card controls or double lifts.
• Advanced: The optical marking system requires practice to read quickly, and certain stack-based routines benefit from familiarity with memorized deck principles.

Alex Kirk notes, "The optical markings are clear once you know what to look for, but you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the nemesis pairings for smooth performances."

What Magicians Say

• Craig Petty (creator) emphasizes its versatility: "You can take your favorite card trick and do it with this deck, making it instantly more relatable."
• Magic-TV highlights its practicality: "The marking system is one of the best—quick to read and well-hidden. It’s a deck I always carry in my gig bag."
• Alex Kirk praises its audience appeal: "Spectators connect with the characters, which makes tricks like out of this world or shuffle board hit harder than with traditional cards."

The deck has been praised for its strong audience reactions and innovative design, though some note that mastering the markings and thematic pairings requires rehearsal.

For magicians wanting a fresh, narrative-driven alternative to standard decks, Heroes and Villains offers a compelling blend of visual appeal and practical utility.