Collections: First Look at Hive 2 by Brendan Hong & Kings Wild Project

Let me start by thanking both Brendan Hong and Jackson Robinson for the opportunity to be the 1st to get a close look at Hive 2. These are the sample decks, and there are no others, so I’m honored that they think enough of my work to have me present them to all of you.
I’ll be honest, when I first got these in the mail and opened the package it was one of those OMG moments. Both the “Standard” and Limited deck in my opinion surpassed my expectations. Let’s start with the Standard Edition.

The Standard Edition does a wonderful job in picking up where the original Hive decks left off. The style and design connects them without being the same. The deck features all new custom courts in Brendan’s signature style as well as custom pips, Jokers and Ace of Spades. The deck was produced on EPCC’s Classic Finish which is growing in popularity among magicians and cardists as well as collectors. The tuck and back design brings familiar elements from The Hive, but in a new and unique presentation. The tuck is a nice emerald green color on a matte paper stock, embellished with silver foil and embossing as well as a repeating interior tuck design of the “Flower Buds” featured in the corners of the back design. This unlimited Edition is a fantastic usable deck with all the custom features you would expect from Kings Wild Projects and was an absolute bargain at its initial $8.00 price tag. 

The Hive 2 Limited Edition is just stunning! I think the thing that appealed to me most outside of the eye-candy that this deck is, is that it really depicts the decks name and concept in such an amazing way, it just fits the decks look and presentation flawlessly. Only 750 of the Limited Edition were produced, with only 694 available to backers with the remainder serving as a backup for any replacements. So these will not be easy to come by in the secondary market. The Limited Edition is fully embossed with Gold Foil accents as well as individually numbered seals. The tuck is a nice, heavier (Premium) matte paper stock and the interior features a gold foil, repeating, “Honeycomb” design that’s very striking. I think my favorite design element of this deck is the embossed, honeycomb pattern on the tuck exterior design, it’s subtle, but it’s not, it just makes the tuck box pop when you look at it. The back design matches the standard deck, but is printed in a gold metallic ink. 

The differences between the two decks don’t stop there. The Limited Edition has its own unique Jokers, Ace of Spades and fully illustrated Aces for the other suites. The court cards share the same design, but are presented in a more pastel color pallet as opposed to the vibrant colors of the standard edition. 

Standard Edition

Standard Edition

Limited Edition

I’m a big fan of Brendan’s style, it’s unique and there is no mistaken who the artist is. The Hive 2 decks are just beautiful, the standard for its 100% customization on a deck I can open, use and admire it for the work that was put into it. The Limited Edition for its striking “Wow” factor and the amazing details that just stand out and make it one of the most beautiful tuck cases I’ve ever seen. The decks as a set fit well together, but also offer enough key differences between them to make collectors and aficionados rejoice that It’s not just another tuck swap. Kings Wild has a proven track record, and I think Hive 2 does a stellar job solidifying Brendan Hongs talent and creativity. There isn’t one thing I dislike about these decks, and Brendan’s Hive Jokers always make me smile. If you were fortunate enough to have backed this project, I can guarantee you will be thrilled you did. 

For those of you who missed out on the campaign, numbers on this project were very tight and there may be a very limited offering available after fulfillment is completed and replacements taken care of. So fingers crossed and keep an eye out. 

Once again I want to thank Brendan and Jackson for letting us share the Hive 2 project with you, very honored and I'm thrilled for those of you who'll be enjoying these decks very soon. 

You can keep up to date with all things Kings Wild Projects related by following them on their Facebook page, and please take a moment to check out their latest project Wastelands, now LIVE on Kickstarter. 

The Collection segment is produced by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article, images or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author and Kardify.com. To see more of Anthony's (Sparkz) collection please visit sparkzcollector.com .