diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/StaticData.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/StaticData.java
index 9e8629baf20..a984f68288e 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/StaticData.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/StaticData.java
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ package forge;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import forge.card.CardDb;
+import forge.card.CardDb.CardRequest;
 import forge.card.CardEdition;
 import forge.card.CardRules;
 import forge.card.PrintSheet;
-import forge.card.CardDb.CardRequest;
 import forge.item.BoosterBox;
 import forge.item.FatPack;
 import forge.item.PaperCard;
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class StaticData {
         return foil ? commonCards.getFoiled(card) : card;
     }
 
-    public void attemptToLoadCard(String encodedCardName, String setCode) {
+    public CardRules attemptToLoadCard(String encodedCardName, String setCode) {
         CardDb.CardRequest r = CardRequest.fromString(encodedCardName);
         String cardName = r.cardName;
         CardRules rules = cardReader.attemptToLoadCard(cardName, setCode);
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ public class StaticData {
                 commonCards.loadCard(cardName, rules);
             }
         }
+        return rules;
     }
 
     /** @return {@link forge.util.storage.IStorage}<{@link forge.item.SealedProduct.Template}> */
diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardDb.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardDb.java
index 16af453f57a..4f8ea7a33f1 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardDb.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardDb.java
@@ -18,18 +18,15 @@
 package forge.card;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
-import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
-import com.google.common.collect.ListMultimap;
-import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
-import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
-import com.google.common.collect.Multimaps;
-
+import com.google.common.collect.*;
 import forge.card.CardEdition.CardInSet;
 import forge.card.CardEdition.Type;
 import forge.deck.generation.IDeckGenPool;
 import forge.item.PaperCard;
-import forge.util.*;
-
+import forge.util.CollectionSuppliers;
+import forge.util.Lang;
+import forge.util.MyRandom;
+import forge.util.TextUtil;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.tuple.Pair;
 
@@ -340,7 +337,7 @@ public final class CardDb implements ICardDatabase, IDeckGenPool {
         }
 
         if (request.artIndex <= 0) { // this stands for 'random art'
-            Collection<PaperCard> candidates;
+            List<PaperCard> candidates;
             if (reqEdition == null) {
                 candidates = new ArrayList<PaperCard>(cards);
             }
@@ -355,12 +352,15 @@ public final class CardDb implements ICardDatabase, IDeckGenPool {
             if (candidates.isEmpty()) {
                 return null;
             }
-            result = Aggregates.random(candidates);
+
+            Collections.shuffle(candidates);
 
             //if card image doesn't exist for chosen candidate, try another one if possible
-            while (candidates.size() > 1 && !result.hasImage()) {
-                candidates.remove(result);
-                result = Aggregates.random(candidates);
+            for(PaperCard candidate : candidates) {
+                result = candidate;
+                if (result.hasImage()) {
+                    break;
+                }
             }
         }
         else {
diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/deck/CardPool.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/deck/CardPool.java
index b484f31ab98..e9f3b7171a9 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/deck/CardPool.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/deck/CardPool.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import forge.StaticData;
 import forge.card.CardDb;
+import forge.card.CardRules;
 import forge.item.PaperCard;
 import forge.util.ItemPool;
 import forge.util.ItemPoolSorter;
@@ -73,29 +74,12 @@ public class CardPool extends ItemPool<PaperCard> {
 
     // NOTE: ART indices are "1" -based
     public void add(String cardName, String setCode, final int artIndex, final int amount) {
+        PaperCard paperCard = determineRequestedPaperCard(cardName, setCode, artIndex);
 
-        PaperCard paperCard = StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().getCard(cardName, setCode, artIndex);
-        final boolean isCommonCard = paperCard != null;
-
-        if (!isCommonCard) {
-            paperCard = StaticData.instance().getVariantCards().getCard(cardName, setCode);
-            if (paperCard == null) {
-                StaticData.instance().attemptToLoadCard(cardName, setCode);
-                paperCard = StaticData.instance().getVariantCards().getCard(cardName, setCode);
-            }
-        }
-
-        int artCount = 1;
-        if (paperCard != null) {
-            setCode = paperCard.getEdition();
-            cardName = paperCard.getName();
-            artCount = isCommonCard ? StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().getArtCount(cardName, setCode) : 1;
-        } else {
-            System.err.print("An unsupported card was requested: \"" + cardName + "\" from \"" + setCode + "\". ");
-            paperCard = StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().createUnsupportedCard(cardName);
-        }
-
-        boolean artIndexExplicitlySet = artIndex > 0 || Character.isDigit(cardName.charAt(cardName.length() - 1)) && cardName.charAt(cardName.length() - 2) == CardDb.NameSetSeparator;
+        int artCount = Math.max(StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().getArtCount(cardName, setCode), 1);
+        boolean artIndexExplicitlySet = artIndex > 0 ||
+                Character.isDigit(cardName.charAt(cardName.length() - 1)) &&
+                cardName.charAt(cardName.length() - 2) == CardDb.NameSetSeparator;
 
         if (artIndexExplicitlySet || artCount <= 1) {
             // either a specific art index is specified, or there is only one art, so just add the card
@@ -114,7 +98,43 @@ public class CardPool extends ItemPool<PaperCard> {
         }
     }
 
+    private PaperCard determineRequestedPaperCard(String cardName, String setCode, final int artIndex) {
+        // Does Forge even know this card exists?
+        PaperCard uniqueCard = StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().getUniqueByName(cardName);
+        if (uniqueCard == null) {
+            uniqueCard = StaticData.instance().getVariantCards().getUniqueByName(cardName);
+        }
 
+        CardDb db = null;
+        boolean isCommonCard = true;
+        if (uniqueCard == null) {
+            // Both database lookups failed, made up card OR lazy loading?
+            CardRules rules = StaticData.instance().attemptToLoadCard(cardName, setCode);
+            if (rules == null) {
+                // Failed to find a common/variant/or unloaded version of that card
+                System.err.print("An unsupported card was requested: \"" + cardName + "\" from \"" + setCode + "\". ");
+                return StaticData.instance().getCommonCards().createUnsupportedCard(cardName);
+            }
+            isCommonCard = !rules.isVariant();
+
+            db = isCommonCard ? StaticData.instance().getCommonCards() : StaticData.instance().getVariantCards();
+            uniqueCard = db.getUniqueByName(cardName);
+        } else {
+            isCommonCard = !uniqueCard.getRules().isVariant();
+            db = isCommonCard ? StaticData.instance().getCommonCards() : StaticData.instance().getVariantCards();
+        }
+
+        PaperCard paperCard = db.getCard(cardName, setCode, artIndex);
+        if (paperCard == null) {
+            paperCard = db.getCard(cardName, setCode);
+        }
+
+        if (paperCard == null) {
+            paperCard = uniqueCard;
+        }
+
+        return paperCard;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Add all from a List of CardPrinted.