I think it really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you want a deck that's a little more stylish and artsy get the arcanes (I prefer the white). The down-side to them is that I find that a lot of people see them as a trick deck because of all the runes and letters on the back. On the other hand Shadow masters have a darker more serious tone to them and are still good-looking cards (but lets face it they're the same design as all of the other bicycles in the world) and I do like the shadow effect they have. Personally I'd choose the arcanes because they're more elegant, artsy and fit my style better, but shadow masters are still excellent cards. If possible get both.