‘Magic: The Gathering’ Overprinting “Mechanically Unique Secret Lair Cards” For Sale Via Local Game Stores
Following the discontinuation of the game’s The List reprint line, Magic: The Gathering Head Designer Mark Rosewater has confirmed that Wizards of the Coast’s is now addressing the limited availability of “mechanically unique” Secret Lair Drop cards by “printing extra” and making them available directly through local game stores.
RELATED: ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Devs “Will Likely Take Action” Against ‘Final Fantasy’ Terror ‘Vivi Ornitier’
Making its debut with 2020’s Zendikar Rising set, The List served as an imprint through which MTG could reprint any of its more rare, widely used, and/or expensive cards without having to worry about incorporating and balancing them according to a given set’s theme (like Outlaws of Thunder Junction‘s dance with the Wild West or Edge of Eternities‘ focus on the final frontier).
While most cards were simple reprints (albeit with updated set markers and copyright dates), the line also featured its own Universes Within sub-imprint, which provided new, in-universe art treatments for the mechanically unique Universes Beyond crossover cards originally released through MTG‘s Secret Lair limited release program.
Abruptly discontinued in 2024 with the release of the mainline Bloomburrow set, The List lasted just long enough to produce alternate printings for such Secret Lair releases as The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, Street Fighter, and D&D: Honor Among Thieves, but not long enough to do the same for the program’s Tomb Raider, Doctor Who, and Marvel-related cards.
Since the imprint was ended without any replacement plan, the last year has seen players going without any idea as to how they could experiment with mechanics likes Captain America’s shield-throwing or Lara Croft’s exile-focused Token-generation while also avoiding their respective aftermarket prices (for example, on the popular online card sales hub TCG Player, both the regular and foil printings of Captain America, First Avenger currently go for an average of $45 USD each).
Worse yet, in November 2024, Rosewater further confirmed that while WotC had previously promise to make a Universes Within equivalent to every Universes Beyond card, they had chosen to abandon this specific game plan in favor of more case-by-base solutions:
“We want to make sure that players who aren’t able to purchase the Secret Lair have access to the card mechanically. The non-Secret Lair version will always be different from what the Secret Lair offered, but might keep the same name, representing the same character/object/place – aka it won’t always be a ‘Universe Within‘ version.”
“There’s not going to be a single way to do this. Each Secret Lair might have its own solution. The intention is that we will make sure a version of that mechanical card is made available somewhere other than from purchasing directly from our site.”
Fast forward to September 5th, whereupon Rosewater was asked about this discrepancy via his personal Tumblr blog, in particular how WotC was able to “justify keeping the Reserved List promise [which holds that, in service of preserving their secondary market value, none of its listed cards will ever be reprinted] but choosing to opt out of the Universes Within promise?”
In turn, the MTG lead would explain that while he understood the frustrations caused by the rocky nature of the game’s ever-changing release plans, rest assured, the relevant Universes Beyond cards were absolutely on the way:
“We promised that every original Secret Lair design would get an equivalent version available somewhere, meaning longterm you didn’t have to buy a Secret Lair to get it.
“Our original plan to satisfy that was printing in-Multiverse versions distributed through The List in boosters. The List went away, so we are finding other ways to get those cards to players.
“We’ve made it clear that those cards through other channels might still be Universe Beyond versions. There is no inherent promise that the way we will create accessibility will include creating an in-Multiverse equivalent.
“We still have plans to create non-Secret Lair means to get those cards, so we have no opted out of any promise.”
In a follow-up post, Rosewater would reveal that had WotC had both decided and already begun experimenting with the the next avenue they would explore to make Secret Lair Drop exclusive mechanics available to the masses: overprinting.
“I answered a question earlier today talking about how we’re getting players access to mechanically unique Secret Lair cards. As I said, we’re dedicated to making sure that there’s a place to purchase mechanically unique Secret Lair cards outside of ordering them online through the Secret Lair site.
“Because I didn’t know what the answer was to how we’re doing it, I went and talked to Lindsey Bartell, the Senior Director of Secret Lair, who oversees this process. Here’s what’s going on. For most drops with mechanically unique Secret Lair cards, we are printing extra cards, over and above what we’re selling online through Secret Lair. We’re then selling those cards through our normal channels to local game stores, who can then sell them directly to all of you.”
Bringing his post to a close, Rosewater ultimately clarified that “there are a small number of Secret Lair drops with mechanically unique cards (our five Marvel drops from last year, as an example) that are not doing this, because we have discovered a future product that we can include them in.”
