The 30th anniversary celebration just keeps getting better by the minute, but that depends on who you ask. Just days after Transformers were unveiled to have new Magic cards in Hasbro’s Pulse Con, Wizards of the Coast has unveiled a rather shocking new product, in more ways than one.
The new 30th Anniversary Edition contains 4 special booster packs, bringing back memories of the old Double Masters VIP Edition boxes. However, these 30th Anniversary boxes will cost close to 10 times more at just below US$1000 for 4 packs, easily making these the most expensive Magic booster packs in history. (If you ignore resale prices of vintage sealed packs).
What’s Inside These 30th Anniversary Edition Packs?
- 4 packs, each containing 15 cards.
- Breakdown of each pack: 13 cards in modern frame (7 Commons, 3 Uncommons, 1 Rare, 2 Basic Lands); 2 retro cards (1 Basic Land, and 1 of any rarity), 1 token card.
- Cards will have a “30th Edition” watermark to replace the set symbol
- Each card has 2 possible frames – modern and retro frame
- Each card has a gold-bordered back, not the traditional back
‘Reprinting’ of the Reserved List
In this 30th Anniversary Edition box, you can find many of the very first cards printed for Magic, including those from the Reserved List like the exalted Power 9 cards – Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister and all the 5 Moxes. Not to be left out, the 10 Dual Lands (Tropical Island, Underground Sea etc.) can also be pulled, with double the chance of pulling 1 over other Rares.
Since each card is available in both modern and retro frame, there is a chance (albeit crazy low) of pulling 2 Black Lotuses in a single pack. We’d imagine the retro frame versions to be the more sought after cards, since on the front they look just like the original cards from the 90s, plus you only get 2 retro frame cards per pack, compared to 13 in the modern frame.
How Are They Able to Print Reserved List Cards?
Since these 30th Edition cards do not have official Magic card backs, they are not legal in tournaments or other sanctioned events. By their definition, this doesn’t equate to reprinting of the Reserved List.
While that may be technically true, the front of the cards look completely legit with black borders, unlike the old Collectors Edition that had gold borders. Whether you consider this a reprinting or not, vintage collectors should not worry, as early editions always command a higher price. Just compared the numbers between an Alpha and Beta Black Lotus – people are willing to pay more for the rarer copy.
Where Can You Buy These 30th Anniversary Edition Boxes?
Just like Secret Lair, these 30th Edition boxes will be available directly through Wizards, starting 28 Nov, 2022. It wasn’t clear exactly what time would sales start.
Printing will be done before the sale, and it’s mentioned that numbers will be limited, though an actual number was not specified. WPN stores will get 1 complimentary box, while Premium WPN stores will get 3 of them.
6 Beta Cards Not Found in the 30th Anniversary Edition
End Step
This is a massive announcement, not simply because it’s an incredibly expensive product, but they’ve taken the bold step of adding new variations of Reserved List cards into collectors’ hands. From a gameplay standpoint, nothing has changed, but everyone will be watching how these new cards will impact prices for old as well as current Reserved List cards.
