Magic: The Gathering 30th Anniversary Black Lotus

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Ambrose Leung/Hypebeast

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Ambrose Leung/Hypebeast

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Ambrose Leung/Hypebeast

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Ambrose Leung/Hypebeast

7,260 Hypes

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With just a little over a month until Wizards of the Coast drops its Magic: The Gathering 30th-Anniversary Collectors Edition, we now take a closer look at one of the iconic cards that pay homage to the original Black Lotus. This set truly does put an emphasis on the “collectible” in “collectible card game.”

As Magic: The Gathering continues to expand and grow after 30 years of existence — entering that challenging stage of keeping its core audience and loyal community happy, all the while tapping into a new generation of players — there has been some controversy surrounding this big drop. Priced at $999 USD (or roughly $250 USD per pack of 15 cards), the price point has effectively set the celebratory pack exceptionally above normal product pricing and is aimed at more of the collectors as the cards are not-tournament legal. This limited-quantity offering will contain four packs that contain 15 cards: 13 in modern frame — one rare, three uncommons, seven commons, and two basic lands — plus one basic in the retro frame, one additional retro frame card, and a token.

Taking an early look, the original Christopher Rush Black Lotus illustration shows the black border, the commemorative card back, and the “30th Edition” markings on the front. For obvious reasons, players will most likely not see too many of these in tabletop play, but still, it is interesting to see the evolution of MTG and its recent success in capturing a wider audience — from Kyle Ng of Brain Dead to even Post Malone. In this single card, the story of not only the most valuable card in the game’s history is told, but also the enduring story of the Power Nine, and most importantly, the legacy of the first modern trading card game ever created. Many fans are waiting patiently to see if there will be any impact on the Reserved List of cards once this drop, and they will be answered soon enough once this anniversary pack drops on November 28.