The 50th anniversary celebrations for Dungeons & Dragons are currently in full swing, offering players new options for gameplay and sourcebooks for the incredibly popular 5th edition. As part of the anniversary festivities, Magic: The Gathering is also releasing a variety of Secret Lairs, including two that highlight beloved companions from Baldur’s Gate 3.
Despite being around for over fifty years, Dungeons & Dragons continues to captivate the minds of roleplayers and wargamers, proving its enduring appeal. The recent success of its 5th edition and exposure through popular media such as Critical Role and Stranger Things has only added to its already immense popularity, resulting in a multitude of spin-offs and commemorative merchandise.
To celebrate D&D’s 50th anniversary, Wizards of the Coast is releasing a special collection of Magic: The Gathering Secret Lairs on August 27th. This commemorative set will be available for purchase on that date.
In the lead-up to the release of the Secret Lairs, Wizards will be sharing additional information. Currently, the titles of the sets have been unveiled.
- Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: An Exhibition of Adventure
- Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Astarion’s Thirst
- Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Karlach’s Rage
- Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Death is in the Eyes of the Beholder
- Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons®: Death is in the Eyes of the Beholder II
These collections will probably showcase iconic creatures and concepts from D&D, while also prominently highlighting the highly acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, the most popular D&D media in recent years.
Karlach: Fury of Avernus and Astarion, the Decadent are among the most valuable cards in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate. These cards will soon be reprinted with new artwork in their own Secret Lairs. It is probable that the Secret Lairs will also include other reissued cards with a Baldur’s Gate 3 theme.
The companions Karlach and Astarion are highly appreciated by fans of Baldur’s Gate 3. Wizards has made a wise decision by featuring them in their own Secret Lairs. Moreover, both of these cards hold significant mechanical worth.
Karlach’s ability to grant extra combat steps has solidified her role in numerous red decks, and her reappearance in MTG will be warmly welcomed by players.
Despite Astarion’s high mana value, his lifegain and drain abilities make him an ideal choice for Orzhov. We can anticipate a rise in the number of Commander decks incorporating these two once their Secret Lairs are released.
In the past, Wizards’ two main franchises were completely separate, but in recent years, MTG and D&D have become increasingly intertwined. Initially, there were only a few tentative crossovers, such as the Unearthed Arcana guides that allowed players to incorporate MTG worlds into D&D. However, this has evolved into fully-fledged Magic sourcebooks for D&D, which include popular settings like Ravnica and Strixhaven.
The TCG incorporated elements from D&D’s well-known worlds and characters in the Magic’s Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Commanders Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate sets.
Although Adventures in the Forgotten Realms placed a greater emphasis on Wizards of the Coast’s characters and settings, Battle for Baldur’s Gate familiarized many MTG players with names that would eventually become well-known in the gaming community, such as Lae’zel, Gale, Minthara, Shadowheart, and others.
The Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate set was launched during the early access period of Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game has since gained worldwide popularity.
Wizards may be aiming to capitalize on the still-flourishing fanbase of BG3 by prominently featuring Baldur’s Gate 3 in these new Secret Lairs. This could potentially result in a boost in popularity for both the game and the Lairs.
We anticipate these sets to sell out at an even faster pace than the record-breaking Monty Python and the Holy Grail Secret Lair, so be sure to monitor the official Secret Lair store on August 27th.
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