Secret Lair Playtest cards are an upcoming product in the Secret Lair product range that was cryptically announced by Blake Rasmussen in July 2023.[1]
Description[ | ]
According to the limited information that is available, a Secret Lair Playtest card is nominally a "playtest card" but are said to be similar to the test cards first featured in the Mystery Booster and also seen at Unknown Events. They feature a reduced picture of an Alpha card within a silver border within a white border. The cards have the shooting star expansion symbol, and SCLTR, SL PLAYTEST and the date of 4 JAN 2023 in the Information below the text box. The text box features a large holofoil sticker and WIZARDS OF THE COAST is "stamped" on the bottom of the card. These cards are printed using the internal test card printer that R&D uses.[2]
After its introduction by Blake Rasmussen, a second Counterspell was handed out at at MagicCon Barcelona 2023, featuring a different date and a differently shaped holosticker.[3]
Since then, nothing has been heard of this product any more.
Legality[ | ]
Similar to the Mystery Booster test cards and Acorn cards, which are only intended for play in casual play, Secret Lair Playtest cards are not tournament legal.[1] Since the cards could be considered regular reprints with of the many alternate card frames that are available, a change in the wording of rule 100.7 of the Comprehensive Rules might be in order.
From the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)
- 100.7. Certain cards are intended for casual play and may have features and text that aren’t covered by these rules. These include Mystery Booster playtest cards, promotional cards and cards in “Un-sets” that were printed with a silver border, and cards in the Unfinity™ expansion that have an acorn symbol at the bottom of the card.
From the Tournament Rules (May 29, 2023—March of the Machine)
- 3.3 Authorized Cards
Players may use any Authorized Game Cards from Magic: The Gathering expansions, core sets, special sets, supplements, and promotional printings. Authorized Game Cards are cards that, unaltered, meet the following conditions:
*The card is genuine and published by Wizards of the Coast
*The card has a standard Magic back, is a double-faced card, or is a card that is part of a meld pair.
[...]
*The card is otherwise legal for the tournament as defined by the format.
Nature of Secret Lair Playtest cards[ | ]
Seeing the date on the card, it has been speculated by the community that Secret Lair Playtest cards possibly had been meant to be a follow-up on the failed 30th Anniversary Edition product, which also contained a Counterspell that wasn't tournament legal.[4] It is unclear if Secret Lair Playtest have a regular card back, or an alternate version like the 30th Anniversary Edition.[5]
References[ | ]
- ↑ a b Blake Rasmussen (July 20, 2023). "A Tale of a Non-Tournament Legal Counterspell". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (August 25, 2023). "Magic Playtest Cards: Behind the Scenes! (Video)". Good Morning Magic. YouTube.
- ↑ Hary, Themlin (July 30, 2023). "So I got this playtest Counterspell at Magic Con Barcelona.". Twitter.
- ↑ Magic 30 Version 2 Is Coming - MTG Has Gone Insane (Video). The Magic Historian. YouTube (July 22, 2023).
- ↑ Vince Chandler (July 25, 2023). "More Official Proxies Are Coming (Video)". PleasantKenobi. YouTube.