Wizards of the Coast have announced Magic 30th Anniversary Edition. This is a special promotional product that will be coming soon in a limited-print run continuing the company's celebration of the card game's thirty-year history, featuring iconic cards from across the game's long history. It also has a considerable price point attached: $1000 for a pack of four.
According to an official post on Magic's website, Magic 30th Anniversary Edition will contain classic cards from the Limited Edition Beta. Each pack will contain 15 of these cards. 13 of these cards; 1 rare, 3 uncommons, 7 commons, and 2 basic lands, will be done in a modern frame. The last two cards, one land and another random card, will be done in a retro frame. All of the rarities of the cards presented are all in line with how they were presented in the Limited Edition Beta, which means there are no mythic rares. As for which cards will be in these packs, they range from dual lands like Volcanic Island to even the elusive collector's card Black Lotus. Furthermore, each pack will contain a token, featuring artwork from other classic Magic cards.
There are two major catches to this. First, a single display of Magic 30th Anniversary Edition will sell for $999 containing only four packs. Furthermore, in addition to these packs being produced in a limited print run, all retail stores within the WPN will be receiving extremely limited copies. WPN stores will receive 1 display, while premium WPN stores will receive 3. That is an absurd asking price for a limited run of cards, all of which are in completely randomized packs. That means it is entirely possible you aren't guaranteed the rare card that you're looking for.
The second catch is that all of the cards in Magic 30th Anniversary Edition aren't playable. This is because every single card in these packs does not have Magic's default back but a special 30th anniversary back. This coincides with an official reprint policy that Wizards of the Coast implemented in 2011. All cards from the Limited Edition Beta are on the game's Reserve List, which are cards that will never be printed once again for tournament-legal play. In an official statement by Magic's Director of Communications, Blake Rasmussen cited that policy stating “'Wizards of the Coast may print special versions of cards not meant for regular game play, such as oversized cards.'”30th Anniversary Edition is not tournament legal and are special, commemorative versions of cards not meant for gameplay.
If you are perfectly content with an exorbitantly pricey pack of proxy cards that might not contain what you want, Magic 30th Anniversary Edition will be available for purchase on November 28 in North America.
