Summary
It’s only been a few short weeks since Assassin’s Creed, butMagic: The Gatheringhas revealed its latest Universes Beyond crossover with none other than Monty Python And The Holy Grail.
Launching as two limited edition Secret Lair drops, Secret Lair X Monty Python And The Holy Grail features ten reprints of classic Magic cards with new art based on the comedy movie.
Secret Lair is Magic’s limited-time release service that features exclusive versions of cards for a limited time. It’ll only be available while stocks last direct through the Secret Lair site, and will never be reprinted again afterwards.
Secret Lair x Monty Python And The Holy Grail: Vol 1.
Secret Lair x Monty Python And The Holy Grail Vol. 1
‘Tis But A Scratch! (Dismember)
We Want… A SHRUBBERY! (Three Visits)
Nothing in this drop is particularly big monetarily, but it is full of famous callbacks to the movie.
There’s not one, but two Birds of Paradise, with European Swallow and African Swallow both seen dropping coconuts in reference to the castle wall scene. Meanwhile, ‘Tis But A Scratch!, or also known as Dismember, shows off one of the movie’s most memorable moments; the Black Knight being dismembered.
Despite having new names, these are all treated as the exact same card as their non-Monty Python versions. you may only have four copies of any version of the cards in most decks, and only one if you’re playing Commander.
The next two reprints are We Want… A SHRUBBERY!, a reprinting of Three Visits that lets you pull a Forest from out of your deck, and Bring Out Your Dead!, a reprint of the combo-enabling Buried Alive based on the scene where someone tries to cart off a suspiciously still-alive corpse on a plague wagon.
But perhaps the most perfect reprint in this drop is Tim the Enchanter, a reprint of Prodigal Sorcerer. Lots of Magic cards have nicknames – Solemn Simulacrum is known as Sad Robot, Gray Merchant of Asphodel is Gary, Sakura-Tribe Elder is Steve, and Prodigal Sorcerer has long been known as Tim… named after the very same Tim from Monty Python and the Holy Grail that’s included in this printing.
Talking to IGN, Secret Lair senior product designer Daniel Nguyen said it was “just the top line on the document, right? You gotta have that one. If we don’t do that, we’re all fired, clearly.”
Secret Lair x Monty Python And The Holy Grail: Vol 2.
Secret Lair x Monty Python And The Holy Grail Vol. 2
The Bridge Of Death (Door to Nothingness)
Sir Bedivere’s Scales (Ashnod’s Altar)
The second drop is smaller, with only three cards and a token instead of five.
Alternate win condition Door To Nothingness is the Bridge of Death. Considering the Bridge Keeper asks King Arthur his favourite colour, having a five-colour card like this is a great bit of flavouring.
Three cards and a token is a tough sell for a Secret Lair, but keep in mind Universes Beyond versions tend to price higher than their in-Universe editions. Doubly so with a brand as popular as Monty Python.
Ashnod’s Altar gets reprinted as Sir Bedivere’s Scales, the bizarre Witch-ducking bench that uses an actual duck for judgment. Ashnod’s Altar goes infinite with a ham sandwich and fits into a whole lot of decks, explaining why it’s able to so stubbornly hold onto its value.
Castle of Aaargh, and its included The Black Beast Of Aargh token, fill in for Dark Depths and Marit Lage. Another card that combos off with just about anything, most recently people have been concerned about using a Mutated Cultist from the Modern Horizons 3 Eldrazi Commander deck to remove all its counters and get the 20/20 flying, indestructible Marit Lage into play as early as turn two.
And now you’re able to do that with a big, animated monster instead.
Both of these drops will be launching on July 29 as part of the Stuck In An Elevator Secret Lair Super Drop. Prices haven’t been confirmed yet, but joining them will be thethree Brain Dead dropswhich feature rather less traditional fantasy art than we’re seeing here.
Magic: The Gathering
Created by Richard Garfield in 1993, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has become one of the biggest tabletop collectible card games in the world. Taking on the role of a Planeswalker, players build decks of cards and do battle with other players. In excess of 100 additional sets have added new cards to the library, while the brand has expanded into video games, comics, and more.
