Magic: The Gathering World Championship XXVI is this weekend. As part of the festivities, Wizards of the Coast has announced the latest in its Secret Lair series. It will be called Theros Stargazing and will be based on the gods from the original three Theros expansions, which is fitting as the most recent Magic: The Gathering expansion just revisited Theros. This product will only be available through February 16th.

Secret Lairs are a new product that Wizards of the Coast has introduced this year. They contain reprints of iconic Magic cards with new art. Most recently Wizards reprinted some of the most beloved rat cards from Magic’s history. The Lairs can only be purchased online, and they’re only available for a limited amount of time. No new cards are printed in the Lairs, instead being marketed towards players who enjoy blinging out their decks.

The most recent Lair is called Theros Stargazing and contains reprints of the original 15 Theros Gods with art based on the Nyx lands from the recent Theros Expansion. Each set will be based on one of the five colors in Magic, and  will contain 3 god cards and one code for an Arena Theros Stargazing: Vol. I Themed Sleeve. Each Lair will contain one mono color god, and two multicolored gods. They’ll be available to purchase online for 39.99 each or players can get the whole set of five for 149.99. The full list of what’s included in the Lairs can be found below:

Theros Stargazing: Vol. I (Heliod)

  • 1x Foil Alt-Art Heliod, God of the Sun 1x Foil Alt-Art Iroas, God of Victory 1x Foil Alt-Art Karametra, God of Harvests

Theros Stargazing: Vol. II (Thassa)

  • 1x Foil Alt-Art Thassa, God of the Sea 1x Foil Alt-Art Ephara, God of the Polis 1x Foil Alt-Art Kruphix, God of Horizons

Theros Stargazing: Vol. III (Erebos)

  • 1x Foil Alt-Art Erebos, God of the Dead 1x Foil Alt-Art Athreos, God of Passage 1x Foil Alt-Art Phenax, God of Deception

Theros Stargazing: Vol. IV (Purphoros)

  • 1x Foil Alt-Art Purphuros, God of the Forge 1x Foil Alt-Art Mogis, God of Slaughter 1x Foil Alt-Art Keranos, God of Storms

Theros Stargazing: Vol. V (Nylea)

  • 1x Foil Alt-Art Nylea, God of the Hunt 1x Foil Alt-Art Xenagos, God of Revels 1x Foil Alt-Art Pharika, God of Affliction

Many players have been very impressed by the Secret Lair series because it allows players to get their hands on cool versions of powerful cards. While none of these God cards are legal in standard play, they’re perfect for players of other formats like Modern or Commander. Theros Gods make incredibly strong commanders, especially in mono-color decks, and could be worth the money for this alone.

However, there has been some controversy over the Secret Lair series. Some players see this as part of a disturbing trend of Wizards of the Coast cutting smaller local game shops out of its distribution network. As this product will only be available online, there is no way for a game store to get in on the action. If Wizards continues to shift its focus to online retail, it could mean the end of local game stores.

Magic: The Gathering’s Theros Stargazing is available through February 16th.

Source: Wizards of the Coast