The randomized Zeta Set transforms Magic’s handmade playtest cards into bizarre new collectibles

What do a baby swan, a prosthetic elf ear, a disco ball, and a pile of loose change all have in common? They’re all featured on cards in Magic: The Gathering’s first-ever Secret Lair booster packs.

Polygon can exclusively reveal Secret Lair x MSCHF: The Zeta Set, a collaboration with Brooklyn art collective MSCHF that’s inspired by the crude, handmade cards used to playtest Magic before its official release more than 30 years ago. Rather than purchasing a predetermined collection of cards, players will spend $19.92 on a sealed envelope containing seven randomized cards.

In an exclusive interview with Polygon, Secret Lair art director Jacob Covey and MSCHF designers Niek Dekker and Kevin Wiesner explained how a playful tribute to Magic’s handmade origins became Secret Lair’s first experiment with randomized booster packs.

Each Zeta Booster contains three commons, two uncommons, one rare or mythic rare, and one wildcard of any rarity. The release goes on sale through Secret Lair’s Chaos Vault on Sept. 2 at 12 p.m. ET, with purchases limited to 12 boosters per customer while supplies last. Even the $19.92 price point pays homage to 1992, when Magic’s earliest playtest cards were still being printed on ordinary paper and cut out by hand, often featuring placeholder art.

The Zeta Set recreates that DIY aesthetic using public-domain images, archival material, original MSCHF photography, and typography reminiscent of an early word processor. Its 121 cards span early Magic classics and modern Commander favorites, with three available visual treatments: Photocopy, Photocopy Negative, and Color Banding.

Source link