Whenever Wizards of the Coast releases a new Magic: The Gathering set (which seems to be about every 10 minutes these days), the company uses the opportunity to reprint old cards. The game’s latest expansion, Secrets of Strixhaven, is no exception. But in this case, one of those “special guest” cards feels particularly surprising because it’s banned in virtually every Magic format.
Library of Alexandria was first printed in the 1993 set Arabian Nights, the game’s first expansion after Alpha and Beta. It’s been reprinted a couple of times since (most recently in 2014’s Vintage Masters) but is extremely rare and typically sells for over $1,000 on websites like TCGplayer. Library of Alexandria is also banned in most formats where you might be able to use it, including Commander and Legacy, so it’s really more of a collector’s item than anything else at this point.
So when Wizards revealed that Library of Alexandria would be a “special guest” card in Secrets of Strixhaven, it came as a surprise. However, there is a catch. The reprinted card will only be available in digital packs via Arena, Magic’s online platform. And you’ll only be able to use in Arena’s Timeless format, a popular way to play in which all cards are legal.
As for why Wizards chose to reprint the card now, in a press briefing attended by Polygon, a company representative explained that since Strixhaven is a school, it makes sense to revisit other academic settings as part of the set. The Library of Alexandria felt like a natural fit.
“The card is extraordinarily good and is banned or restricted in every format,” they said, “but we’re looking forward to people getting to try it out.”
Secrets of Strixhaven arrives in Arena on April 21, and releases worldwide on April 24.
