<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Terminus of Return" href="#" target="_blank">The Terminus of Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.adampaquettemtg.com/">Adam Paquette</a></em></p>
<p>Now that <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> is awash in <em>Universes Beyond</em> product, it's wild to recall the "Universes Beyond" concept was first announced just <em>five</em> years ago!</p>
<h2>In the Beginning</h2>
<p>In February, 2021 during a Hasbro investor event Chris Cocks (former President &amp; CEO/COO of <em>Wizards of the Coast</em>, and current CEO of <em>Hasbro</em>) announced that <em>Magic</em> would be doing crossovers with popular properties such as <em>Lord of the Rings</em> and <em>Warhammer 40,000</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michonne, Ruthless Survivor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daryl, Hunter of Walkers"></div></div>
<p>The year before, <em>Magic</em> had released <em>The Walking Dead</em> through <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/sld"><em>Secret Lair</em></a>, which featured mechanically unique cards for five popular characters from <em>The Walking Dead</em> TV show. This prompted a huge backlash from the <em>Magic</em> community since the only way to get these cards was through the <em>Secret Lair</em> portal for a very limited time (though at the time Secret Lair was print-to-demand, which was so much better than today). <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> (<em>WotC</em>) eventually said they would create "in-universe" versions of mechanically unique cards featured in Secret Lairs, and while they initially ruled out <em>The Walking Dead</em> they later reversed that decision.</p>
<p>That was actually a great idea! A significant segment of the <em>Magic</em> community truly loves the flavor of the <em>Magic</em> universe <em>and also</em> find these cards from other intellectual properties (IPs) discordant to play against, much less put in their own decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gregor, Shrewd Magistrate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glenn, the Voice of Calm"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cecily, Haunted Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eleven, the Mage"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tadeas, Juniper Ascendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gregor, Shrewd Magistrate" href="#" target="_blank">Gregor, Shrewd Magistrate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the in-universe version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glenn, the Voice of Calm" href="#" target="_blank">Glenn, the Voice of Calm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cecily, Haunted Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Cecily, Haunted Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the in-universe version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eleven, the Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Eleven, the Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tadeas, Juniper Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Tadeas, Juniper Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the in-universe version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist" href="#" target="_blank">Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Aside from Gregor/Glenn, the in-universe versions are much more affordable to buy as singles.</p>
<p>For a while, <em>WotC</em> did just what they promised, releasing 30 "Universes Within" versions of mechanically unique cards from <em>The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, D&amp;D: Honor Among Thieves</em>, and <em>Street Fighter</em> Secret Lairs... and then they stopped for some reason, which was incredibly disappointing to many <em>Magic</em> fans. Meanwhile, <em>WotC</em> kept churning out mechanically unique cards through <em>Secret Lair</em>; currently a whopping 70 of them in total.</p>
<p>Some of these have gotten insanely expensive!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaws, Relentless Predator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fourteenth Doctor"></div></div>
<p>It's upsetting that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws, Relentless Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws, Relentless Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is north of $150! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima" href="#" target="_blank">Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fourteenth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">The Fourteenth Doctor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are more than $100! This has nothing to do with power level, it is pure scarcity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rainbow Dash"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kratos, God of War"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lara Croft, Tomb Raider"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rainbow Dash" href="#" target="_blank">Rainbow Dash</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kratos, God of War" href="#" target="_blank">Kratos, God of War</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lara Croft, Tomb Raider" href="#" target="_blank">Lara Croft, Tomb Raider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all around $50. These are all cards that are interesting <em>Magic</em> game pieces that many Commander fans would like to build around or put into their decks, but if they weren't able to jump into the Secret Lair queue (now infamously a truly awful experience) to buy them, or if they just didn't like the IP's flavor in their <em>Magic</em> decks, or unable/unwilling to pay a premium to buy the singles, they are just shut out of getting to use these game pieces.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain America, First Avenger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wolverine, Best There Is"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm, Force of Nature"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Panther, Wakandan King"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Iron Man, Titan of Innovation"></div></div>
<p>It was nice to see the mechanically unique legendary cards they printed in the five <em>Secret Lair x Marvel</em> sets reprinted in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/msh"><em>Marvel Super Heroes</em></a> Source Material cards: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain America, First Avenger" href="#" target="_blank">Captain America, First Avenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>,<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine, Best There Is" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine, Best There Is</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm, Force of Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Storm, Force of Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Panther, Wakandan King" href="#" target="_blank">Black Panther, Wakandan King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iron Man, Titan of Innovation" href="#" target="_blank">Iron Man, Titan of Innovation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All of these reprints are significantly cheaper than the original Secret Lair versions except for Wolverine for some reason.</p>
<h2><em>Warhammer 40,000</em></h2>
<p>In the fall of 2022, <em>WotC</em> released a set of Commander decks built within the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/40k"><em>Warhammer 40,000</em></a> universe. The decks were powerful and chock full of really cool cards. Many of these have since become really expensive cards!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodthirster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestine, the Living Saint"></div></div>
<p>I can see how cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be difficult to create a Universes Within version since the creature type Tyranid is exclusive to the <em>Warhammer 40,000</em> set. But <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirster" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Demon with a name that could easily fit into numerous <em>Magic</em> universes; the same can be said for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestine, the Living Saint" href="#" target="_blank">Celestine, the Living Saint</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an Human Warrior.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptothrall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commissar Severina Raine"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptothrall" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptothrall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a simple artifact creature Construct, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commissar Severina Raine" href="#" target="_blank">Commissar Severina Raine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Human Soldier. Many of these cards would be an easy switch to the <em>Magic</em> universes; you could even use that "reskin" technology first deployed from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/iko"><em>Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths</em></a> to give the cards names better fitting the larger <em>Magic</em> universe.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bio-Quartz Spacegodzilla"></div></div>
<p>But what about those creature types that are unique to <em>Warhammer 40,000</em>? In addition to Tyranids you have Astartes, Necrons, Custodes, Primarchs, and C'tan. I think it would be pretty easy to come up with a few <em>Magic</em> worlds that are in space/time flux that might be home to disparate creature types; reskin the names and have new art more inline with the <em>Magic</em> universe and I think you can solve that problem.</p>
<h2><em>Doctor Who</em></h2>
<p>A year later, in 2023 <em>WotC</em> followed up with another Universes Beyond Commander product based in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/who"><em>Doctor Who</em></a> universe. Many of these cards have gotten quite expensive, too.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cybermen Squadron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auton Soldier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nanogene Conversion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quantum Misalignment"></div></div>
<p>I feel like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cybermen Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Cybermen Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could easily be reprinted in a <em>Magic</em> set unless that Cyberman creature type is too weird. Alien Soldier of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Auton Soldier" href="#" target="_blank">Auton Soldier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and of course Dinosaur for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" href="#" target="_blank">Dinosaurs on a Spaceship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are perfectly fine cards to print in-universe.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nanogene Conversion" href="#" target="_blank">Nanogene Conversion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a weird name for the ears of non-<em>Doctor Who</em> fans, so I think it could slip into a <em>Magic</em> universe set without an issue, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quantum Misalignment" href="#" target="_blank">Quantum Misalignment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just got a reprint in the <em>Marvel Super Heroes Commander</em> decks and is now less than half of the cost of the original printing.</p>
<h2>Universes Beyond Explodes into <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>Over the past five years Universes Beyond has exploded into <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. From Secret Lairs to Commander sets to full-blown sets that are part of the Standard set rotation, you can't really get away from it even if you wanted to. Some of these sets fit the fantasy flavor of <em>Magic</em> decently enough: <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ltr"><em>The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth</em></a> (and the upcoming <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/hob">The Hobbit</a></em>), <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a>, and even <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a>. Many of the popular cards from these sets could easily be reprinted into a future Commander set flavor-wise, though I suppose there might be contract issues depending on the IP agreements that were struck when the collaboration deal was made.</p>
<p>But then we have <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/spm"><em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em></a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt"><em>Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles</em></a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/msh"><em>Marvel Super Heroes</em></a>, and the upcoming <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/trk"><em>Star Trek</em></a>. Many if not most of these cards are not at all easy to reprint into a regular <em>Magic</em> universe set. Which led my editor to ask me, "Is Universes Beyond the new Reserved List?" Meaning, are these cards just going to skyrocket in price as the years go by because <em>WotC</em> is unable to really reprint these?</p>
<p>The answer, I think, is a product that could be called "Universes Within Masters."</p>
<h2>The Failure of the Micro Booster Products</h2>
<p>Let's take a quick aside before I continue. <em>WotC</em> has experimented with mini-booster packs that aren't made to draft, starting with the "epilogue booster" product <em>March of the Machine: Aftermath. </em>Each 5-card epilogue booster contained 1 to 3 cards of rarity rare or higher, and the remainder were uncommon. 1 or 2 of the cards were traditional foil, and one was in the set's showcase frame. The set was very negatively received by the <em>Magic</em> community for their small size and high price point, to the point that they scrapped plans for <em>The Big Score </em>being an epilogue set to <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction</em>, and it was instead added to the main set. <em>Assassin's Creed</em> tweaked the concept as "Beyond Boosters" with a few more cards, but was also considered a failure, and <em>WotC</em> abandoned the idea of these micro booster sets.</p>
<h2>A Micro Booster with Promise: Universes Within Masters!</h2>
<p>I think a micro booster set featuring many of the popular Universes Beyond cards reskinned as in-Universe versions could hit a sweet spot that the previous attempts failed. It would provide a much needed relief valve for <em>Magic</em> fans that just can't get behind the Universes Beyond products that are so outside the fantasy flavor of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. They would need to ensure enough value in cards to the price point to make it worth buying and cracking packs since it wouldn't be a draft product. That means that you'd need to have cards people would want reskinned outside of just mythic rare, and not be filled with trash rares and uncommons nobody wants. Value is the key, rather than making them just another lottery ticket/loot box.</p>
<p>While there wouldn't be need of resources dedicated to card design for these sets, <em>WotC</em> would need creative manpower for in-universe flavor names and art, so they could start off the set relatively small but with plenty of bangers to get people excited about. They even have a jump start here with the in-universe versions of <em>Marvel's Spider Man</em> they created in <em>Magic Arena</em> as <em>Through the Omenpaths</em>. In addition to buying Universes Within Masters boosters from the shelves of stores, I'd like to see these as prizes given away at Magic Cons, included in Secret Lairs, Buy-A-Box promos, and more. Really spread them around out there!</p>
<p>Assuming success, over time you could rotate cards off and add new versions to keep it fresh, or just cook up a new set list and call it Universes Within Masters 2, Universes Within Masters 3, etc. Since it is obvious that Universes Beyond is going to continue to be a big part of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>, we're going to have a continuous pipeline of new cards to reimagine and populate Universes Within Masters for years to come. And most importantly, this will allow <em>WotC</em> to keep that promise they made to the <em>Magic</em> community when they first started down the Universes Beyond road, a promise they have mostly abandoned. Restoring goodwill while also making extra money is a win-win!</p>
<p>What do you think?</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Read more:</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-tectonic-shift-from-edh-to-commander">The Tectonic Shift from EDH to Commander</a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/glimpse-the-core-clarifying-bracket-2s-definition">Glimpse the Core: Clarifying Bracket 2's Definition</a></p>


micro boosters

The Case for Universes Within Masters