Magic Reintroduces a $1000 Card That’s Restricted in Most Formats

Whenever a new set of Magic: The Gathering drops, which seems to happen almost every ten minutes these days, there’s always a chance for some classic cards to make a comeback. The latest expansion, Secrets of Strixhaven, is no different. This time, though, one of the reprinted cards is particularly noteworthy because it’s banned in nearly every format.

Library of Alexandria first appeared in the 1993 Arabian Nights set, the first expansion following Alpha and Beta. It has seen a few reprints since then, with the most recent being in 2014’s Vintage Masters, but it remains incredibly rare, often fetching over $1,000 on sites like TCGplayer. Due to its ban in most formats, including Commander and Legacy, it’s more of a collector’s gem than a playable card these days.

So, when it was announced that Library of Alexandria would be featured as a “special guest” card in Secrets of Strixhaven, it raised some eyebrows. However, there’s a twist: this reprint will only be available in digital packs through Arena, Magic’s online platform, and can only be used in Arena’s Timeless format, where all cards are legal.

As for the reasoning behind this reprint, a company representative shared in a press briefing that since Strixhaven is themed around a school, it made sense to include other academic settings, making the Library of Alexandria a fitting choice.

“The card is extraordinarily good and is banned or restricted in every format,” they noted, “but we’re excited for players to have the chance to try it out.”

Secrets of Strixhaven will launch in Arena on April 21 and will be available worldwide on April 24.