acting like the people who have asked for a return for years are some whiny minority that is just getting a pity set and should just be happy with whatever we get is just patronizing.
They claim they love Local Game Stores (LGSs) when in reality they make Direct-to-Consumer Unique Card Singles
They also make high-value products for LGSs, like Commander Collection and the Standard/Pioneer precons. And so far they've made a grand total of 4 direct-to-consumer unique card singles, and I believe that they are no longer going to be unique, having new Magic versions of these cards showing up in Set boosters.
Realistically how many new Paper Magic players did The Walking Dead Secret Lair drops add? Well it's impossible to know because the majority of purchases were made by the MTG Finance Crowd looking to invest in what might be a high ticket collectible within a decade from now.
This is just speculation. We don't know how many TWD Secret Lairs were produced, and what percentage of those were purchased by the MTG Finance crowd. Did MTG Finance buy a lot of them? Probably. Did non-Magic TWD fans buy a lot of them too? We don't know, but the number purchased by the MTG Finance crowd would not have affected the sales to non-Magic TWD fans, because it was print-to-demand.
Many gaming stores carry playmats. You might be able to find one that lays out the different zones (like the battlefield and graveyard), or there are many featuring great art from various cards past and present.
There are other things your friend might like too. There are deck boxes that are meant to carry one specific deck that he might enjoy having, and you can get them from a simple plastic flip-box to a higher quality faux-leather box with multiple compartments.
Perhaps he needs more sleeves. Again, these range in quality from thin clear plastic sleeves (called penny sleeves because you can get 100 of them for a buck) to higher quality opaque sleeves, either of a solid colour or with artwork on the back. You might try to figure out what kind of sleeves he likes to use, and pick up some of those.
A quick google search for "MTG Accessories" should come up with a bunch of ideas. Then you can head to a local gaming store, or check a store online, and see what you can get for your price range.
A big part of why is that they wouldn't be 10 bucks a pack. It would be 4 bucks
It's funny that you both think WotC wouldn't sell it at a premium price. Of course it would be 10 bucks a pack, because they know there are people out there who would pay that.
The Great Reset caused by the pandemic has literally given Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro the green light to bankrupt over 3,000 LGSs nationwide solely to sell Secret Lair drops to increase Hasbro's profit margins.
Can you provide any evidence that over 3,000 LGSs have been bankrupted by WotC printing Secret Lairs?
Did we ever get a release date for Unfinity? I'm worried now because my next major purchase will be Christmas and Last Minute Chopping for myself and I want to be able to buy a case at release.
Hahahahaha that's hilarious. "Go to a store with a draft." Right, because restrictions will be lifted in the next two months, what with delta variant cases on the rise again.
While I agree not every product is for everyone, I must ask, who is this product geared towards? The gullible?
A person with particular preferences is not a matter of gullibility. What an odious thing to say...
'buster
That person couldn’t just purchase these sets to draft?
That costs more than buying one single box and just drafting it. No spending time figuring out who gets 2 packs of this and one pack of that. No spending extra money buying single packs. No spending extra money buying 2 boxes. Just buy this one box, draft it, done.
Which set do you draft 2 packs of? Then your draft is skewed one way or the other.
If you have a draft pod of 4, 6, or 8 you can just give half the group 2 packs of Midnight Hunt and 1 pack of Crimson Vow, and the other half 2 packs of Crimson Vow, and 1 pack of Midnight Hunt.
If you have a draft pod of 5 or 7, the same system gives you just one extra pack of either, so you, the pod, or the store can make the choice of which you'd rather have less of.
Or, I can buy this handy product and not have to worry about all that. Also, then I only have to buy one box, instead of buying two and splitting them up (or buying a bunch of loose packs, which will cost significantly more).
So now If you're wanting to enter an Officially Sanctioned Paper Magic Tournament like a Pre-Release, Grand Prix (which is apparently coming back according to the Magic Historian on YouTube), or Standard Tournament then a smartphone device is mandatory to use the Companion mobile app.
Note: Companion is an awesome way to make accessing tournaments faster, easier, and more accessible. However, if mobile apps aren't your thing, that's okay! You never have to use Companion to play Magic at your favorite store or event; it's simply a value-added experience that works on top of the organized play experience you're already familiar with.
Get your facts straight before you make unfounded claims and please stop spreading these silly conspiracy theories.
And also true.
They also make high-value products for LGSs, like Commander Collection and the Standard/Pioneer precons. And so far they've made a grand total of 4 direct-to-consumer unique card singles, and I believe that they are no longer going to be unique, having new Magic versions of these cards showing up in Set boosters.
This is just speculation. We don't know how many TWD Secret Lairs were produced, and what percentage of those were purchased by the MTG Finance crowd. Did MTG Finance buy a lot of them? Probably. Did non-Magic TWD fans buy a lot of them too? We don't know, but the number purchased by the MTG Finance crowd would not have affected the sales to non-Magic TWD fans, because it was print-to-demand.
There are other things your friend might like too. There are deck boxes that are meant to carry one specific deck that he might enjoy having, and you can get them from a simple plastic flip-box to a higher quality faux-leather box with multiple compartments.
Perhaps he needs more sleeves. Again, these range in quality from thin clear plastic sleeves (called penny sleeves because you can get 100 of them for a buck) to higher quality opaque sleeves, either of a solid colour or with artwork on the back. You might try to figure out what kind of sleeves he likes to use, and pick up some of those.
A quick google search for "MTG Accessories" should come up with a bunch of ideas. Then you can head to a local gaming store, or check a store online, and see what you can get for your price range.
Hope this helps!
It's funny that you both think WotC wouldn't sell it at a premium price. Of course it would be 10 bucks a pack, because they know there are people out there who would pay that.
Not only that, but WotC would still stick to rarity, so enjoy opening a mythic Brainstorm or Manamorphose.
Can you provide any evidence that over 3,000 LGSs have been bankrupted by WotC printing Secret Lairs?
Yes.
Unstable was printed 4 times. That's pretty good sales.
All I've seen is Q2 2022.
Hahahahaha that's hilarious. "Go to a store with a draft." Right, because restrictions will be lifted in the next two months, what with delta variant cases on the rise again.
That costs more than buying one single box and just drafting it. No spending time figuring out who gets 2 packs of this and one pack of that. No spending extra money buying single packs. No spending extra money buying 2 boxes. Just buy this one box, draft it, done.
Or, I can buy this handy product and not have to worry about all that. Also, then I only have to buy one box, instead of buying two and splitting them up (or buying a bunch of loose packs, which will cost significantly more).
Which set do you draft 2 packs of? Then your draft is skewed one way or the other.
Drafters. It's a draft product. The whole point of it existing is to try drafting both sets together.
No it isn't mandatory. From here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-companion-updates/companion-launch-2020-07-15
Get your facts straight before you make unfounded claims and please stop spreading these silly conspiracy theories.