As paper play has been continually recovering since the Covid pandemic, more and more promotional cards from these events have been making it into MTG players’ hands. Some of these, like the Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer from the Secret Lair Showdown series, end up being extremely expensive. Others, like the Mystical Dispute from Cycle Three of the Regional Championships, are beautiful renditions of popular MTG cards.
One trait that recent printings has identified is that Anime art is very popular. The premium that these cards garner from the Jumpstart 2022 set alone is insane. Balaz, Wandering Knight was an extreme example of this when the set released. The Anime variant available in Jumpstart 2022 was worth $40 at its height, while the non-Anime version is currently worth about $5.30. Balan has now dropped to about $22, but that’s still more than four times its initial value. Well, some new Anime promotional cards have just been announced, and MTG players are excited about it.
Giada, Font of Hope
A new Japanese MTG promotion has revealed two new promotional cards with Anime treatment. Between the two, Giada, Font of Hope is the card that the community is the most excited about. Angel tribal is extremely popular in Commander, being the seventh most popular tribe overall, according to EDHREC. On top of that, Giada is the most popular Commander for the Angels archetype, which will likely boost the value of a premium copy like this one.
Giada also sees some competitive play in the Pioneer format. Selesnya Angels are fantastic at taking down other creature-centric decks like Mono-White Humans, Greasefang Combo, Izzet Phoenix, and Gruul Vehicles. The deck can also put up a decent fight against Mono Green and Rakdos.
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Elspeth, Resplendent
The second promotional card does not see much play, but that won’t make this Anime exclusive any less popular. Elspeth, Resplendent is currently a part of the Standard format but does not see a ton of play outside of the odd Mono White Midrange deck.
Elspeth could be a fantastic pickup for a counters-based Commander deck, however. Since the card is capable of creating First Strike, Vigilance, Lifelink, and Flying counters, it can lead to some pretty interesting situations. Otherwise, Elspeth’s minus and ultimate ability are strong enough to keep her relevant, but not commonly played, in the Standard format.
How Do You get These?
Because these are Japanese exclusives, players from the U.S. who want to get a hand on these Anime treatments may be in a bit of a bind, and there are a lot of players who really like these cards:
“If anyone has a lead on how to order these from the US PLEASE let me know.” – RWBadger
“These are so freaking sick looking it’s lowkey making me mad we don’t get stuff like this in the US.” – xantous4201
“alright I figure these are impossible to get but god DAMN IT I love the Giada” – animemoseshusbando
Fortunately, if you’re going to Japan or live there, these aren’t too difficult to get. According to a Redditor who found this article regarding the new promotional cards, they will be available at various local game stores in Japan between April and September. Those stores will likely hand them out as prizes for events.
The most commonly recommended methods for out-of-region players who want to get a hold of these cards is through either eBay or Hareruya Games’ shop. As of this time, the cards are not currently available, but may become easier to access in the future.
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Will These Be Expensive?
Fortunately, according to some Redditors, there’s a pretty good chance that these cards will be somewhat affordable. The Giada, according to CertainDerision_33, is a top-eight promo card, so it shouldn’t be too expensive. That said, if there’s a ton of demand due to the card’s popularity in Commander and Pioneer, this may end up being more expensive than anticipated.
This Redditor goes on to state that the promotional cards handed out this way from last year weren’t too expensive besides the one that only went to first place players. That said, when looking at the 30th Anniversary promotional cards on TCGplayer, all of the most expensive ones are Japanese exclusives. We’ll have to wait and see how much these Anime cards end up going for.
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