27, Jun, 23

MTG Players Fear Return of Two Million Dollar Card!

The Lord of the Rings MTG set has provided a lot of flavorful cards for players to enjoy. Still, arguably the most flavorful part of the set lies with the single serialized copy of the One Ring. Not only is this a flavor win for the set, showcasing how there are multiple rings but essentially One Ring to rule them all, but it’s the first time the MTG world has seen a one-of-one card printed by Wizards of the Coast to be found in packs. While this was meant to be an excellent way to introduce this concept to Magic, a lot of players are frustrated and hopeful that such a policy doesn’t return.

The One-of-One Ring

By now, MTG players are largely familiar with what the serialized copy of the One Ring is. It has come with a ton of hype, including massive offers already from collectors looking to purchase the card as soon it is opened. While this may seem like a cool concept, this has not come without criticism from the MTG community. Many players claim this is just a cash-grab from Wizards of the Coast to sell the set. Unfortunately, some players’ frustration digs deeper than this, and this is made apparent by Mark Rosewater’s Blogatog.

Read More: $1.00 Value Lord of the Rings Secret Lair Disheartens MTG Players

Flavor Win or Flavor Fail?

Mount Doom

“No. It mattered in a Lord of the Rings type set. I cannot see another set where a 1 of 1 fits flavor wise.”

denomised

” I really liked how the 1-of-1 was done for The One Ring. It was really flavorful for the LotR set. But no. I don’t think it should be done again. It would both lack the same flavor and iconography but would also take away from how special the 1-of-1 Ring feels.”

mama-angle

Mark Rosewater was recently asked the question of whether MTG will ever utilize the one-of-one gimmick in the future. Mark Rosewater replied looking to get feedback from the community on whether something like this should return. Interestingly, players delivered a resounding “no,” mostly for a few specific reasons.

It’s clear that many MTG players do, in fact, care about lore and the story behind each set. That’s part of why the Lord of the Rings set resonated with many people. Some of the players that cared deeply about flavor felt like the idea behind the serialized copy of the One Ring was a good idea because of how it fits with the Lord of the Rings story.

Even still, most of the players that praised the flavor behind The One Ring want no part of another one-of-one card in the future. The players above made it clear that the Lord of the Rings set was a special place for this unique copy of the One Ring to be utilized. Not only would it be difficult to justify the importance behind making another similar card in the future, but it would also make the serialized copy of the One Ring feel even less unique. After all, flavor and uniqueness helped drive this set and make it as successful as it is. For some players, however, their disdain for the one-of-one card concept goes beyond flavor and community appeal.

Read More: Powerful and Pricey MTG Reprints Set to Receive First-Time Foil Treatments!

Driving Up Costs

“I can’t afford any LOTR content because of it, please no…”

redremote

“But I feel like subsequent 1 of 1 will feel less like celebrations, and more like a company realizing predatory lottery practices are profitable.”

seththegeth

The first comment here may seem like a bit of an overreaction but it is quite important in recognizing potential problems with one-of-one cards being available in packs. The fact that the One Ring can be opened in collector booster packs has made the price of an individual collector booster pack from Lord of the Rings skyrocket. For reference, a Lord of the Rings collector booster box is nearly $500, which is over twice the price of a collector booster box from March of the Machine. While collector booster boxes are definitely designed with collectors specifically in mind, having the price driven upwards by the miniscule chance of opening a unique card can absolutely have a negative affect on players that are interested in opening product.

It appears as though many of the players were willing to put aside some of their harsh criticism on the basis that Lord of the Rings was a cool set, and the serialized version of the One Ring was a cool design. Therefore, making more one-of-one cards just for the sake of doing so would be extremely frustrating to the player base. Many of those who gave feedback made it clear that players should be the primary focus of these MTG sets.

Read More: MTG’s The One Ring May be Better Than Expected

Collectors Versus Players

“No, thanks. It makes the game even more shifted towards collectors vs. players, and I’d say it’s already swayed towards the former enough.”

bravelion83

While MTG is considered a collectible card game to a certain extent, a huge portion of the game’s success is attributed to the players and their investment in the game they love. The One Ring was obviously designed for collectors, but as seen with the rise of the collector booster box prices, it can have a negative effect on collectors and players and everyone in between. The One Ring does bring hype to the set, especially for high-end collectors. Even those who aren’t necessarily invested in MTG are more likely to become involved. In fact, just recently renowned non-MTG streamer xQc devoted a portion of his stream to opening MTG product in search of the serialized copy of the One Ring.

While this does help streamline interest in this set and MTG in general, this only further creates a schism between high-end collectors and those who want to purchase collector product and can’t afford to. Feedback from players invested in MTG overwhelmingly rejected the idea of more one-of-one cards, but multiple sources of feedback mentioned that sales of the Lord of the Rings set may further dictate whether something like this is a reality in the future. Players have voiced their opinions, but only time will tell if Wizards of the Coast ends up producing more one-of-one cards or not.

Read More: Ultra-Rare $300+ Lord of the Rings Foils Can Only be Found in Commander Decks!

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