So far, the Avatar: The Last Airbender MTG set is looking fantastic. Spoiler season has only just started, yet we’ve already seen countless fantastic cards. Competitive and Commander players alike are eating well already, and we’ve still got so much more to go. That said, it’s not all good news.
Since the Debut livestream, one class of cards has been rubbing players the wrong way. Despite getting off to a very strong start, the Source Material bonus sheet reprints are now causing controversy. Between dubious art, low value, and surprising scarcity, it’s easy to complain right now.
New Avatar Bonus Sheet Reprints
Yesterday, two new reprints for the Source Material bonus sheet were revealed. Unfortunately, from a financial perspective, neither of these cards is very exciting. At worst, the raw reprint value of both Bribery and Agent of Treachery of these cards is around $5.15. As mythics within the bonus sheet, these cards are hardly the most desirable pulls, especially compared to The Great Henge.
For better or worse, while these reprints aren’t exactly good, both these cards are at least playable. Blue-aligned Commander decks use these cards fairly frequently, thanks to their similar card-stealing antics. Despite having fewer printings, Agent of Treachery is the more popular of the pair, appearing in over 58,000 decks.
In theory, the playability of both of these cards could make the new Source Material variants more expensive than normal. Due to only appearing in one out of X Play Boosters, these cards won’t be the most accessible. As a result, there’s an expectation that each Source Material card may actually be worth more.
The MTG Final Fantasy set proved that this is absolutely something that can happen. Some of the best Source Material reprints in that set are worth more than the original variants. Rhystic Study, for instance, is $101 as a Final Fantasy card, but normal variants can be picked up for just $50.
Potentially, this may mean that both the new Bribery and Agent of Treachery reprints will be worth some decent money. That said, the Secret Lair variant of Agent of Treachery selling for $7 does make this assumption somewhat suspect. Even if we ignored this past precedent, however, these new reprints hardly look like financial slam dunks.
Dubious Designs
On social media, the latest Source Material bonus sheet cards haven’t exactly been getting the warmest reception. Multiple MTG players on Reddit have been quick to critique the cards. For some, the designs “look terrible” in general, while others noted their bizarre low quality, almost as if they’re in “480p”.
Curiously, while some cards can look oddly low quality, these bonus sheet cards aren’t inherently bad. The Force of Negation reprint, for instance, has fantastic flavor and definitely fits the tone of MTG. Bribery, on the other hand, while technically flavorful, feels very out of place against most Magic cards.
Worryingly, Bribery is far from the worst Source Material bonus sheet we’ve seen for the Avatar: The Last Airbender set. During the debut, Wizards revealed Cruel Tutor, which, personally, looks like one of the ugliest MTG cards ever printed. On Reddit, MTG players weren’t any kinder, as this baffling choice of artwork was repeatedly slated.
Beyond just drawing complaints from fans, this baffling artwork was almost immediately turned into a meme. Curiously, MTG players had a much better reaction to this card, especially since it leans into an already established meme. That said, MTG players were understandably concerned about the direction Magic is going.
In 2026, we’re getting four Universes Beyond sets, each of which is likely to have a Source Material bonus sheet. While this could work for some sets, like The Hobbit, players are already concerned about Star Trek’s hypothetical bonus sheet. Even while players noted they’re not inherently awful, there’s evidently a lot of unease right now.
The Silent Majority
At the moment, when looking at social media, it would be easy to say that the majority hate these Source Material bonus cards. There might be a few good cards and supporters, but the overall sentiment is clearly negative. While this negativity shouldn’t be outright dismissed, it’s admittedly anger coming from one echo chamber on the internet.
Once complaints about the Source Material bonus sheet cards hit Blogatog, Mark Rosewater took to their defense. Simply stating that he’s “heard from many players that do enjoy them,” it seems these cards aren’t all bad. That said, Rosewater notably doesn’t say how widespread the support is, compared to the complaints.
Either way, it’s always worthwhile remembering that Magic: The Gathering has tons of fans and players not on Reddit. While those on social media are typically devoted fans, there are plenty more who are also happily quietly buying packs. For better or worse, this silent audience can often be the driving force behind Magic’s movements, as Universes Beyond overall demonstrates.
Ultimately, this likely means that the Source Material bonus sheet likely won’t be going anywhere for a while. Not only are sets planned and locked in long in advance, but clearly, this style has its fans. Honestly, this isn’t too surprising either, since it feels like the most Universes Beyond you can get.
Thankfully, even if they’re not to your tastes, so far Source Material cards have only been reprints. Due to this, you don’t have to use these cards if you don’t want to. This might not stop your opponents from playing them, but given all that Secret Lair has done, these are hardly the only jarring cards in MTG.
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