At this point, it’s certainly no secret that Magic: The Gathering is an expensive hobby. Not only are the cards themselves a pretty penny, but accessories are an added cost on top. Between deck boxes, sleeves, dice, and playmats, getting into MTG is infamously costly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you also have to smell the part.
Thankfully, in the grand scheme of things, deodorant, body wash, and shampoo aren’t the most expensive things. Unfortunately, the same can’t always be said for perfumes and colognes, as these can be remarkably pricy. Sadly, this is the case for two brand new MTG-themed fragrances that Japanese card shop Hareruya has just cooked up.
Modern and Legacy Cardpack Fragrances
If you’ve ever wanted to smell like an MTG booster pack, Hareruya has you covered. Unexpectedly, this Japanese retailer is now offering a pair of fragrances titled “Legacy” and “Modern”. Notably, these aren’t scented around the MTG formats of the same name, but rather the vintage of card packs.
According to Hareruya, the Legacy cardpack fragrance is designed to evoke 1990’s packs. These supposedly smell like “Sacred rituals, the distant past” and “Hope for the future and nostalgia.” In actual scent terms, a rough translation claims this means mushroom, lavender, and leather top notes.
The Modern cardpack fragrance, meanwhile, is designed to evoke card packs from the 2020’s. Supposedly, these times feel like “A new era, a happy life,” despite what the current geopolitical climate might make you believe. Smell-wise, the Modern fragrance seems a fair bit lighter, with translated notes claiming star anise and lavender on top, with a woody orange blossom base.
Sadly, without getting our hands, or rather noses, on them, it’s difficult to say how either of these fragrances actually smells. What we do know, at least, is that they have rather adorable, if a touch simplistic, bottles. We also know the price of both fragrances, as they’re each available for 15,000 yen, or around $94.
Notably, as if this wasn’t expensive enough, shipping from Japan almost always comes with hefty additional costs. On top of this, the supply for these fragrances is already running low and may run out soon. Considering the idea behind these fragrances is actually really interesting, this is definitely a shame.
Suspect Smells
Thankfully, if you do love the idea of MTG-themed fragrances, it’s certainly possible to smell the part. Not only are there a fair few fragrances that smell like board games, but you could even scent-match to a set. Admittedly, this might not be a good idea for particularly dank planes like Innistrad, but it’s technically an option.
Unfortunately, as fun as this might sound, I wouldn’t hold out much hope for officially licensed MTG fragrances. Still, it’s awesome to see a company pushing more into this space, even if it is with generic TCG-themed smells.
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