Over the past few years, it seems that the sheer volume of promotional cards released has increased a fair bit. Recently, players were able to get their hands on promo copies of Lotus Petal at their local WPN game stores as part of MTG’s 30th anniversary celebration. Roughly a week ago, WPN stores were able to give out borderless anime promo versions of Pyroblast and Ice Out to players that purchased at least $50 worth of Sealed product.
Today, a new set of promo cards were revealed associated with the Regional Championship series. From January 6 to March 24, 2024, players will have the opportunity to walk away with a couple promos when playing in Regional Championship Qualifier events. Regional Championship Qualifier events are a player’s first step towards earning an invite to the Pro Tour.
If you place high enough in one of this group’s Standard or Limited Regional Championship Qualifiers, you will be able to compete in a Regional Championship in Q2 of 2024. Have a good enough performance there, and you can earn a spot at the third Pro Tour of 2024 in June. Let’s take a look at exactly how each of these promos is awarded.
How to Get Them
When competing in a Regional Championship Qualifier, there are two main promos up for grabs. The first promo is available for anyone who participates. The card in question is none other than Explore.
Explore is sometimes used as a flex slot in Amulet Titan and Scapeshift combo decks in Modern. Outside of that, Explore is a fan-favorite card in Commander, which should give this promo some value. While players will generally receive non-foil copies at WPN stores, larger events may have access to foil copies as well.
For those who make top eight, you will receive a copy of Expressive Iteration. Expressive Iteration is an exceptionally powerful piece of card advantage. Despite being banned in Pioneer and Legacy, the card is still a staple in Modern Izzet Murktide decks. As a bonus, if you finish first, not only will you get an invite to the Regional Championship, but you will also get a foil copy of the Expressive Iteration promo.
Finally, for those who make it to the Regional Championship, a Secret Lair version of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle awaits you. Valakut is also a Modern staple, utilized as a kill condition in Scapeshift decks and Amulet Titan decks alongside Dryad of the Ilysian Grove. All participants will get non-foil copies, while top finishers can obtain foil copies.
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Financial Breakdown
In general, the promos given at the Qualifier events aren’t worth a whole lot. In this case, Explore is worth under 25 cents in its cheapest traditional form according to TCGplayer market price, with foils available for under $2. Expressive Iteration is not much different. Traditional versions of Expressive Iteration are worth just under $1, while foil versions are under $2.
Where the real bonus lies is with the promo Valakut. Valakut currently sits at roughly $20 in its cheapest form, which actually happens to be a Launch Party and Release Event foil promo. By contrast, traditional Zendikar copies are about $21, with Zendikar foils reaching nearly $35. While the price is yet to be determined, these Secret Lair Valakuts are a slam dunk, both visually and financially.
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Promo Comparisons
Seeing Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle as the Regional Championship promo of choice is definitely a welcome sight, especially with the promo for the Regional Championships associated with the Second Pro Tour of 2024 being such a dud. That promo was Dragonlord Silumgar, which has a relatively small price tag at just over $2 in its cheapest form. This is a huge difference from that of Valakut.
Not only that, but depending on the promo, these Regional Championship cards can be worth a decent amount more than traditional variants of the same card. For example, the alternate art participation promo for the Regional Championships feeding Pro Tour Lord of the Rings in 2023 was Snapcaster Mage, a significantly more appealing promo than Dragonlord Silumgar. While normal versions of Snapcaster Mage sit as low as roughly $14, the promo is worth close to $37. Not only that, but the foil variant with significantly less supply is worth over $160. Both regular and foil copies of Valakut could end up being worth more by comparison.
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Player Reaction
Beyond just the overall reprint value of these promos, the MTG community at large seemed pleased with the aesthetics as well. The Explore art in particular looks absolutely incredible, which is great to see considering it’s just the participation promo for Regional Championship Qualifiers and is unlikely to be worth a ton.
In addition to the gorgeous artwork, it’s nice seeing choices for promos that regularly see Constructed play across the board. Not only does this likely increase the overall demand for these cards, but it provides players with opportunities to make great use of these promos regularly. After all, Dragonlord Silumgar wasn’t just a bust as far as value was concerned, but it also saw very little competitive play in general. These promos are all solid options, especially Valakut, and if you want a shot to pick up these beautiful cards, definitely consider playing in a local Regional Championship Qualifier to get started.
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