<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/a/ba86688d-18f0-4b5c-a797-42bf125a6c9f.jpg?1767658349" alt="Bloom Tender — Lorwyn Eclipsed, the set for this Sunday's Sealed" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Bloom Tender — Lorwyn Eclipsed. The set for NRG Showdown Sealed.</figcaption>
</figure>

February 10, 2026 — <a href="https://www.mtgo.com/news/mtgo021026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magic Online</a> is partnering with Nerd Rage Gaming to run the NRG Series Magic Online Showdown this Sunday, February 15. Start time is 10 a.m. PT / 12 noon Central. Format: Lorwyn Eclipsed Sealed Deck with Top 8 Draft. $5,000 in cash goes to the Top 32; the winner takes $1,200 and qualifies for the season-ending NRG Championship in Buffalo Grove, Illinois in December — 24 players, $35,000 prize pool. So it's not just another queue; it's a path to a real-world championship and a chunk of change.

How to enter

Registration is $35 and is processed only through <a href="https://www.nrgevents.gg/conventions/nrg-series-magic-x-mtgo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NRG's site</a>. The event is region-locked: only accounts with Magic Online billing addresses in the US, Canada, or Europe (Russia and Ukraine excluded) may participate. Cap is 384 players, with up to nine rounds of Swiss. Players are directed to NRG's event Discord for judge calls and technical support; for access issues before the event, hit help.mtgo.com.

What's at stake

This is the first of four planned NRG x MTGO tournaments in 2026 that count toward NRG's digital leaderboard. In total, six players will earn seats at the NRG Championship: four event winners plus two from the leaderboard. So if you're on MTGO and in an eligible region, Sunday is a real shot at cash and a tabletop championship invite. We're not telling you to play or not play. We're reporting the event. Until next time — may your Sealed pools be strong and your Top 8 draft be sharp.

MTGO NRG Showdown February 15 — Lorwyn Eclipsed Sealed, $5,000 cash, Championship invite

February 2, 2026 — Konami dropped the latest <a href="https://www.yugioh-card.com/en/limited/list_2026-02-02/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forbidden & Limited List</a> for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Paper formats use the Advanced list; Master Duel has its own. If you play paper, your deck might need a second look.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="/assets/yugioh_logo.svg" alt="Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG" style="max-width: 200px; height: auto; opacity: 0.9;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG — February 2026 Forbidden & Limited List.</figcaption>
</figure>

What changed

The headliner: Barrier Statue of the Torrent moves to Forbidden. The Wind, Earth, and other Barrier Statues were already gone; Torrent — which locked players out of summoning non-WATER monsters — was the last one standing. Floo and other strategies that leaned on it will need to adapt. The rest of the list carries over from the October 2025 update: Maxx "C", Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, Crystron Halqifibrax, Tearlaments Kitkallos, and the usual suspects remain Forbidden. Limited and Semi-Limited slots are unchanged for most cards.

Why Barrier Statue mattered

Barrier Statues were a long-running design problem. Lock your opponent out of their summoning type, sit on a floodgate, win slowly. Konami has been pruning them set by set; Torrent was the last Barrier Statue legal in the TCG. Its exit reduces floodgate pile strategies and should open up more diverse gameplay. We're not calling a top or a bottom on any card's price — staples that got hit have already been priced in by the community; those that dodged may see a bump. Check your list before your next locals.

Master Duel separate

Reminder: Master Duel uses a different ban list. Paper and digital are not aligned. If you play both, keep both lists in mind. Until next time — may your combos be legal and your floodgates be few.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden & Limited List — February 2, 2026 update

February 9, 2026 — Wizards dropped the first <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/banned-and-restricted-february-9-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Banned and Restricted announcement</a> of the year. Paper formats got a pass: Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper all see no changes. The action is on Arena. Historic gets four bans and seven unbans. Timeless restricts Necropotence. Alchemy gets 13 card rebalances. If you play digital, your deck might need a second look.

Historic — four out, seven back in

Banned: Eldrazi Temple, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Crop Rotation, Scholar of the Lost Trove. Play Design cited Eldrazi as the dominant high-rank strategy, powered by Temple and Ugin's Labyrinth; they banned Temple to keep Eldrazi playable without pushing out slower decks. Boros Energy lost Ajani. Crop Rotation enabled too much consistency for combo. And the Persist-into-Scholar line — reanimating Scholar of the Lost Trove as early as turn two and ending the game — was the most popular deck to reach Mythic in Best-of-One Historic. So Scholar is gone.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/9/390a53e5-2392-403d-9105-338e0c8320a2.jpg?1622834681" alt="Scholar of the Lost Trove — Jumpstart" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Scholar of the Lost Trove — banned in Historic as of February 9, 2026.</figcaption>
</figure>

Unbanned: Magus of the Moon, Harbinger of the Seas, Force of Vigor, Force of Negation, Endurance, Wilderness Reclamation, Agent of Treachery. Historic has shifted toward higher power and more interaction; the format's early "no free spells, no land lock" philosophy is being relaxed so that answers can keep up. Expect more diversity and more games that don't end on turn two.

Timeless — Necropotence restricted

One change: Necropotence is now restricted. The classic black enchantment that lets you pay life to stock your hand was too dominant in Timeless. One copy still allows the archetype; multiples were warping the format. So you get one. We're not calling a top or a bottom on the card's price — it's a Commander staple regardless. Below you'll find a chart for the Iconic Masters printing.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/8/c89c6895-b0f8-444a-9c89-c6b4fd027b3e.jpg?1770635008" alt="Necropotence — Iconic Masters" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Necropotence — restricted in Timeless as of February 9, 2026.</figcaption>
</figure>

Alchemy — 13 rebalances

Thirteen digital cards were rebalanced. The headliners: Kona, Rescue Beastie and Val, Marooned Surveyor got nerfed. Kona plus Omniscience was setting a turn-four (sometimes turn-three) deadline in Best-of-One Alchemy; Kona's mana cost went up. Val plus Trelasarra, Moon Dancer was the top creature combo in Historic; Val's cost went from two to four and the damage trigger was bumped to 2 per opponent (from 1) so she stays relevant in Brawl while dropping out of optimized Historic. The rest of the changes are a mix of buffs and tweaks: Dazzling Flameweaver, Marshland Hordemaster, Charged Conjuration, Tempest Trapper, Sanguine Soothsayer, Polterheist, Valiant Emberkin, Ethrimik Imagined Friend, Network Marauder, Prototype X-8, Sliver Weftwinder. Full details are in the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-arena/announcements-february-9-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MTG Arena announcements</a>.

Standard, Pioneer, Modern — no changes

Standard is in a good place. Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed had a Top 8 with seven different decks; Badgermole Cub is big but posted below 50% non-mirror win rate on Day One. Pioneer and Modern also see no changes. Legacy's Dimir Tempo is the top dog but within bounds. Vintage and Pauper are unchanged. So: paper stays as is; Arena gets the shakeup. Scroll down for the Scholar and Necropotence charts. Until next time — may your formats be healthy and your reanimator targets be legal.

Banned and Restricted February 9, 2026 — Historic hits, Timeless Necropotence, Alchemy rebalances

Lorwyn Eclipsed landed in late January 2026 — a full return to the plane of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, with Kithkin, Merfolk, Giants, Faeries, and the sun-and-moon flip between the two worlds. The set is 408 cards, legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, and Commander. Wizards packed in reversible shock lands (Lorwyn on one side, Shadowmoor on the other), a 20-card Special Guests bonus sheet with woodcut-style reprints, and a pile of reprints and new designs that had players and the secondary market paying attention from day one.

We’re not here to review every card. We’re here to give you a long look at the set through four cards that actually move the needle: the reprint everyone was waiting for, the Worlds championship card, the tribal engine that’s become a chase mythic, and the flexible elemental that’s finding homes in multiple formats. For each one we’ll show the card and then, below the article, you’ll find a price chart so you can see how the market has been treating it. Toggle regular vs foil on each chart and draw your own conclusions.

What makes Lorwyn Eclipsed matter

Lorwyn and Shadowmoor were beloved for their tribes and their flavor. ECL brings that back with a twist: the plane’s duality is baked into the product. Draft and Standard get a shot of tribal and multicolor, and reprint hunters got some of the cards they’d been asking for for years. <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/collecting-lorwyn-eclipsed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wizards’ own collecting guide</a> highlights the reversible shock lands, the Special Guests sheet (Bitterblossom, Goblin Sharpshooter, and others in woodcut art), and serialized Bitterbloom Bearer in Collector Boosters. So there’s something for drafters, Commander players, and collectors. Our job is to zoom in on a few cards that are both important to the set and interesting on the price chart.

1. Bloom Tender — the reprint that had to happen

If you’ve been reading the Gazette, you already know we covered Bloom Tender when ECL dropped. It’s worth repeating here: this was the “reprint when?” card. A 1/1 Elf for {1}{G} that taps for mana of each color among your permanents. Commander players have wanted it forever. The original from Eventide (2008) and the Special Guests printing had kept the price high. Lorwyn Eclipsed finally put a standard booster version into the world — Nils Hamm art, no gimmicks, mythic in the set. Supply went up; the market reacted. The ECL copy is the one most people are opening and buying to play. Below you’ll see a chart for the Lorwyn Eclipsed printing. Compare it to the other printings on our dedicated Bloom Tender piece if you want the full picture. For this set review, the takeaway is simple: Bloom Tender is the headline reprint, and the chart tells you where the new supply landed.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/a/ba86688d-18f0-4b5c-a797-42bf125a6c9f.jpg?1767658349" alt="Bloom Tender — Lorwyn Eclipsed" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Bloom Tender — Lorwyn Eclipsed. The reprint everyone was waiting for.</figcaption>
</figure>

2. Formidable Speaker — the Worlds card

Formidable Speaker is the championship card for Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, World Champion XXIX. It’s a 2/4 Elf Druid for {2}{G} that does two things: when it enters you may discard a card to tutor a creature into your hand, and for {1} and a tap it untaps another target permanent. So it’s a body, a potential <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/formidable-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commander</a> value piece, and a combo enabler (untap a mana dork or a land). The flavor text says it all: “Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, World Champion XXIX.” That kind of pedigree plus real utility means the card was a chase rare from the start. It’s not a reprint — it’s new to ECL — and the price has been strong. If you’re into competitive play or just want a copy of the Worlds card, the chart below shows you where the market has settled. Toggle foil if you’re after the shiny version.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/6/265522eb-4f6a-40e7-b374-3833fa63c80b.jpg?1765118668" alt="Formidable Speaker — Lorwyn Eclipsed" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Formidable Speaker — the Worlds XXIX championship card.</figcaption>
</figure>

3. Chronicle of Victory — tribal payoff

Chronicle of Victory is a six-mana legendary artifact. As it enters you choose a creature type. From then on, creatures you control of that type get +2/+2, first strike, and trample — and whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type, you draw a card. So it’s a tribal lord and a card-advantage engine in one. In Commander it’s the kind of card that goes into any deck that’s heavily committed to a tribe: Elves, Merfolk, Giants, whatever ECL and your collection support. It’s been compared to Vanquisher’s Banner with extra upside. As a mythic in a set that’s all about tribes, it was bound to be one of the chase cards. The chart below is for the ECL printing. If you’re building tribal in Standard or Commander, this is one to watch — and the curve will show you whether the market is still discovering it or has already priced it in.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/3/b3c2d68d-690b-41e7-99ed-2d20c7e0a9b4.jpg?1767658597" alt="Chronicle of Victory — Lorwyn Eclipsed" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Chronicle of Victory — choose a type, pump the team, draw cards.</figcaption>
</figure>

4. Wistfulness — the flexible elemental

Wistfulness is a 6/5 Elemental Incarnation for {3}{G/U}{G/U}. It has two enters-the-battlefield effects: if you paid {G}{G}, exile target artifact or enchantment an opponent controls; if you paid {U}{U}, draw two cards then discard one. It also has evoke {G/U}{G/U}, so you can cast it for the evoke cost, get one of the two effects, and sacrifice it. That makes it a flexible tool in Simic decks — a body when you need one, or a one-shot answer or card draw when you don’t. In Standard and Pioneer it’s been finding homes in midrange and ramp shells. In Commander it’s a solid value creature with a relevant body. As one of the elemental incarnation cycle in ECL, it’s been one of the set’s pricier mythics. The chart below is for the ECL version. Toggle regular vs foil and see where it’s trading.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/b/db9aa986-ac2a-44bb-a88b-04c5d0d502b2.jpg?1767749668" alt="Wistfulness — Lorwyn Eclipsed" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Wistfulness — Simic elemental with two modes and evoke.</figcaption>
</figure>

What else is in the set

We didn’t cover everything. The reversible shock lands are a big deal for Standard and beyond — two sides on one card, Lorwyn and Shadowmoor art. The Special Guests sheet has 20 reprints (Bitterblossom, Goblin Sharpshooter, and others) in that woodcut style. There are new planeswalkers, transform legends like Eirdu // Isilu, and a heap of tribal support. If you’re drafting, you’re getting a real Lorwyn-Shadowmoor experience. If you’re cracking packs for value, Bloom Tender, Formidable Speaker, Chronicle of Victory, and Wistfulness are four of the cards that have been moving. We’ve shown you each one; below you’ll find four price charts in the same order: Bloom Tender (ECL), Formidable Speaker, Chronicle of Victory, Wistfulness. Toggle regular vs foil on each, compare the curves, and decide for yourself where the set’s key cards are headed.

Conclusion

Lorwyn Eclipsed is a set that had to deliver on nostalgia and reprint hope. It did. Bloom Tender finally got a normal printing. Formidable Speaker gave the Worlds champ a card. Chronicle of Victory and Wistfulness are two of the new mythics that are actually seeing play and holding value. We’re not calling tops or bottoms — we’re giving you the cards and the data. Scroll down for the charts. The Gazette will keep an eye on ECL as the set settles. Until then, may your tribes be strong and your curves be kind.

Lorwyn Eclipsed — set review, key cards, and where the market landed

Let’s get this on the record: Bloom Tender has been a “reprint when?” meme for years. Commander players love it. Speculators love it. The rest of us just wanted a copy that didn’t cost a kidney. Well, Lorwyn Eclipsed dropped, and Wizards finally pulled the trigger. The new printing is here — and the market is doing exactly what you’d expect.

We’re not here to pump the card. We’re here to report. So: the original Eventide (2008) version had been sitting in the “ouch” zone for a long time. Then Special Guests gave us a fancy alternate art. Now the standard ECL version is the one everyone’s actually opening and buying. Price? It’s moving — and we’ve got the charts for all three printings below so you can compare.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0;">
 <div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 16px; justify-content: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/a/ba86688d-18f0-4b5c-a797-42bf125a6c9f.jpg?1767658349" alt="Bloom Tender — Lorwyn Eclipsed" style="max-width: 260px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/f/ef1b78d9-8f09-4d67-ac6b-45204e525b35.jpg?1733001264" alt="Bloom Tender — Special Guests" style="max-width: 260px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/7/d7cc2828-dfe7-410b-9735-10bb7211f0f5.jpg?1562940634" alt="Bloom Tender — Eventide (2008)" style="max-width: 260px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 </div>
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Left to right: Lorwyn Eclipsed (new), Special Guests, Eventide (2008). Same elf, three flavors of cardboard.</figcaption>
</figure>

The three printings — and why they matter

Eventide (2008) is the original. It’s the one that made Commander players go “I need that.” Supply was tight for over a decade. Even after other printings, the classic frame and that Chippy art hold a premium. Foil Eventide? Don’t ask. (We’ll show you the chart instead.)

Special Guests gave us a gorgeous Julie Dillon take — New Capenna vibes, showcase treatment. It’s a premium product, so it never flooded the market. Prices held up. If you want the fancy version, that’s the one. If you want to play the card and not pay a fortune, that wasn’t it.

Lorwyn Eclipsed is the “finally, a normal one” printing. Standard booster availability, Nils Hamm art, no gimmicks. More supply usually means the new version trades lower than the oldest, rarest one — and that’s playing out. But demand is so high that the ECL copy is still carrying a real price. Foils and showcase versions in the set are doing their own thing (and yes, some of those are silly expensive). We’re keeping an eye on it. So should you if you’re in the market.

What we’re watching

Reprints don’t always kill a card’s price — and Bloom Tender is a format staple in Commander and beyond. The ability to tap for mana of each color among your permanents makes it a house in multicolor decks. So even with more copies in the wild, demand could keep the floor from falling out. That said, if you’ve been waiting to pick one up, the next few weeks might be the best window. Once the set’s been cracked for a while and the hype cools, we’ll have a clearer picture.

Below you’ll find three price charts: one for the new Lorwyn Eclipsed printing, one for Special Guests, and one for the original Eventide. Toggle regular vs foil on each and see how they’ve been moving. Compare the curves. The old one will still command a premium; the new one is where most of the action is. Special Guests sits in the middle — premium art, premium price.

Conclusion

Bloom Tender’s reprint in Lorwyn Eclipsed is exactly the kind of move players have been asking for. Supply is up, prices are in flux, and the market is doing what it always does: react. We’re not calling a top or a bottom here — we’re just making sure you’ve got the story and the data. Check the charts, compare printings, and decide for yourself. The Gazette will keep an eye on it. Now go tend those blooms.

The Bloom Tender boom — reprint fever is real

Journey Together hit shelves on March 28, 2025 as the ninth Scarlet & Violet expansion, and it brings back one of the most beloved concepts in the game's history: Trainer's Pokémon. Cards that pair a beloved character alongside their signature partner haven't been in the main product line since the Gym Heroes set in 2000. Twenty-five years later, they're back — and the market noticed immediately. Here's what the set offers and which cards are driving demand.

What Trainer's Pokémon are

Trainer's Pokémon are cards that feature a specific Trainer character alongside their iconic partner Pokémon. Think N with Zoroark, Lillie with Clefairy, Iono with Bellibolt. In Gym Heroes, these were straightforward cards attached to Gym Leaders. In Journey Together, they return as fully modern designs with ex mechanics, Special Illustration Rare art, and — in some cases — competitive implications. The nostalgia factor is significant. Players who grew up with those classic sets are now adults with money to spend on premium pulls.

Chase cards and Special Illustration Rares

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://images.pokemontcg.io/sv9/1.png" alt="Journey Together — Scarlet & Violet SV9" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Journey Together (SV9) — the ninth Scarlet & Violet expansion, March 2025. Trainer's Pokémon return for the first time since 2000.</figcaption>
</figure>

The set includes 16 Pokémon ex, 11 Illustration Rares, 6 Special Illustration Rares, and 3 Hyper Rare gold cards. The top-tier SIRs pre-ordering at premium before release:

<ul style="margin: 16px 0; padding-left: 24px; line-height: 1.8;">
 <li>N's Zoroark ex (SIR) — the headliner. N is one of the most beloved Trainer characters in the franchise; paired with Zoroark's dark, fox-eared aesthetic, the art is stunning. Pre-orders immediately spiked.</li>
 <li>Lillie's Clefairy ex (SIR) — Lillie from Sun and Moon is hugely popular. Her Clefairy SIR is one of the most emotional pieces of art in recent sets.</li>
 <li>Iono's Bellibolt ex — Iono is a newer character but already has a dedicated fan base; Bellibolt's goofy design makes this an oddly endearing pull.</li>
 <li>Hop's Zacian ex — a Sword and Shield callback. Zacian has Pokémon Go and competitive crossover appeal.</li>
 <li>Shiny Pikachu & Red (Secret Rare) — Red is the OG protagonist. A shiny Pikachu paired with him is the kind of card that gets listed on eBay within hours of opening.</li>
</ul>

Sealed product and what to expect

Journey Together uses the standard Scarlet & Violet product structure: Booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes, and Build & Battle Stadiums. Prices below are approximate U.S. street at launch; check TCGPlayer and your LGS for current availability.

<table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 0.95rem;">
 <thead>
 <tr style="background: rgba(231, 215, 156, 0.15); border-bottom: 2px solid #e7d79c;">
 <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: left;">Product</th>
 <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: right;">Approx. price (USD)</th>
 <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: left;">Notes</th>
 </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
 <tr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(231, 215, 156, 0.3);">
 <td style="padding: 12px;">Booster box</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: right;">~$115–140</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px;">36 packs. Main cracking product. Guarantee at least one Ultra Rare or better per box.</td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(231, 215, 156, 0.3);">
 <td style="padding: 12px;">Elite Trainer Box</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: right;">~$50–60</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px;">9 packs plus accessories. Good entry for players wanting the dice and damage counters.</td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(231, 215, 156, 0.3);">
 <td style="padding: 12px;">Build & Battle Stadium</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: right;">~$35–45</td>
 <td style="padding: 12px;">Four prerelease kits bundled. Good for prereleases and sealed league nights.</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

Sealed vs singles

If you're after a specific SIR for your binder or a competitive ex for your deck, singles are almost always cheaper than cracking to find it. Booster boxes make sense if you enjoy the experience or are speculating on sealed long-term. The Trainer's Pokémon hook has genuine nostalgic staying power — this isn't a mechanic that will feel stale in five years. Whether that translates into durable secondary market value depends on how broadly the set is printed. We're not telling you to buy or sell. We're laying out the cards and the context. May your pulls be illustrated and your Trainers iconic.

Pokémon Journey Together — Trainer's Pokémon return and the chase SIRs to know

March 19, 2025. Digimon Con. Bandai dropped the thing people had been speculating about for months: #DIGIMONALYSION, an official Digimon Card Game mobile app. The teaser campaign had already hinted at something — the official Digimon TCG account posted a cryptic video of Renamon picking up a phone and being pulled inside it, running for days before the full reveal. Now we know what it is. This is Bandai's digital card game answer, and it's going for the same territory that Pokémon TCG Pocket carved out.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://images.digimoncard.io/images/cards/BT1-010.jpg" alt="Agumon — BT-01 Booster New Evolution" style="max-width: 240px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Digimon Card Game — DIGIMONALYSION announced at Digimon Con 2025. A mobile digital card experience with exclusive cards and a story mode.</figcaption>
</figure>

What DIGIMONALYSION is

Based on the announcement, the app is a fully standalone digital Digimon card game with four confirmed pillars:

<ul style="margin: 16px 0; padding-left: 24px; line-height: 1.8;">
 <li>DigiAly cards — cards exclusive to the digital game. These are not reprints of physical cards; they're designed specifically for the app. The implication is that the digital meta will develop independently from the tabletop game, which is smart design — Pocket Pokémon succeeded in part because it wasn't just a worse version of the physical game.</li>
 <li>Story mode — a narrative-driven campaign with original new characters. Bandai is positioning ALYSION as more than a card game client; they're selling a Digimon story experience.</li>
 <li>Cross-region multiplayer — play against anyone globally. No regional divide between Japan and the West, which has been a friction point in the physical game.</li>
 <li>Original characters — new Digimon and human characters designed for the app. Not just recycled Agumon and Gabumon; Bandai is building something new around this.</li>
</ul>

Why this matters

Pokémon TCG Pocket launched in October 2024 and was immediately one of the most downloaded apps in the world. It proved that there's a massive audience for mobile card game experiences that don't require owning physical cards. Digimon has a loyal but smaller fanbase in the West; a well-executed mobile app could meaningfully expand the Digimon TCG player base in a way that no amount of booster set releases can. More digital players means more awareness of the physical game, more crossover buyers, and more demand for physical singles. If ALYSION succeeds at scale, the physical Digimon market goes with it.

What else came out of Digimon Con 2025

The ALYSION announcement was the headline, but Digimon Con also covered the physical game's roadmap. English players are currently working through BT-20: Booster Over the X (which launched in English on February 28, 2025) and looking ahead to the Advanced Booster: Digimon Generation and Limited Card Pack Another Knight dropping March 27. The Liberator story arc continues to drive the physical game's narrative focus. No specific ALYSION release date was announced — Bandai gave the tease, not the calendar. We're not calling a top or a bottom. We're reporting on what was announced. May your evolutions be swift and your Renamon play nice with phones.

Digimon announces DIGIMONALYSION — a mobile card game app with exclusive digital cards

February 21–23, 2025. MagicCon Chicago. Pro Tour Aetherdrift is in the books and the winner is Matt Nass, playing Domain Overlords, going undefeated through the Swiss before closing out a Top 8 that had three Domain mirrors waiting for him — including the finals. Standard's first major event with Aetherdrift in the pool delivered the usual chaos, a healthy spread of archetypes, and zero emergency bans. Here's what happened.

What Domain Overlords is

Domain is the mechanic that counts basic land types you control. Reach all five — Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest — and your Domain spells hit full power. The "Overlords" variant pairs that mana base with high-impact enter-the-battlefield creatures and a late game so thick that aggressive decks simply run out of gas. In a set built around a multiplanar death race, a five-color control deck claiming the crown is both thematically perfect and very on-brand for Nass, one of the game's most decorated combo and value players. His list ran efficient cantrips, multiple sweepers, and a top-end that opponents couldn't race.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://cards.scryfall.io/art_crop/front/3/d/3dea5b45-925c-4732-8e9d-fa8232792736.jpg?1738356581" alt="Brightglass Gearhulk — Aetherdrift" style="max-width: 620px; width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Pro Tour Aetherdrift, MagicCon Chicago — Standard's first major event with the racing set in the pool. Domain Overlords took the crown.</figcaption>
</figure>

The Top 8 breakdown

Three Domain Overlords variants made Top 8. The other five slots: two copies of Mono-Red Aggro, Gruul Leyline, Golgari Graveyard, and Jeskai Oculus. Mono-Red was everywhere in the Swiss — the deck is fast, punishing, and punishes stumbles mercilessly — but Domain's ability to stabilize, sweep the board, and bury opponents in late-game value proved decisive. When the Top 4 shook out, it was three Domain players against one red deck. The mirror in the finals went to Nass in games.

What it means for the format

No emergency bans. No Monday-morning press release. Wizards let Standard breathe and it passed. Five distinct archetypes in the Top 8; red decks present but ultimately topped by control; Aetherdrift cards across multiple strategies. The format looks wide. It also means Domain Overlords is real — the archetype has now won a Pro Tour, which focuses the market. Cards that enable the five-color mana base and the Overlord package are worth tracking. We're not calling a top or a bottom. We're pointing at the winner and the format. Scroll down for the Brightglass Gearhulk chart — one of the Aetherdrift mythics showing up across multiple Standard lists. May your domains be complete and your win conditions unraced.

Matt Nass wins Pro Tour Aetherdrift with Domain Overlords

Maze of the Master (set code: MZTM) hit shelves on March 14, 2025, and it is, without exaggeration, one of the most nostalgia-dense sets Konami has released in years. If you watched the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime — Battle City, Duelist Kingdom, ZEXAL, ARC-V, VRAINS — there is almost certainly something in this set made specifically for you. The Temple of the Kings / Odion archetype makes its TCG debut as the set's World Premiere headliner. Everything else is decades of anime callbacks given new card text. Here's what matters.

Temple of the Kings and Odion — the headliner

Odion Ishtar served as Marik's loyal bodyguard and the wielder of Trap Monsters in the original Battle City arc. His deck centered on the Mystical Beast of Serket and the field spell Temple of the Kings — an engine that could special summon and destroy in ways the original anime barely needed to explain. Maze of the Master turns this into a fully playable modern archetype. Apophis and Serket make their TCG debut here, alongside new support that makes the combo functional in the current game. For fans who watched Battle City and always wondered what a real Odion deck would look like — this is it.

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://images.ygoprodeck.com/images/cards/33396948.jpg" alt="Exodia the Forbidden One" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Exodia the Forbidden One — one of the original's most iconic win conditions, now with expanded support in Maze of the Master.</figcaption>
</figure>

Exodia and the Forbidden One support

The original instant-win condition gets new pieces in MZTM. Assembling all five Exodia parts in hand still wins the game — that rule hasn't changed since 1999 — and Maze of the Master adds tools that make the search and assembly more consistent. Exodia decks have always been more collector pieces than competitive threats, but there's a segment of the community that has played Forbidden One exclusively since the beginning. Those players are the target demographic here, and they will spend accordingly.

The rest of the set — seven archetypes in focus

Maze of the Master spreads its remaining card slots across a deliberately wide nostalgia net:

<ul style="margin: 16px 0; padding-left: 24px; line-height: 1.8;">
 <li>Galaxy / Tachyon (ZEXAL) — 7 new cards for Mizar's Tachyon Dragon engine. One of ZEXAL's most visually striking archetypes; long-requested by the community.</li>
 <li>A-to-Z Mechs — 7 new cards for Kaiba's classic X-Y-Z mechanical fusion monsters. These were novelties in GX; now they're getting a proper modern treatment.</li>
 <li>Trickstar (VRAINS) — 7 new cards. The burn-focused fairy deck from VRAINS was briefly meta-relevant; these additions keep it in the conversation.</li>
 <li>Performage (ARC-V) — 7 new cards. Performage Damage Juggler and friends were banned at the height of their dominance; new support revisits the archetype with current design philosophy.</li>
 <li>Red Dragon Archfiend — Jack Atlas's ace card gets additional support, continuing the slow rehabilitation of Synchro Dragon strategies.</li>
 <li>Allure Queen / Ancient Gear / Gimmick Puppet / Marincess — smaller support packages filling out the set with callbacks across GX, ARC-V, and VRAINS.</li>
</ul>

Who this set is for

Maze of the Master is not a format-defining meta set. It is not going to put Odion at the top of YCS standings or push Exodia into serious competitive play. What it is: a love letter to 25 years of Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, executed with current card design. If you have a history with these characters and archetypes, MZTM has something for you. The alt-arts on the Odion cards are especially striking — if you're a collector rather than a player, this is a set worth walking into your LGS for. We're not telling you to buy or sell. We're reporting on the set. May your traps be face-down and your Forbidden Ones complete.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Maze of the Master — Odion, Exodia support, and 25 years of anime in one set

Archazia's Island is Set 7 in Disney Lorcana, and it represents the most significant mechanical shift since Location cards changed the game in Into the Inklands. The headline addition: Dual-Ink cards. Cards that belong to two ink colors simultaneously. If you're playing those two colors, you can include them. If you're not, you can't. It sounds simple, but it reshapes how you think about deckbuilding in Lorcana at a fundamental level. LGS release was March 7, 2025; wide retail hit on March 21.

How Dual-Ink cards work

Every Lorcana deck can run two ink colors. Dual-Ink cards have two color identities — for example, Amber/Steel or Ruby/Sapphire. To include them in your deck, you must be running both of those colors. A pure Amber/Emerald deck can't run a Ruby/Steel Dual-Ink card; an Amber/Steel deck can. This creates a new layer of deckbuilding tension: do you build around Dual-Ink payoffs, or do you keep a focused single-archetype list? The answer will vary by player and strategy, but the format has new options it didn't have a week ago.

The Vanish keyword

Archazia's Island also introduces Vanish — a defensive keyword that banishes an opponent's card if it targets the card with Vanish. Think of it as a trap: your opponent commits to removing or interacting with a Vanish character, and that card blinks away, potentially taking the attacker with it. Combined with Dual-Ink cards that may have Vanish, the set adds defensive depth to colors that previously relied on raw stats.

Top Dual-Ink cards to watch

<figure style="margin: 24px 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; text-align: center;">
 <img src="https://lorcana-api.com/images/bolt/superdog/bolt-superdog-large.png" alt="Bolt — Superdog (Archazia's Island)" style="max-width: 320px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px;" />
 <figcaption style="font-size: 0.9rem; color: #e7d79c; margin-top: 12px; opacity: 0.95;">Bolt — Superdog. The flagship new character of Archazia's Island, joining as an Amber/Steel Dual-Ink card.</figcaption>
</figure>

<ul style="margin: 16px 0; padding-left: 24px; line-height: 1.8;">
 <li>Bolt — Superdog (Amber/Steel) — the marquee new franchise addition. Bolt from the 2008 Disney animated film joins Lorcana as a Dual-Ink card, and his stats and ability are designed to anchor Amber/Steel lists. If there's one card the set is built around, this is it.</li>
 <li>Mushu — Majestic Dragon (Ruby/Steel) — Mushu arrives as a Dual-Ink Super Rare with meaningful Ruby/Steel synergies. Ruby's aggression plus Steel's resilience makes this a natural pairing.</li>
 <li>Belle — Mechanic Extraordinaire (Ruby/Sapphire) — Super Rare, high lore generation. Belle in a mechanic's role is a new take on a classic character; the Ruby/Sapphire combination opens up interesting control-into-value lines.</li>
 <li>Jafar — Newly Crowned (Amethyst/Steel) — Super Rare villain. Amethyst's disruption alongside Steel's defense makes Jafar a different kind of threat than his previous Lorcana cards.</li>
 <li>Giant Cobra — Ghostly Serpent (Steel/Amethyst) — a flipped version of the Jafar pairing; relevant for decks that want the inverse color weighting.</li>
</ul>

Also in the March 2025 release window: a Lilo Gift Box featuring an alternate-art foil of Lilo — Escape Artist with both Lilo and Stitch in the illustration. Standalone product; worth noting if you're a Lilo and Stitch fan or a foil collector.

What Dual-Ink means long-term

Lorcana's deckbuilding was previously clean: pick two colors, build your deck. Dual-Ink cards don't break that structure — you still pick two colors — but they reward players who lean hard into specific color pairings. Archazia's Island cards will only ever be relevant in decks running both their colors; that scarcity of use-cases cuts both ways. Cards that fit into two popular archtypes will command higher demand than those in niche pairings. We're not telling you to buy or sell. We're telling you what changed. Map your color pair, find your Dual-Ink pieces, and build. May your ink flow dual and your quests resolve in style.

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