How did it take so long for the world of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe to join Magic: The Gathering? Well, after being teased at MagicCon in Amsterdam, we can now reveal several images of the new Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe collab. And the artwork recalls the fantastic packaging art from artists like Earl Norem. Not to mention, the forever iconic 1980s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Filmation cartoon. The cards aren’t just limited to He-Man, either. His twin sister She-Ra and her friends get several cards as well. The Most Powerful Superdrop in the Universe will arrive in five drops. You can check out the first images below:
Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe: By the Power of Grayskull!
What is MOTU without He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe? The set showcases cards with He-Man charging into battle, as well as holding his magic sword aloft and speaking the words “By the Power of Grayskull!” Also featured are He-Man’s friends who know his true identity as Prince Adam, Orko, and Man-At-Arms. The flavor here is spot-on. They’re primarily red cards, built around fast, aggressive play. He-Man, Champion of Eternia could make a great Boros (red/white) commander, allowing you to cheat out powerful Human cards and get very aggro.
Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe: Nyah-ha-ha!
Here we have several cards spotlighting Eternia’s biggest nemesis, Skeletor, Lord of Destruction. And he looks just as he appeared in Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. They made Skeletor a reprint of one of our favorite cards, Tinybones, the Pickpocket. This lets you rob other players’ graveyards for maximal chaos. No one card is worth a metric ton of money, but they’re all strong and useful reprints. Particularly for players who like mill/discard archetypes. You can hear Alan Oppenheimer’s iconic cackle just looking at the images.
Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe: Allies and Enemies of Eternia
Some of the most iconic characters from the very beginnings of the MOTU line appear here. Among them are the Warriors Beast-Man, Trap-Jaw, and Evil-Lyn, along with Heroic Warriors like Teela, Man-E-Faces, and the Sorceress. Solid value here, primarily driven by Man-E-Faces, which is a reprint of Sakashima the Impostor. And it lets you bypass Magic’s legend rule. This is the rule where you cannot have two legendary creatures of the same name on the table.
Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe: She-Ra, Princess of Power
We love that they did not forget to include He-Man’s twin sister She-Ra in this drop. Not only do we get the Princess of Power, but also her loyal steed Swift Wind, her friends in the Great Rebellion, Glimmer and Bow, and her enemy, Catra. This set gives you great tools for pumping up your creatures with +1/+1 counters while denying your opponents interactions. She-Ra is a reprint of Sisay, Weatherlight Captain, a powerful 5-color commander that lets you build in many different directions. And we love that once card showcases Princess Adora’s “magical girl transformation” scene. The one made iconic from the opening credits of her 1980s cartoon show.
Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe: Sold Separately
MOTU wasn’t ever just about the action figures. It was all about the playsets and accessories. He-Man and Skeletor needed Battlecat and Panthor to ride on, and Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain to do battle in. So these cards are a great homage to all of the action figures and playlets you would have to buy in addition to the core MOTU characters. You get Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain versions of Command Tower; powerful mounts in Battle Cat and Panthor; and strong equipment through Bone Throne and the Sword of Power. These are designed to synergize and buff up your other cards in unique ways.
Last, but certainly not least, the promo card, Swan Song, pays homage to the iconic “HEHEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA” meme from the 2000s. And it is perfect.
These special limited quantity Secret Lair x Masters of the Universe drops will go on sale starting at 9 a.m. PT on September 14. Fans will also receive an exclusive foil Swan Song for every $149 spent, while supplies last. For more information, be sure to head on over to the official MTG site.
