Welcome back to Untap Weekly.

This week gave collectors a reminder they probably did not need: sealed Magic products are never guaranteed to stay scarce.

Wizards confirmed that the four Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks are heading back to stores in a small reprint. Meanwhile, the people making Magic are organizing for greater workplace protections, Wizards is rebuilding the booster experience around extremely rare “God Packs,” and another Marvel set has already appeared on the horizon.

On the secondary market, Reality Fracture is still pulling forgotten Planeswalkers and Sphinxes out of binders, and pushing some of them into uncomfortable price territory.

Here’s what mattered this week.

Nearly four years after their original release, all four Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks are receiving another print run:

Wizards described it as a “small reprint” that will become available to distributors and stores soon. Availability may differ by region, and Wizards has not announced a firm street date or suggested retail price.

The reprint reportedly covers the regular Commander decks. There has been no announcement that the surge-foil Collector’s Edition decks are returning.

This is excellent news if you missed the decks and actually want to play them.

The Warhammer release remains one of the strongest Universes Beyond products Wizards has made. The decks were mechanically distinct, packed with original cards and loaded with enough flavor to satisfy players who already knew the property.

They were also expensive.

Sealed copies climbed well beyond their original shelf prices, particularly as supply dried up and exclusive cards became harder to find. A limited reprint will not necessarily flood the market, but it should put immediate pressure on regular sealed decks and some of their singles.

Why it matters: Wizards has now demonstrated that a successful Universes Beyond Commander product can return years later. “Out of print” should not automatically be treated as “gone forever.”

My take: Players should welcome the reprint. Collectors holding regular sealed decks should adjust expectations. The Collector’s Editions remain the more defensible collectibles because those have not been included in the announcement, but even there, “not announced” is not the same thing as “never.”

If you want one of these decks, start checking with local stores. Do not panic-buy the first overpriced preorder you see.

Employees from Wizards of the Coast’s Studio X, which works on Magic: The Gathering and Duel Masters, announced their intention to form a union with the Communications Workers of America.

They are joining United Wizards of the Coast CWA, which already represents the successfully unionized MTG Arena team. The Dungeons & Dragons and D&D Beyond teams are also participating in the latest organizing effort.

Workers cited concerns including compensation, career progression, layoffs, forced relocation, remote-work protections and management’s use of generative AI. Wizards and Hasbro were given until October 13 to voluntarily recognize the new bargaining units.

This is not card-game drama in the usual sense. It is a workplace story involving the artists, designers, developers and rules experts responsible for making the game.

Why it matters: Magic is releasing more products, supporting more formats and reaching more players than ever before. That growth depends on experienced people being able to stay at the company long enough to do good work.

Whatever happens next, this story is worth following beyond a single news cycle.

If you missed our midweek alert, Wizards is changing boosters beginning with Nauctis: The Sunken Realm.

Regular Booster Packs will have approximately a 1-in-1,000 chance of becoming a God Pack containing fourteen rare or mythic rare cards plus a special celebration card.

Collector Booster God Packs will appear approximately once in every 300 packs.

Play Boosters are also being renamed Booster Packs, Japan Showcase cards are moving into regular boosters, and several common and uncommon foil slots are being removed. Wizards says the changes will not bring a price increase.

My take: This will make openings more exciting, but it also gives Wizards another way to sell lottery-level scarcity. Buy packs because opening them is entertaining, not because you expect to beat the odds.

Wizards revealed its next Marvel crossover: Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny.

The set arrives April 9, 2027 and focuses on the supernatural side of Marvel. Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Blade, Hela and Dormammu are among the characters involved in an original story built around the Darkhold and a war crossing dimensions.

The product line will include Booster Packs, Commander decks and Scene Boxes.

April is outside our usual two-month calendar, but this announcement matters now because it shows how quickly Wizards intends to return to Marvel after Marvel Super Heroes.

The gothic, supernatural direction also feels more naturally compatible with Magic than a generic superhero collection. The real test will be whether the cards create their own identity or simply lean on recognizable characters.

Reality Fracture continues pulling the market in two directions: Planeswalkers and Sphinxes.

Prices below are approximate US market figures and may move quickly.

Aminatou became one of the week’s largest movers after players discovered another home for her in new Superfriends decks.

The biggest catalyst is her interaction with Oath of Teferi and Spark Double. Oath allows each Planeswalker to activate twice. Spark Double can enter as a nonlegendary Aminatou, and the two copies can begin resetting one another through their blink abilities.

Copies that could be found around $3 to $4 last week climbed beyond $20, with some near-mint listings approaching $30.

My take: Sell into the excitement if you have spare copies. The combo is real, but a jump this fast usually includes more speculation than actual deckbuilding demand.

The Ur-Sphinx continues waking up forgotten members of its creature type.

Magister Sphinx sets a player’s life total to ten when it enters the battlefield. That ability becomes considerably more threatening when the card is cheaper to cast, easier to blink and surrounded by other Sphinx support.

The Double Masters 2022 printing more than doubled during the week, moving from approximately $1 to around $4.50.

My take: Useful card, questionable chase price. It has multiple printings and the current demand is tied heavily to one new commander. Check your bulk and old Commander decks before buying.

Superfriends players rarely need an excuse to buy The Chain Veil.

The artifact allows every Planeswalker you control to activate an additional loyalty ability during the turn. New commanders including Tam, the Possibility and Jace, Multiverse Architect have renewed demand, while upcoming Mystery Booster Commander cards provide even more possible homes.

Some versions moved from around $6 into the $15 range, although cheaper printings can still be found closer to $9.

My take: The demand is legitimate, but this is exactly the type of Commander staple Wizards can reprint whenever it needs value in a product. I would hold copies I already play and avoid chasing the most expensive printing.

The next Secret Lair Superdrop includes:

The drops become available October 12 while supplies last.

Mystery Booster Commander Edition combines unusual reprints, experimental cards and new legendary creatures built around Commander.

Its biggest market effect may arrive before the product itself. Newly revealed commanders are already moving older Planeswalkers and support cards.

Magic’s next full Universes Beyond set launches worldwide on November 13.

The release covers sixty years of Star Trek and includes Booster Packs, Collector Boosters, Commander decks, bundles and specialty products. Collector Boosters can also contain Headliner cards bearing actor autographs.

Expect older cards involving artifacts, historic permanents, Vehicles, legendary creatures and creature-type synergies to move as decklists appear.

Participating stores can run a season-long Star Trek Sealed league. Players begin with a limited pool and add more cards as the league progresses.

This is worth asking your local store about if a normal one-day Prerelease feels too rushed.

Magic begins 2027 by diving into its first fully underwater plane.

Nauctis features rival kingdoms, merfolk, homarids, seals, humans and the enormous creatures living beneath the surface. It will also introduce the new Booster Pack configuration and God Packs.

Merfolk, sea-monster and aquatic-tribal cards are the obvious binders to check before previews begin.

Some blue cards counter the threat.

Reins of Power lets you borrow it.

For four mana at instant speed, Reins of Power untaps all creatures controlled by you and one opponent. You exchange control of those creatures until end of turn, and they gain haste.

That creates several ways to completely reverse a game:

The card does not target individual creatures. It targets the opponent, which makes the exchange much harder to disrupt with ordinary creature protection.

The nastiest home is a blue deck with sacrifice outlets. Cast Reins of Power, take the best board at the table, use it and sacrifice everything before the end step. Your opponent gets whatever remains of your original battlefield. You keep the value.

There is still risk. If your opponent becomes an illegal target before the spell resolves, the exchange will not happen. You also need to understand exactly what you plan to do with their creatures before handing over your own.

Where we would play it: Blue sacrifice decks, theft strategies, political Commander decks and lists that frequently face token swarms.

Why it made the cut: Reins of Power creates the kind of turn players remember. It sits quietly in your hand, then changes combat, ownership and the entire direction of the game for four mana.

The new print run is the reminder.

If you already own one of the Warhammer decks, look through it before ordering singles. Cards such as Biotransference, The Golden Throne, Marneus Calgar and Bloodthirster may be sitting in an unchanged precon or an old deck box.

If you want a sealed copy, give stores time to receive allocation information. “Small reprint” can create fear of missing out before anyone knows how small the run actually is.

The best purchase this week may be no purchase at all.

That’s the week.

Warhammer is coming back. God Packs are coming next year. Star Trek is one month away, Marvel has already opened its next door, and the people building Magic are asking for more control over how that future is made.

Meanwhile, the market is doing what it always does: turning new commanders into old-card price spikes before most players finish building their first deck.

Search your collection before chasing Aminatou. Ask your store about Warhammer before paying an inflated preorder. And if the token player taps out with thirty creatures, keep four blue mana open.

Until next Sunday, keep chasing the shiny cardboard.

C. Savage
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