One of Avatar's top installments is honored with its own MTG Secret Lair.
Typically, clip shows are disliked among audiences as a needless diversion, or sometimes viewed as a requirement for shows in the age of regular broadcasts. This wasn't always the situation, though Avatar: The Last Airbender showed it with "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode from its final season that is now receiving an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.
Highlights about the special release
The complete Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was revealed earlier this month. Containing five Secret Lairs, and although the one called "My Cabbages!" is certainly amusing nod to the show's beloved recurring figure, the other collections seem somewhat lacking creativity, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."
Inspired by installment 17 from season 3 of the animated show, this Secret Lair includes these particular cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image portrayed as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
What makes this installment is special
Viewers of Avatar warmly cherish this installment, which acted as a summary of the hero Aang and his friends' adventure prior to the final episode. Different from standard summary installments, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" was not driven from financial limitations or creative challenges. The producers specifically aimed to offer viewers an opportunity to reflect on the overall plot, but they decided to execute it with flair.
In the episode, the crew view a play based on their adventures in a theater on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The entire performance is inaccurate, cheesy, and overall hilarious. It excels since it plays with the characters' perception of themselves, contrasting them with how the world (and particularly the Fire Nation) perceives them. It has the right amount of meta-commentary, and it ends up perhaps the top rendition of Avatar released so far.
Worth and pricing
In terms of value, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This card sells between $20 and $40 on various platforms as of now, and for $29.99 you can acquire the entire Secret Lair, or $39.99 for the shiny edition.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be available during early access events starting November 14 and releases worldwide on Nov. 21.