Product delays hit MTG’s dinosaur and exploration-themed set Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Collector boosters and preconstructed commander decks apparently also lost in those caverns.
Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming Lost Caverns of Ixalan will launch into rough waters thanks to supposed production issues affecting the popular trading card game’s imminent set.
Publisher Wizards of the Coast announced a delay via the MTG mothership website that will affect collector boosters and preconstructed commander decks for at least the first few weeks. The post only cited “production issues” as the cause and said the company would endeavor to resupply hobby shops and retail “as soon as possible”.
Collector boosters - the premium option (at a premium price) amongst MTG’s three booster types that contain foil, alternate art and promotional cards - won’t arrive in time for Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s prerelease weekend on November 10th. This early draft is a big draw for players wanting to get their hands on some of the very first cards while also performing well for local game stores. Wizards of the Coast said collector boosters should arrive during the week after prerelease and “up to three weeks thereafter.”
Players in the US should also expect sparse stock of the four preconstructed commander decks launching alongside Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s main set, at least until November 17th. Wizards of the Coast claimed the highly sought after product for its most popular format will have “limited availability” at launch throughout the country.
Ixalan’s quartet of commander decks highlights four key factions racing towards the hollow centre of the Mesoamerican-influenced plane. Ahoy Mateys (Blue-Black-Red) features Admiral Becket Brass at the head of a motley crew of pirates, while Explorers of the Deep (Green-Blue) showcases the plane’s Merfolk as they search for a new home untouched by the taint of Phyrexian oil.
Blood Rite (White-Black) contains the ostensible villains of this set - Conquistador-themed vampires from a foreign land seeking the resting place of their undead god, and Veloci-Ramp-Tor (Red-Green-White) brings a hefty helping of what true Ixalan fans are looking for - dinosaurs.
Lost Caverns of Ixalan will be the last tentpole set to print both draft and set boosters. MTG previously announced plans to combine the two options into a unified product called Play Boosters, which can be used in limited formats such as draft and sealed while also providing the collectability options that non-competitive players want.
Ravnica Remastered, which launches in January 2024, will technically use the old format one last time but isn’t considered a premiere set according to supporting products and time in the spotlight - Murders at Karlov Manor will be knocking on the proverbial door only one month later in February 2024.
More information about Lost Caverns of Ixalan, including a breakdown of its mechanics and a look at the Jurassic Park crossover cards featuring iconic characters such as Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcom, can be found on Dicebreaker.