Published Nov 3, 2026, 3:35 PM EST
Chris is a writer and editor with well over a decade of experience, with gaming – and especially card games – among his main areas of focus. The Pokémon TCG first introduced him to collectible card games before Magic: The Gathering became a full-blown obsession in the early 2000s. He remains immersed in those fields while also dabbling in RPGs and roguelikes (especially roguelike deckbuilders), and writing on topics related to gaming, music, sports, and entertainment for a variety of outlets including EDHREC, CardSphere, ComicBook.com, FanSided, TheGamer, MTGStocks, ClutchPoints, and more. His interests tend to circle back to the same things: strong design, memorable games, interesting history, and the occasional absurdly expensive piece of cardboard.
Truth, justice... and polygons?
Image: Wizards of the CoastMagic: The Gathering is reaching into its inventory of powerful artifacts to reprint a sword worth nearly $30, complete with gloriously nostalgic video game artwork. Sword of Truth and Justice, a popular Equipment first released in 2019, is returning in a new Secret Lair collection that draws inspiration from the blocky, polygonal graphics of the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation era.
Announced by Wizards of the Coast on November 3, the Rise of the Polygons | Extra Life 2026 drop features four reprinted cards and an Elemental token, with half of the purchase price benefiting children's hospitals. The $39.99 non-foil collection also includes another valuable reprint in Balefire Dragon, making this a potentially enticing proposition for Commander players, collectors, and anyone who still gets misty-eyed thinking about Ocarina of Time (or its remake).
Sword of Truth and Justice Gets a Delightfully Blocky Retro Makeover
Originally released in 2019's Modern Horizons, Sword of Truth and Justice belongs to Magic's illustrious cycle of “swords,” many of which command considerable sums on the secondary market. According to recent market prices, the original non-foil printing hovers around $29, while certain premium versions fetch even more.
The three-mana artifact gives its equipped creature +2/+2 and protection from both white and blue, already a formidable combination. However, its combat damage ability is where things get particularly nasty. Whenever the equipped creature damages an opponent, its controller places a +1/+1 counter on a creature they control, then proliferates, adding another counter of each existing kind to any number of eligible permanents or players.
For decks revolving around +1/+1 counters, proliferate, or even planeswalkers, that represents an abundance of value from a single successful attack. And since the Equipment costs just two mana to attach, it's easy to keep the sword swinging away.
The artwork is arguably just as appealing as the card's impressive abilities. Whereas 2024's Extra Life collection, Pixel Perfect, embraced the 16-bit era, this year's installment advances a console generation with chunky, low-polygon character models and distinctly late-'90s RPG aesthetics. The result looks like something that might have occupied a treasured memory card back in 1998.
Given how collectible Magic's more unusual Secret Lair treatments have become, this particular sword seems destined to attract attention.
Balefire Dragon Is Another Expensive Magic Reprint from the Drop
Image: Wizards of the CoastSword of Truth and Justice might be the proverbial final boss of this collection, but Balefire Dragon is hardly a pushover. Originally printed in 2011's Innistrad, this seven-mana, 6/6 flying Dragon has become a beloved Commander menace, with ordinary non-foil copies generally commanding between $15 and $20.
Its ability is delightfully straightforward: Whenever Balefire Dragon deals combat damage to a player, it deals that much damage to every creature that player controls. One successful attack from an unmodified Balefire Dragon can leave an opponent staring at six damage across their entire army. Ouch.
Together, Sword of Truth and Justice and Balefire Dragon represent roughly $45 or more in existing card value, depending on the printings being compared. That already exceeds the $39.99 asking price of the non-foil drop, before accounting for the remaining cards.
Those include Young Pyromancer, the popular two-mana "spells-matter" creature that produces Elemental tokens whenever its controller casts an instant or sorcery, and Big Score, a useful red instant that converts discarded cards into fresh draws and Treasure tokens. Neither is particularly expensive, but both are eminently playable.
It's another welcome round of reprints from Wizards, which recently announced the long-overdue return of the roughly $18 Soul Spike after two decades without another printing.
Rise of the Polygons | Extra Life 2026 goes on sale November 16 through Magic's official Secret Lair storefront, with the sale ending November 30 at 1 a.m. PT. Non-foil copies cost $39.99, while traditional foil versions retail for $49.99.
Collectors attending MagicCon: Atlanta from November 13–15 will also have an opportunity to purchase the collection early, although quantities will be limited.
The charitable component deserves attention, too. Half of the online sales price, minus third-party transaction fees, will support Extra Life and Seattle Children's Hospital. At MagicCon, Wizards says all proceeds from its Extra Life merchandise and the Rise of the Polygons drop will go toward the cause.
It's an admirable initiative with some genuinely desirable reprints, especially for Commander enthusiasts. And for anyone who spent their childhood battling suspiciously angular dragons with impossibly oversized swords, the artwork is a rather charming bonus.
At least this time, beating the dragon won't require blowing into a cartridge.
