Among Avatar's best installments is honored with an exclusive MTG special card drop.
Ordinarily, clip shows are disliked by fans as an unnecessary diversion, or perhaps viewed as essential for series in the era of episodic releases. That wasn't always true, and Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this through "The Ember Island Players," a cherished installment from its final season that is now receiving a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.
Information about the Secret Lair
The complete Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was revealed on November 4. This includes five separate collections, and while one titled "My Cabbages!" is certainly amusing nod to the series' best background character, the other collections seem somewhat less imaginative, except for one standout: "The Ember Island Players."
Inspired by episode 17 of the third season of the animated show, this special set includes these particular cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
The reason this episode remains memorable
Fans of Avatar fondly remember this particular episode, which acted as a review of the hero Aang and his companions' quest before the series' finale. Different from typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated due to production constraints or scheduling problems. The producers specifically aimed to offer viewers an opportunity to reflect on the show's narrative, but they decided to execute it with flair.
During the installment, the crew view a stage show inspired by their adventures on a stage located on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is wildly exaggerated, over-the-top, and utterly comical. It excels because it plays with the heroes' understanding regarding their own identities, contrasting them with how the world (and particularly the antagonist nation) views them. It contains an ideal level of introspective humor, and it becomes possibly the best adaptation of Avatar we have had.
Value and pricing
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This particular card trades for $20 and $40 through card retailers at the time of writing, and for $29.99 you can obtain the complete collection, or $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be available during early access events beginning November 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.
