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Magic: The Gathering Rarity Showcase: Heroes Of The Realm 2016

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Hello and welcome, fans of Magic: The Gathering, the premier trading card game by Wizards of the Coast! This game has gone through a great many iterations, and as such, quite a few cards are no longer ever going to be in print (save for the potential dissolution of Wizards of the Coast's much-maligned Reserved List – which may or may never happen, due to promissory estoppel). This doesn't stop Wizards from creating Magic cards that won't ever be printed beyond just a small handful of copies, however. In this article, we aim to showcase some of the rarest Magic cards in existence: The cards from the Heroes of the Realm series.

The art for Dungeon Master, a card from Heroes of the Realm 2016, a special set for Magic: The Gathering. Illustrated by Mike Burns.
The art for Dungeon Master, a card from Heroes of the Realm 2016, a special set for Magic: The Gathering. Illustrated by Mike Burns.

In 2016, three cards from Heroes of the Realm were printed, commemorating specific teams in Wizards of the Coast for their achievements in making the company better than it previously had been. Obviously, these projects were no small feat.

Chandra, Gremlin Wrangler, a card from the 2016 edition of Heroes of the Realm, a special commemorative set for Magic: The Gathering.
Chandra, Gremlin Wrangler, a card from the 2016 edition of Heroes of the Realm, a special commemorative set for Magic: The Gathering.

For example, Chandra, Gremlin Wrangler went to commemorate the team behind the Planeswalker Decks from 2016's releases for Magic. Meanwhile, Dungeon Master was a card given to members of the team that brought Dungeons & Dragons' 5th Edition game to life.

Dungeon Master, a card from the 2016 iteration of Heroes of the Realm, a special, extremely rare release for Magic: The Gathering. To call this a release is a bit disingenuous, however, as it went to a select few Wizards of the Coast employees.
Dungeon Master, a card from the 2016 iteration of Heroes of the Realm, a special, extremely rare release for Magic: The Gathering. To call this a release is a bit disingenuous, however, as it went to a select few Wizards of the Coast employees.

These cards are, as previously mentioned, exceedingly rare. People do not see these just any day, excepting the case that they maybe work for Wizards of the Coast's design or development teams. Rumors abound that if you sell one of these cards that was specially made for you, you will get fired by Wizards of the Coast. There is no confirmation of this, however, as the even very idea that someone has one of these cards is rare.

Nira, Hellkite Duelist, a card from the 2016 Heroes of the Realm special set for Magic: The Gathering. This card went out to the team behind Duel Masters' rerelease.
Nira, Hellkite Duelist, a card from the 2016 Heroes of the Realm special set for Magic: The Gathering. This card went out to the team behind Duel Masters' rerelease.

The cards also have a special back to differentiate them from actual Magic: The Gathering cards. They aren't legal in any format, but people have been suggesting that the recipient of the cards can use them in Commander, which sounds pretty cool, to be honest. What do you think about the Heroes of the Realm cards? If you had one made for your achievements in everyday life, what would it be for? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joshua NelsonAbout Joshua Nelson

Josh Nelson is a Magic: The Gathering deckbuilding savant, a self-proclaimed scholar of all things Sweeney Todd, and, of course, a writer for Bleeding Cool. In their downtime, Josh can be found painting models, playing Magic, or possibly preaching about the horrors and merits of anthropophagy. You can find them on Twitter at @Burning_Inquiry for all your burning inquiries.
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