Skinned card

A skinned card is a Magic: The Gathering reprint card that features a non-Magic IP themed "skin" or overlay. This skin consists of themed alternate artwork and flavor text, and an additional card name.

A skinned Titanoth Rex

Description

Skinned cards were first featured in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths with a Godzilla theme. The name of the original card is featured in a small font below the Outside IP name of the card in the title bar. The alternate name in the title bar is considered flavor text and does not affect gameplay. Rules text always references the original name in the secondary title bar, never the skin name.

The skin treatment can be considered a Showcase and is only used on reprints. This is distinct from the Universes Beyond treatment, which may feature mechanically unique cards that can be rebranded. Crossovers that have the skin treatment are thus always not part of Universes Beyond. If they are, they have the triangular holofoil stamp that characterizes that sub-brand.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Alternate Name

A different name used on promotional or alternate-art versions of some cards. This name has no rules meaning. See rule 201.6.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Secondary Title Bar

A smaller name line with the Oracle reference name of a card which has an alternate name in its upper left corner. See rule 201.6.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 201.5. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.
  • 201.5a If an ability’s effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability’s source by name, the name refers only to the specific object which is that first ability’s source. The second ability does not refer to any other object with the same name as the first ability’s source. However, if the second ability also moved the first ability’s source to a different public zone, the name refers to the object the source became in its new zone. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object.

    Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads “Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then create a green Ooze creature token with ‘This creature’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.’” The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.

  • 201.5b If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different name gains that ability, each instance of the first name in the gained ability that refers to the first object by name should be treated as the second name.

    Example: Quicksilver Elemental says, in part, “{U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If it gains an ability that says “{G}: Regenerate Cudgel Troll,” activating that ability will regenerate Quicksilver Elemental, not the Cudgel Troll it gained the ability from.

    Example: Glacial Ray is an instant with splice onto Arcane that says “Glacial Ray deals 2 damage to any target.” If it’s spliced onto a Kodama’s Reach, that Kodama’s Reach deals 2 damage to the target.

    Example: Dimir Doppelganger says “{1}{U}{B}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Dimir Doppelganger becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.” Dimir Doppelganger’s ability is activated targeting a Runeclaw Bear card. The Doppelganger becomes a copy of Runeclaw Bear and gains an ability that should be treated as saying “{1}{U}{B}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Runeclaw Bear becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.”

  • 201.5c Text printed on some cards refers to that card by a shortened version of its name. Instances of a card’s shortened name used in this manner are treated as though they used the card’s full name.

List

Release	Name	Skin theme	# cards	Main article	Universes Beyond
2020-04	Godzilla Series	Godzilla	18	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths/Box Toppers
2021-11	Dracula Series	Dracula	18	Innistrad: Crimson Vow/Box Toppers
2021-11	Secret Lair Drop Series: Arcane: Lands	Arcane	1	Secret Lair Drop Series: Secretversary 2021
2021-11	Secret Lair Drop Series: Arcane	Arcane	5	Secret Lair Drop Series: Secretversary 2021
2021-11	Secret Lair Drop Series: Welcome to Castle Dracula	Dracula	3	Secret Lair Drop Series: Secretversary 2021
2022-02	Secret Lair Drop Series: Street Fighter	Street Fighter	1	Secret Lair Drop Series: February Superdrop 2022
2022-10	Secret Lair Drop Series: Warhammer 40,000	Warhammer 40,000	14	Secret Lair Drop Series: October Superdrop 2022
2022-10	Secret Lair Drop Series: Post Malone: Backstage Pass	Post Malone	4	Secret Lair Drop Series: October Superdrop 2022
2022-12	Secret Lair Drop Series: Transformers: Optimus Prime vs. Megatron	Transformers	4	Secret Lair Drop Series: December Superdrop 2022
2023-06	Realms and Relics	The Lord of the Rings	30	The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth/Box Toppers