Secret Lair/Playtest cards

Secret Lair

 

Drop Series

 

Bonus cards

 

Promos and prizes

 

Specials

 

Playtest cards

 

Chaos Vault

 

Secret Lair Playtest cards are a product in the Secret Lair product range that was cryptically announced by Blake Rasmussen in July 2023.

Description

According to the limited information that is available, a Secret Lair Playtest card is nominally a "playtest card" but are said to be similar to the test cards first featured in the Mystery Booster and also seen at Unknown Events. They feature a reduced picture of an Alpha card within a silver border within a white border. The cards have the shooting star expansion symbol, and SCLTR, SL PLAYTEST and the date of 4 JAN 2023 in the Information below the text box. The text box features a large holofoil sticker and WIZARDS OF THE COAST is "stamped" on the bottom of the card. These cards are printed using the internal test card printer that R&D uses.

After its introduction by Blake Rasmussen, a second Counterspell was handed out at at MagicCon Barcelona 2023, featuring a different date (11 JAN 2023) and a differently shaped holosticker. Several copies have appeared on trading sites, either of the dates. The postings reveal that the cards have a regular card back, and that some have shown up as extremely rare bonus cards in 2023 Secret Lair Drops (e.g. (Goblin & Squabblin').

Since 2023, nothing has been heard of this product any more.

Legality

Similar to the Mystery Booster test cards and Acorn cards, which are only intended for play in casual play, Secret Lair Playtest cards are said not to be tournament legal. Since the cards could be considered regular reprints with one of the many alternate card frames that are available, a change in the wording of rule 100.7 of the Comprehensive Rules would be in order. However, the Tournament Rules have been adjusted to exclude cards labeled "Playtest".

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 6, 2025—Final Fantasy)

• 100.7. Certain cards are intended for casual play and may have features and text that aren’t covered by these rules. These include Mystery Booster playtest cards, promotional cards and cards in “Un-sets” that were printed with a silver border, and cards in the Unfinity™ expansion that have an acorn symbol at the bottom of the card.

From the Tournament Rules (March 31, 2025—Tarkir: Dragonstorm)

• 3.3 Authorized Cards
  Players may use any Authorized Magic Game Cards from Magic: The Gathering expansions, core sets, special sets, supplements, and promotional printings. Authorized Game Cards must be regulation-sized, genuine Magic cards publicly released by Wizards of the Coast. Cards that are not Authorized Game Cards are prohibited in all sanctioned events.
  
  Cards that, unaltered, feature gold borders on their front or back, and cards from the “Heroes of the Realm” and Theros block “Challenge Deck” series (usually denoted by a different card back), are not Authorized Game Cards.
  
  Silver-bordered cards and cards with an acorn-shaped security stamp or acorn-shaped symbol may only be used in casual events and only when the format explicitly permits them.
  
  Cards labeled “Not for constructed play,” “Playtest”, or featuring a playtest sticker or picture of a playtest sticker on another Magic card may not be used in Constructed events.
  

Nature of Secret Lair Playtest cards

Seeing the dates on the cards, it has been speculated by the community that Secret Lair Playtest cards possibly had been meant to be a follow-up on the failed 30th Anniversary Edition product.