Magic: 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.
Read Full Article At Source
