Recap episodes are usually loathed by fans as an unnecessary waste of time or, at best, accepted as a necessity for shows in the era of weekly production. However, that wasn’t always the case. *Avatar: The Last Airbender* proved this with “The Ember Island Players,” a beloved episode from its final season that is now getting a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.
On November 4, Wizards of the Coast revealed the entire Secret Lair superdrop for the upcoming *Avatar: The Last Airbender* set. The drop includes five Secret Lairs. While “My Cabbages!” serves as a funny homage to Avatar’s best background character, some of the other collections feel a bit uninspired. There is, however, one notable exception: “The Ember Island Players.”
Based on episode 17 from season 3 of *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, this Secret Lair includes the following cards:
– 1x Phantasmal Image as “Absolutely Accurate Actor”
– 1x Braid of Fire
– 1x Cursed Mirror
– 1x Mask of Memory
– 1x Thespian’s Stage
Fans of *Avatar* fondly remember this episode, which served as a recap of Aang and his friends’ journey before the series’ finale. Unlike typical recap or “clip show” episodes—which are often motivated by budget restrictions or production issues—*The Ember Island Players* was created with a genuine desire to offer fans a creative way to review the story.
In the episode, the characters watch a play based on their adventures held at a theater on Ember Island, called *The Boy in the Iceberg*. The play is intentionally inaccurate, cheesy, and overall hilarious. What makes it work so well is how it plays with the characters’ own perceptions of themselves, contrasting them with how the world—especially the Fire Nation—sees them. The episode strikes the perfect balance of self-awareness, making it perhaps the best adaptation of *Avatar* we’ve seen to date.
From a value standpoint, this Secret Lair is especially appealing for one simple reason: *Braid of Fire*. This card currently sells between $20 and $40 on Card Kingdom. Priced at $29.99 for the entire Secret Lair (or $39.99 for the foil version), it offers great value for collectors and players alike.
Magic: The Gathering’s *Avatar: The Last Airbender* set will be available for pre-release events starting November 14 and launches globally on November 21. Fans of both franchises won’t want to miss out on this unique collaboration!
https://www.polygon.com/mtg-avatar-secret-lair-ember-island-players/
