Box topper cards are Magic cards that appear at the top of a sealed booster box. They are a variant on the Buy-a-Box promos, a bonus card for the person purchasing the box. Box toppers are sometimes not from the set they're included with and usually have an alternate art, card frame, and/or premium treatment.[1]
Oversized box toppers
Oversized box toppers—approximately 4" x 6" (11 x 15 cm)—appeared in booster boxes from Eighth Edition and Ninth Edition. They were also given away at special events, including E3, Origins Game Fair, Gen Con, and the San Diego Comic-Con.[2]
Eighth Edition
There were 33 different box toppers in Eighth Edition, each picturing a card from the set that had never before been reprinted in a core set.[3] There were supposed to be 34 box toppers, but Giant Badger was axed at the last minute as there was no logo available because it didn't come from an expansion set.[4]
On the front is the card image as it appears in Eighth Edition. On the back is a blow-up of the art, plus the original expansion logo and date.
There are no rarity differences between the different box toppers; they are distributed in the displays equally. Six of them were used as giveaways at shows and conventions over the summer of 2003 (Avatar of Hope was the Grand Prix Bangkok side events participation bonus, Lord of the Undead was the Gen Con attendance bonus, Obliterate was the World Championships participation bonus, Phyrexian Plaguelord was the Comic-Con attendance bonus, Savannah Lions was the Origins attendance bonus, and Two-Headed Dragon was the E3 attendance bonus).
List
- Ambition's Cost
- Avatar of Hope
- Blinding Angel
- Curiosity
- Diabolic Tutor
- Enrage
- Furnace of Rath
- Guerrilla Tactics
- Intruder Alarm
- Llanowar Behemoth
- Lord of the Undead
- Merchant of Secrets
- Merchant Scroll
- Mind Bend
- Mind Sludge
- Naturalize
- Nekrataal
- Obliterate
- Orcish Spy
- Phyrexian Arena
- Phyrexian Plaguelord
- Plow Under
- Primeval Force
- Rewind
- Rukh Egg
- Sage of Lat-nam
- Savannah Lions
- Skull of Orm
- Suntail Hawk
- Two-Headed Dragon
- Underworld Dreams
- Vampiric Spirit
- Vexing Arcanix
Ninth Edition
Only 13 cards were chosen as box toppers for Ninth Edition boxes.
List
Regular sized box toppers
Ultimate Box Toppers
In 2018, box toppers were revived in regular card size. Each booster box of Ultimate Masters came with a random semi-borderless foil box topper, each being available as a regular card in the set, as well. There is a total of 40 box toppers.
Ikoria Box Toppers
For the box toppers of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, Wizards of the Coast partnered with Toho Corporation to feature its iconic monsters such as Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. These cards are called the Godzilla Series Monster cards.[5] There was a total of 18 different Box topper cards, but three of these were only available in Japan.
Double Box Toppers
Each booster box of Double Masters came with two random Showcase non-foil box toppers, each being available as a regular card in the set, too. There is a total of 40 box toppers. The Box toppers are numbered #333 to #372.
Expedition Box Toppers
Booster boxes of Zendikar Rising come with an Expedition Box Topper. The Zendikar Rising Expeditions are a Masterpiece Series, 30 of the best lands ever printed.[6] They each feature a distinct expansion symbol (a detailed hedron), have their own set code (ZNE) and are numbered #1–30.[7]
Crimson Vow Box Toppers
Each Innistrad: Crimson Vow booster box has single-card Box Topper pack featuring a foil Bram Stoker's Dracula reskinned card.[8][9] These 17 cards Dracula cards can also be found in Collector Boosters.[10]
New Capenna Box Toppers
11 alternate art versions of Gala Greeters.
Dominaria United Box Toppers
20 beefed up versions of legendary creatures from Legends, known as Legends Retold.
Lord of the Rings Box Toppers
30 skinned reprints of lands and artifacts with artwork and treatment at home with The Lord of the Rings, known as Realms and Relics.
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Box Toppers
A Treasure Trove of TBA reprinted artifacts.
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 10, 2022). "Even More Words From R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (May 20, 2003). "E-3 promo card". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (July 23, 2003). "Eighth Edition box toppers". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (August 15, 2003). "Giant Badger box topper". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mike Turian (April 2, 2020). "Collecting Ikoria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mike Turian (September 1, 2020). "Collecting Zendikar Rising". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Eli Shiffrin (September 10, 2020). "Zendikar Rising Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Harless Snyder (October 28, 2021). "Innistrad: Crimson Vow Product Overview". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Clayton Kroh (October 28, 2021). "Sink Your Teeth Into the Booster Fun of Innistrad: Crimson Vow". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mike Turian (October 28, 2021). "Collecting Innistrad: Crimson Vow". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.