Magic: The Gathering’s troubled Monster Hunter crossover has turned up again, this time in a free 40-card Welcome Deck for new players. The red deck includes Drakuseth, Maw of Flames, the card that was meant to represent Rathalos, one of the series’ most iconic creatures.
That card choice stands out because Drakuseth is worth a dollar or less on TCGplayer, a far cry from the kind of marquee treatment fans expected for a crossover built around one of gaming’s biggest monster-hunting brands. Wizards of the Coast had already said in November that it would go back to the drawing board on the Secret Lair set after problems piled up.
The Monster Hunter Secret Lair release had more than one issue. Champion of Kotoko carried a typo that should have read Kokoto, and the overall card selection drew criticism for feeling lackluster. Secret Lair drops are limited-time releases rather than full Standard sets, which makes each one a short, tightly watched event when it lands.
The new Welcome Decks are aimed at introducing new players to Magic and are available for free at participating stores. Alongside Drakuseth, the red deck also includes Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind, Kargan Dragonrider and Etali, Primal Storm, a lineup that makes the Monster Hunter card feel less like a centerpiece than a repurposed piece of inventory. The answer to the question raised by the setback in November is clear now: Wizards did not shelve Monster Hunter, but it did push the crossover out of the premium lane and into a giveaway for beginners.
