To date, there have only been a handful of cards in Magic: The Gathering's promotional Heroes of the Realm set ever printed. This is the first one.
For the past decade, Magic has come out with the occasional Heroes of the Realm card. Unlike normal celebration cards, these cards only number a few and are given in recognition to a group at Wizards of the Coast or, more rarely, outside the company, who have made an impact on the game.
Getting one of these cards is an honor. And it happens so rarely that, to this day, an oversized version of each card is still up in the "Hall of Heroes" at Wizards HQ.
However, these cards aren't meant to be played - as every top person there has put it, they're meant to be read. And if it isn't obvious from the text, then the unique card backs should be a big hint:
But what kicked it all off?
Well, back in 2017, with the employee recognition program ramping up and a history of rare celebration cards, the Magic team decided that employees should get rare cards themselves. And while, over the years, many have been honored, the first card had a total print run of four. For four employees who were working on planeswalker decks team. And their special card, the first Heroes of the Realm?
Oh, a planeswalker.
Chandra, in specific.
And the card features some rather fun flavor text: “Sure, I could set things on fire by myself. But teamwork can be fun, too.”
There have been several dozen made since then, but this was the first one. And like most, while sentimentality is high, as a playable card, it's not exactly legal. In fact, it has been deemed not legal for any type of constructed play, meaning that outside of house rules games, there is no way to play it. Resale is tough too, as there is no price listed for it. Although, with only a few ever printed of a card meant exclusively for employees, it would likely fetch a high price on the resale market.
Still, the first Heroes of the Realm card has maintained it's rarity and mystique - that isn't easy.
