Why the New Magic: The Gathering Garfield Crossover is Actually Genius

I still can't believe this is real. We've seen plenty of weird crossovers in card games before, but this one takes the cake. It's not the Richard Garfield who made the game, either. It's the orange cat who hates Mondays.

Wizards of the Coast just dropped news that Garfield is joining Magic: The Gathering. It's part of a new set of cards called Cats are the Best. I've been playing this game for years, and this is easily the funniest thing I've seen them do.

You'll be able to slap these cards into your decks soon. Imagine casting a spell and having a fat cat staring back at your opponent. It's chaos, and I honestly love it. Let's dive into why this is happening and what it means for your next game night.

The strange history of secret lairs

If you aren't familiar with Secret Lair, it's basically a special series of cards. They aren't part of the main sets you find in booster packs. Instead, they're sold directly to fans for a short time. They usually have wild art that you wouldn't see on a normal card.

In the past, we've had cards based on The Office or even Stranger Things. Some fans get annoyed by these. They think it ruins the lore of the game. I disagree. It's just a game. Why not have some fun with it?

These releases have become a huge part of the Magic: The Gathering culture. People love to collect them. Even if you don't play the cards, they look cool in a binder. They're like little pieces of pop culture history that you can hold in your hand.

What exactly is hiding in this drop?

The Cats are the Best drop is split into three parts. Each part has five cards. It's a total of 15 unique cards. That is a lot of lasagna-themed goodness for your deck. You can pick them up when they go live on June 15.

The first set is all about classic Magic cards. They took cards like Swords to Plowshares and Counterspell and gave them a Garfield twist. Instead of a normal spell, you see the cat hitting Jon or pushing things off tables. It's perfect.

Then there is the Motivationally Challenged set. These look like those cheesy posters you see in offices. They turned Ponder into Hang in There. It's so petty. I want it on my desk immediately.

The third set is called Our Only Thought is to Entertain You. The artists really went wild here. The art is psychedelic and weird. It's a complete departure from the normal look of the game, and that's why it works so well.

You can use these in your Commander decks. Just don't expect your friends to take you seriously when you play them. That's part of the fun, right? You're there to win, but you're also there to mess with people.

Make sure you sign up for alerts on the Secret Lair site. These things sell out fast. You don't want to miss your chance to own a card where a cat is an Eldrazi.

The technical specs of the cards

Each of these cards is a standard Magic: The Gathering card. That means they're tournament legal. You can technically play them in a serious match. Whether you should is a different question entirely.

The print quality on these Secret Lair drops is usually high. They often use special foil treatments or unique borders. Wizards hasn't confirmed if these specific cards will have special finishes yet, but they usually do for these big drops.

You're getting a mix of high-value gameplay staples and pure comedy. If you're a collector, the value of these often goes up over time. People love weird cards, and this is about as weird as it gets.

Why this matters for the future

This shows that Wizards of the Coast isn't afraid to take risks. They know their audience. They know we like to laugh. Bringing in a character like Garfield proves that no franchise is off-limits now.

I think we'll see more of this. It bridges the gap between casual fans and hardcore players. If you grew up reading the comics, you'll want these. It doesn't matter if you haven't played the game in years.

It's a smart way to keep the game fresh. Constant sets can get boring. A little bit of Garfield makes the game feel new again. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next. Maybe a Snoopy set? I hope so.

Quick questions answered

• When can I buy these? They go live on June 15 at 9am PT.
• Are they legal to play? Yes, they are standard size and tournament legal.
• How many cards are there? There are 15 cards in total across three drops.
• Is this the Richard Garfield who made the game? No, it's the cat.
• Will they sell out? Almost certainly. Sign up for the alerts now.