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My Professor's favorite quote: "It is ok not to love everything about things that you still do love." Well said Professor! ❤️

I love that Eccleston is The Professor’s favorite Doctor. Never skip 9.

Christopher Eccleston is a very underrated Doctor and doesn’t get enough love. Kudos to you for being a man of taste and paying homage to him

Personally, the kind of crossover I like to see is where magic planes are inspired by other universes rather than a direct copy. Examples include Throne of Eldraine and Strixhaven. It still feels like MTG while at the same time you can see the inspiration.

This video feels like someone coming to the “Acceptance” stage of Grief.

I don't see enough comments on this, so let me just add - your creativity adding mixes of the different Doctors' lines throughout was marvelous and a nice treat for DW fans.

I was fine with the godzilla cards. I actually quite liked them, since they were basically like wizards-sanctioned alter art cards. However, the reason why they work is because it's optional on whether you want to play magic normally or if you'd rather show off something you love.

Hey Prof! I watched the whole thing (despite the disclaimer to turn it off 😛) and just wanted to say I really appreciated the video. Thanks for all the kind words, and I totally understand the perspective. If nothing else I hope you will find some of these cards amusing to read and look at - some of the art is UNREAL and gives me tingles down the spine as a Who fan. One thing I will say: the 4-deck biodome is a great way to have that immersive experience of being in Doctor Who. Unlike individual cards being slotted in somewhere, there's an immersive play experience. Not trying to convince you of anything here, just something I can definitely recommend if folks are interested in a all-Who experience. But really, and most of all, GREAT job working in an oncoming storm of Doctor Who references in your script. I see what you did there! 😄

I’ve described this channel to people as “The Doctor enthusiastically talks about mtg” without knowing you were a fan. 😂

"You can love something and still be critical of it." A simple piece of wisdom not enough of the more vocal people of internet have yet to grasp.

I don't want my favorite fandom to be cut out and grafted onto Magic. I want Magic to use other fandoms as inspiration to make something that is wholly Magic through-and-through.

“It is okay not to love everything about things you still do love.” Truer words have never been said, Professor.

I can sum up the Professor’s feelings with a quote from George Costanza: “This is not good. Worlds are colliding!”

What I wouldn’t give to see PROFS original reaction to this announcement.

I'm actually happy about the Doctor Who stuff. I love the series. It's great combining two things I like.

Kind of interesting to think of how many of these Universes Beyond sets they're doing, and how it goes way back to the original Deckmaster concept of a bunch of different sets of collectible cards from different worlds that can also be compatibly played with each other. Would have been interesting if these sets had started trickling out 15 years ago, especially when the story was shifting to planes other than Dominaria, and MTG wasn't such a lore/flavor juggernaut

Can't imagine it's easy to voice these opinions knowing that your friends worked hard on the product. Thank you, as always, for putting integrity first.

Your feelings resonate with my own. When I saw the Street Fighter Secret Lair my heart sank. Two IPs that I adore, two works of fiction and entertainment that I consume whenever something new comes about. I felt an incredibly sadness and simply couldn't bring myself to show my support of the crossover. In simpler terms, I enjoy ice cream, and I enjoy tuna fish. I would not enjoy Tuna fish Ice Cream.

I have pretty much the same feelings on UB. Something that upsets me too is that this is supposed to be the start of the 30th anniversary year, and In it we have warhammer, lotr and doctor who all coming out instead of actually celebrating the game we love properly. I can accept skins like Dracula and godzilla, and secret lairs now that they'll get magic versions because they are ultimatrly just alters, don't take up much time and can lead to cool designs. But these big releases actually do take away space for regular magic. Lotr could have been conspiracy 3, warhammer could have been some nostalgia themed commander decks maybe around original invasion or the nation's of ice age. I've been feeling burned out on magic a lot lately and universes beyond is really just accelerating it. Once the current Phyrexia storyline wraps up with Aftermath it may be the perfect time for me to take a break.

I have nothing but respect for you prof; that was some very well-done critique about universes beyond. Personally, I LOVE warhammer40k but space marines as magic cards are a bit silly. There is indeed „too much of a good thing“ and I get your opinion about seeing dr who in magic. Lets hope wizards keeps this „universes beyond“ thing to a minimum 😂. The mix-up with other franchises kinda dilutes magic‘s uniqueness in my opinion.

Totally agree with everything you've said, Professor! Loved Dr Who growing up! Less into the new-age episodes from Chris Eccleston onward, but still have a lot of childhood nostalgia about the series. The first thing I did was message my Dad who I know would approve of Tom Baker being on a magic card. At the time though, I assumed we were just talking about Secret Lair skins. Now I'm dumbfounded. I could almost see myself playing and collecting the set as a standalone forgotten universe that isn't legal elsewhere. But I hate the thought of random Doctors mixing with my "normal" EDH experience, especially if a doctor-themed commander card at the power level of Teferi's Protection, Smothering Tithe, or Rift - or even just any efficient new ramp, draw or removal - were to get inadvertently printed without an equivalent skin. Even though I'll choose not to play the cards myself, I won't mind coming up against Who themed pre-cons, and I'll never ask anyone not to play Whovian cards, but the Vorthos inside me will inwardly cringe at every flavour fail that could start popping up in non-Whovian decks everywhere. I could almost stomach the thought of LotR cards being format-legal, due to their being 'fantasy adjacent', and the DnD cards have been a much easier pill for my internal Vorthos to swallow, 40K is a bit more of a stretch, but Who just seems a bridge too far - especially from set designers that always drew the line at having a Western set because conventional gun tech was supposedly a bridge too far for them.

As a casual player I’m looking forward to both the Dr. Who precons and the Lord of the Rings draftable set. I’m looking forward to having a game nights of Dr. Who commander and Drafting Lord of the Rings. I’m also looking forward to collecting both these sets as well. However I totally understand your feelings of these cards mixing into other Magic formats. Personally I will always just play with them as separate games. Kind of like a Magic the Gathering Spin-off.

I compleatly agree, as much as i love Stranger Things "Cecily, Haunted Mage" is a way cooler looking and way better fitting card then "Eleven". As much as i love Lord of the Rings "Elminster" already is better then any "Gandalf" they could design and each Elf Ranger a better "Legolas". Putting Characters from other universes into MTG will just always tear me out of the Universe of MTG. But this may not appear for everyone and so you cann all have your Elevens as long as i still get my Cecilys.

My biggest hope is that Wizards is able to reprint these cards when they lose the license. I don't want to have to shell out 300 bucks for a UB card that's legal in modern a few years down the road just because it's on a new licensed property neo-reserve list.

As always, an excellent example of being able to have opinions and feelings while simultaniously respecting and enjoying the company of those who feel differently. As someone who personally loves several of these crossovers (I'm a huge fighting games and Street Fighter fan and was over the moon to see those crossover cards myself), it really makes me willing and open to listening to know that the respect is mutual and that the disagreement is just that. A disagreement. It doesn't need to be anything further. Love you Professor.

"It is ok not to love everything about things that you still love". That's some deep and crisp wisdom, a good extraction from these events. I also have a deep love for both old Magic, and old Dr Who, and though I feel like both franchises have stumbled at times, I'm still holding out for them to rekindle some of that same love. And even when they change and don't come back to the original level, we don't lose those past experiences or products, though it's frustrating that so few will experience or understand them the way we did. I'm with ya, Prof. My Doctors are 4 (Baker) and 10 (Tennant), my favorite sets are still Tempest and Dominaria, but we're out here with you, holding on for new good times and art to share that we can love as much as we once did. It gets harder as we get older, but we have to keep ourselves open to the possibilities of new, good things.

I like universes beyond stuff because I am really not invested in magic story so blending it whit stories like Doctor who that I do like and am invested in makes me happy and building my own Doctor who themed commander deck sounds like so much fun

I've always been split on this topic, and for me it comes down to "does it even make sense?". Something Lord of the Rings or Warhammer still have similar feelings to the fantasy and phyrexian themes of Magic, but what does Doctor Who and Street Fighter have to do with it? Some Universes Beyond ideas seem like a fun crossover, while others feel completely arbitrary. I can't say I'm against it all, especially since I plan to get the Warhammer stuff, but I want it all to be tasteful and not overwhelm the core of the game.

I play magic because I love the worlds and characters that come with it. I love the magic property. I do not play magic to instead secretly play doctor who, or street fighter, or whatever else. Universes Beyond, I feel, just undermines the value of Magic itself as a property. That said, I so want to watch Prof review Doctor Who episodes while drinking wine!!

I find myself drawing a dividing line with Universes Beyond on the basis of legality. Legacy and Vintage not being formats I will ever be able to engage with, I can only ever see most of these cards in Commander, a fairly explicitly casual format, and that seems like a perfect place for them. Modern, as a supported format that people can at least theoretically attempt to compete in at the sub-$1K per deck level, feels like a bridge too far for me. I think I'm going to have a lot more of a problem with LotR than I have with Doctor Who or Warhammer, as a result. As for the DW cards themeselves, I'm going to be a complete sucker and buy most of what comes out, because I also love Who, and even if I don't ever bring it to the table, it's going to be a neat collectible (and the art they've spoiled so far is brilliant.) That said, I do wish they'd be more judicious, instead of overwhelming the release schedule with UB properties. It's starting to feel less like a coherent product, and more like they're just throwing out the next set of Funko Pops.

I always appreciate professor's approach.. "be kind" that's all we need

I miss when franchises felt they could stand on their own without the need for crossovers

Magic and Dr. Who is like nacho cheese on brownies. Two great tastes that taste great apart.

Awesome video Prof. You nailed it. Magic is for everyone, regardless of whether you like Dr Who mtg cards or not. What a genuinely terrific message. Personally, I love Dr Who and I’m excited for the cards.

As someone who has been a Doctor Who fan for-EVER, I was loving all the subtle Doctor quotes you were dropping in :D

Again, just because you love two different things doesn't mean they have to necessarily mix. Would I have a happy little jump in my heart to see Diablo-flavored MTG cards? I totally would. But I would also be frustrated because I want Magic The Gathering to be Magic The Gathering. I want the MTG lore and stories to matter and not be overshadowed and have MTG turn into a kind of Fortnite game; An amalgam of a bunch of different IPs. I think the only crossover I cared for was Dungeons and Dragons, because of how close the two are.. and because they are owned by the same company, so it's not as big of a stretch I suppose.

really don't want these in magic, like, yeah it's neat for a rando promo that's silly, but a whole set, jeez. mtg has it's own lore and it's pretty good

Very respectful and well framed response! I love listening to you talk about stuff even if I don’t agree, I only got into magic a few years ago and ive learned a ton from your channel! Thanks for the respect and tutelage About this product I hope they will include normal magic cards with sweet new dr who themed art! Some of this new artwork released is gorgeous, and I would love to see commander staples reprinted with new art!

The announcement of doctor who commander precons didn’t made me want to go back and watch the show as much as seeing the professor’s sincere love for the series. Also, really cool third doctor suit

The Prof's favorite Doctor being Eccleston means he's hardcore.

My thought exactly, i think there is just going to be too many of these cards. I figured Dr Who was going to come to universes beyond eventually, but i was hoping it would have just been a secret lair with just alt arts. having all those commander decks and collector boosters and secret lair drop i think is just way way too many. I do want to collect them, but just hearing how many cards are coming with it is just too overwhelming

Please never stop making these types of videos. Your insight and critiques are imperative to keeping Magic more honest.

What a fascinating take. I fell in love with your channel over your product reviews and appreciate your trading card tips. I've recently jumped into playing pokemon and used to play magic the gathering many years ago. I think my take on Magic is rather opposite of yours on this issue. I really never could get connected to the magic the gathering universe but i really loved the mechanics of the card game. As a warhammer 40k fan (and games workshop hater lol) I initially didn't think much of the magic the gathering cross over. However after learning they would be commander releases with entirely themed decks that got me pretty excited because now there is a version of magic the gathering mechanics set in a universe I enjoy. The beauty of it as well is there are other of these themed decks i had not previously heard about and am now excited about. In closing, sorry for your loss on these but I am very excited and hey, atleast there's still lots of "regular" magic releases for you to enjoy :)

Universes Beyond should, by my consideration, essentially be exceedingly well made and themed proxies. The attempt to shoehorn in intentionally mechanically unique cards that they intend to remain unique is, in my opinion, at best a cash grab.

I've been somewhat distant of MtG for the last few years. Let me say, of the many, *many* of the odd decisions that made me feel weird about the game, the crossover card skins feel the weirdest to me. I started playing magic because I fell in love with the multiverse. I fell in love with the story. When I play magic, I want to think about magic. If I was feeling like I wanted to delve into the world of doctor who, I'd watch the show again, or read the novels, or listen to the audio adventures. It feels like these two properties I love for different reasons are clashing against each other, and I don't know how to feel about that

I appreciate your focus on the purpose of Magic: to have fun. Thanks for giving a real, sincere call to work together for our best magic community and world. This is very in the spirit of the Doctor. At first pass I would have pegged you for Peter Capaldi's doctor: all that glorious cheek! Regardless, you sir are fantastic!

Thanks for another excellent video. You're thoughts on Universes Beyond is what I've now realized about my current relation with MTG. Let me explain: I was very hesitant with an opinion following UB - I needed some time to think. I've played MTG for since original Ravnica/Time Spiral and been a judge since M10. Only last January, I decided it was time for a break - mainly to focus on making films (another interest I've had, about the same amount of time as MTG). Since January, I haven't played a single game of MTG (though still have my collection) and just recently beginning to look into, perhaps, purchasing some Unfinity cards. Though I've very hesitant, because I feel MTG has changes since before Covid. Secret Lairs, Universe Beyond, Collector Boosters, "Short Printed" sets (2X2, TSR), Booster Fun variations, price increase on product, WotCs greed and business practices. Your video made me realize, that my biggest problem (currently) might be the endless amount of UB, because MTG in no longer the game i remember. While I've since Covid discovered I'm a great horror fan (and likes fantasy sometimes), I love the many unique Magic worlds - because they're uniquely Magic. Because we now mix other IPs into this, it muddles the game for me (I don't mind people owning or playing the UB cards at all). I just no longer know, what "Magic: The Gathering" is to me - even though I very much still love the game, its characters, the rules system and the people I've met through it.

As someone who loves DnD particularly the forgotten realms setting I can saw I have loved those crossovers. That being said it’s very magic adjacent as a setting. I can see the further it gets from fantasy rubbing me the wrong way but honestly I have way less issues with IP crossovers. I would not love if something became a format staple from universes beyond. Like if I have to buy a sonic screwdriver for every commander deck for eternity that’s gonna rub be the wrong way.

I can't lie, I have too many friends who are into Warhammer and Lord of the Rings to not be hyped about those two products. I'm just so excited, because I know a ton of people who ARE going to have a blast with them. For the LotR set, it's partially for myself as well.

Yo I've just been rewatching all of 'New' Who with a couple friends and I've been pointing out that he says "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" (or variations thereof) really often, then you come out with a title like this... I'm just happy to be justified lul (:

Man, you just said in a row all the goodbye phrases of the modern-age-era doctors and i couldn´t be happier about it The Matt Smith´s goodbye will always hit me the most, and it´s true! You´ve got to keep going, keep changing, always remembering who you were before

Great episode! I totally enjoyed all the Doctor Who references and word play in this episode.

As someone who adores a good crossover (Doctor Who and Star Trek *have* crossed over!), I'm really excited for these!

I see huge parallels with LEGO. I LOVED classic LEGO space, i.e. the 1980s LEGOLAND space sets with the multicolored minifigs with often broken helmets. When LEGO licensed Star Wars in 1998, their home-grown space set lines all but died, with little to nothing released since that resembles anything similar. And yet, LEGO almost went out of business in the late 1990s. That Star Wars license saved the company. So while I'm sad about the loss of the classic line I loved, I understand why they made the switch. There's just so much more money around licensed products. So that brings us back around to Magic. I love classic Doctor Who, and I'm likely to buy all of these new Doctor Who MTG products. But as collectibles, not as playthings. If you want to explore where Universes Beyond might go, I encourage you to look at the last 20 years of LEGO history. Wizards isn't breaking new ground, they are walking along an aged path trodden by other companies decades ago.

Love it. This is exactly how I feel as well. I'm newer to magic but not to doctor who. I love the world building wizards does, even in sets I wasn't around for (eg I adore ixalan). And I'll always be a Number 10 fanboy, but I've come to love the who show and it's world as well. I just don't think I want the two mixed. I'll still probably get the decks though, and I can only assume they are holding back Tennant for a bigger reveal down the line.

I just don't like most crossovers in general, in any medium I can think of whether it be video games, books, movies, or card games. One of my favorite things about a fictional universe is that it's very coherent, everything goes together from the style to the stories that are told to the way characters look. Blending different franchises just feels too corporate and it doesn't look too nice to me. I like Star Trek, and I like Magic the Gathering. I wouldn't enjoy seeing a captain Picard planeswalker card, nor would I enjoy seeing a Star Trek episode where they play an ancient earth game played with pieces of cardboard. I see the appeal, though. However, I wish ALL the crossover cards had alternate MTG themed counterparts because I would very much dislike playing modern where some Rick and Morty card is a meta threat

The fact that Gavin was willing to do that skit really makes me think he is a pretty cool dude.

I’ve only recently gotten on the doctor who fan train starting with the beginning of the newer generation. It’s been a wild ride so far and I’m actually excited for these. I’m so picking up a box or 2

I haven't really gotten deep into Magic yet as I've only actually started playing just a week ago or so, but I've been experiencing similar issues lately with the game I mainly play, namely Cardfight Vanguard, so I can relate to this personal frustration. Collab cards in Vanguard aren't entirely a new thing, we've always had them, but they were always few and far between. Occasionally, though, we would get entire decks on some franchises, but again, few and far between. That would change with the last two years of Vanguard after its last rotation (which is intended to be the last as an eternal format) where we have gotten a whopping 4 entire collaboration decks. My frustration with this is similar to yours, they would always feel place from the lore's rich world and that they have unique mechanics and playstyle that would rarely get support if at all. But my overall stance is, while I do not have a problem with people enjoying them, and, sure, the game is still as good as it is even with these kinda whatever decks, I just really see it as a lack of integrity to the game's design and would rather they'd just stop doing them completely and instead put in more resources in more content for the game that isn't just the current Standard format in a similar way MTG does with supporting multiple formats regularly. One of my favourite parts about Vanguard are the reveal seasons and I just really dislike how there would be some months of reveals coming from sets that I and most other people are just not interested in. It may seem better to just commit to these collab decks and keep supporting them (two of them have already been given further support) as to just not leave them as a relic of the game, but I'd rather have that than further making me bored with their mere existence, especially considering they're literally from the same company that made Weiss Schwarz, literally the same game you referenced for being a IP collab spaghetti.

I'm with you 100% prof. When I play magic I love to get immersed in the world they've created. It doesn't upset me in anyway, but the universes beyond don't feel like an extension of the Magic world. They seem out of place when I see them. I'm not sure I like that this trend is picking up in the gaming industry in general, though either. It makes games feel less unique, somewhat ironically.

I feel like the original set of these with D&D worked really well, and to me it made sense - the crossover between those two seemed natural, likely in part because they’re owned by the same company. But having these massive crossovers - especially beyond a simple set of Secret Lairs- is just way too much. Especially since MTG already has its own lore and characters that people enjoy, so it seems unnecessary. Also, they went from having really exciting yearly commander deck releases to having commander decks for every single set + yearly releases + universes beyond decks + commander specific sets with decks and…it’s just too much. I ONLY play commander, and it’s too much. We don’t need commander decks for literally everything. It cheapens each release and floods the format way too often, making it difficult to keep up with my existing decks. It’s exhausting, really.

Prof's subtle doctor who references made in the wording of his advice and feelings toward the product makes my day 😂 Gotta say i feel much the same as him, though i may allow myself to play with these cards in the end. Im a huge doctor who and lord of the rings fan, so with all of this universes beyond product coming and even the rising amounts of collab secret lairs... i think i may end up deciding to evolve with the game and making the best of this new climate. Will have to see how i feel when it comes to that. But over all, hope people can be happy with SOME aspect of the game as all these new products start to drop. Everyone deserves to feel that way in the game they love.

Videos like this exemplify my love for your channel. I haven't played Magic in a LONG time. Earlier this year I sold my Magic Online collection, and while my paper collection is still intact, beyond a few games of 'Jump In' on Arena, I haven't been able to invest myself in the hobby like I did a decade ago. It is a bit frustrating for me to see what Magic is now. I don't like universes beyond, or how convoluted some of the mechanics and card text have become, but I don't think it's all bad, per se. It's something different. Magic is different now. And while I miss the Magic of yesteryear, I can appreciate this new Magic for what it is.

My brother has been skeptical about trying mtg but he’s the biggest dr who fan ever. This is going to be the perfect introductory product.

I in general prefer Magic’s own characters for the game, though I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with Universes Beyond cards as long as Wizards doesn’t back off of their own IP. Most of them haven’t interested me, but there will be occasional releases that I will participate in, like the LotR set, since it was my favorite book series growing up and remains one of my favorite fantasy universes. The 16 card scene idea seems really cool from a collector’s standpoint!

I've watched your Channel since forever, never really feeling the need to subscribe, as you always seem like you're doing just fine without one more subscriber who doesn't have much to say, and likes a light, witty, or playful show that never required me to invest my personal opinions in it. This show, though. Wow. I'm subscribed, now, invested too. I'm not surprised the message did resonate so strongly, but I am surprised I agree with you so fully. Thank you for your channel. You're incredible.

9:10 Y'know, there actually _is_ an official Doctor Who & Star Trek crossover. It's a comic book, but still. It doesn't involve Ghostbusters or X Files, though.

Hope we get capt. Jack Harkness with the regenerate keyword and an enchantment saga called miracle day that gives all creatures undying or regenerate for the duration. the sonic screwdriver as equipment with either an untap effect of gives unblockable. Weeping angel as a card dealing damage to tapped creature. How about a card the exiles opponent 's creatures to create empty children tokens (like an oblivion ring effect)

I'm torn on some of this. I love Stranger Things and built a Chief Jim Hopper/Max, the Daredevil clues deck. As a deck it plays well and I get enjoyment seeing the ST artwork. I think the flavor as Magic is lost though. I took it to my lgs the other night for the first time. No one objected, but I did get some looks. So I'm thinking of just holding on to the cards in a binder and picking up the Universes Within versions for play. It just doesn't feel right playing them in a deck that contains traditional magic cards.

so I come in and out of mtg every couple of years but when I'm in i always binge your channel! I was initially excited for this announcement but I think i agree that it feels kinda weird mixing our favorite IP however...playing a 5/5 flame of udun with haste or something is going to feel great lol thanks for all the videos love you bro

First things first: I love how many references you packed into this video, it's practically dripping from the screen! As for the decks I am sceptical of this product and too am not a fan of mixing good things together recklessly. Like I love Stargate, but I would not want some random new series to have a crossover episode where they go to Stargate Command. I would like to see if there's some really bad format-warping stuff in there before whining about it. The art they showed is amazing as all hell, btw. Especially Matt Smith and the TARDIS, love it. If wizards would sell lands that's like a Magic-style but with TARDIS parked there I would be tempted to get some, because that's fun to me. But can't say the same about mechanically unique cards, not a fan.

I'm with you on this Prof. Love Star Wars and heck I really like Street Fighter, but have never been a fan of having bleed over. It reminds me of TV shows having mixed characters, like Batman and the TMNT or Scooby Doo. Those episode were always the most skipped over or forgettable for me. But I love the idea of being kind to one another about our tastes. Our critical lens should really just be towards WotC as they find more and more ways to continue to be greedy.

got to love how positive Brian is even about topics he has strong negative opinions on

I’ve also been a fan of Doctor Who for several years, and I have some mixed feelings about the announcement myself. I might pick up one of the decks and occasionally play with it, and I might pick up some of the Secret Lair cards. But I don’t find myself super excited about everything, probably for a lot of the reasons mentioned here. Even so, I’m glad that there’ll be be who are excited about it, and also think that it could even bring some new players in who enjoy DW and are interested in learning to play with these cards. That much, to me, truly is fantastic.

Haven't had the time to keep up with a Prof's videos for the last year or two but everytime I watch one I'm reminded of why I love Magic so much. Also, I would sell my soul to have the prof play the doctor for an episode.

"I'm not here to Yuck anyone's Yum." MLD socially acceptable in commander now. You heard it here first.

I’m conflicted on the Universes Beyond sets. I was excited when I heard about Warhammer, I love & play Warhammer as often as I can, but 40K doesn’t fit well with M:TG. That and the faction that would be the most fun isn’t getting a Commander set: Orks. I may get Tyranids & Necrons, but they’re not a priority.

Your look always reminded me of the 3rd and 4th doctors. Thanks for confirming it's not a coincidence I prefer Tennant and Smith, in large part because of the chemistry with their companion(s), but Eccleston was very good as well

This is such an interesting topic, and I thought a lot about this since the announcement of "Universes Beyond". This comes from a very casual MTG player. Most of my MTG paper play happens at pre-releases. I have an on/off relationship with MTG Arena, that's in an "off" state at the moment. I really enjoy the new Spellslingers game right now, but that's a different topic, and it's also an original game, and not MTG. I'm not a huge fan of Commander, and since that's basically the only format that's played in my local community, I felt for years that there's nothing interesting, that MTG has to offer for me and played various other card games instead, until I settled with Flesh & Blood. As a pop culture fan, collector, and card gamer mostly outside of MTG, several of these produdcts actually appeal to me. I'm really looking forward to put together a battle box of the 40k decks, and play them in their vacuum. Who knows, it might even spark my interest in regular Commander again, and I'll dust off my old regular Commander decks and bring them to my local stores at nights were the FaB community doesn't play. I'm really interested in collecting the LotR set, this might be the first time that I ever purchase a MTG booster box. I think that I most likely would be a fan of Doctor Who, if I had ever watched it. And now it is likely that I might start watching the show, because the "Universes Beyond" feature made me curious. And there you have it: a casual player that's not heavily invested in MTG might become a new customer, that might spent more on MTG prodcuts in the next year than they ever have. From a business perspective WotC seems to have made the right decisions. On the other hand I absolute understand the feeling of the players, that don't want these themes in MTG. I also had these feelings with the Walking Dead cards, that I felt to be a massive thematic breach. But then came Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and I absolutly loved this set and setting. For me this really pushed the boundaries of what I thought MTG can be, and which themes and flavors can feel "natural" in the internal worlds of Magic. I would really love to see them go even more sci-fi, maybe with a fantasy infused space opera setting. Maybe a "D&D Spelljammer" set... and yeah, from there it wouldn't be far to a Star Wars "Universes Beyond" set. A deck of Magic cards was always also a way for every player to express their personality. It might sound shallow, but "being a fan" or "being a part of one or more fandoms" is a huge part of the self-perception of many of us "nerds". Fortnite allows people to express their affiliation with several fandoms in a cohesive way. A curated collection of Funko Pops does this as well. And now a personal deck of Magic cards can contain this aspect, too. For people who really don't what these themes, flavors, IPs at their table there's at least a (kind of) simple solution in Commander: Rule 0. There's a simple solution in Standard: all of this doesn't affect Standard at all. But I get that players of modern and legacy are nervous. For these formats for now there only seems to be the hope, that the WotC designers create these Universes Beyond cards as collectibles, and flavourful, fun game pieces for fans of these IPs first, with power levels that won't affect the most competitive players. And if they do, I hope that they sanction these cards in official play. I think that Magic will broaden its appeal a lot for many new players with these releases. More than ever, MTG has something to offer for everyone. But if this means that many established players won't feel at home in their community and game any longer, I think the cost is much to high. Please WotC, be very sensible with these products, and respectful to your new and established players.

I understand the hype of universes beyond, but I actually HATE seeing this stuff on my fantasy card game. The reason I love mtg is the art, the story and how the gameplay reflects it. With these fortnite and dr who cards, I feel like it corrupts what a lot of the playerbase loves about our 30 yr old card game.

I'll instantly scoop if you even attempt to play any of the walking dead cards until wizards makes it available for everyone like they did with stranger things. Besdies that, I'm okay with the rest i guess, at least for now also, ngl, part of me would like phyrexians winning and ending the mtg story forever, and after that just universes beyond, that way i can finally stop playing the game... but the part of me that wants to play really dislikes the idea of other IPs in the game...

I’ve never played or owned magic cards but my friends play commander games every now and again. Once I saw the warhammer decks I thought it was a great opportunity for me to dip my toes into magic and play with some friends with cards from a universe I know. I may even eventually play standard as I’ve played other card games just never magic. So I’m looking forward to more decks like these and more of your videos!

I love you Prof, I have many of the same feelings on the DH cards but didn’t know how to express them. Thank you for laying this out so eloquently

im personally excited to see sets like this, tho i completely understand peeps opinions that are against it, as its odd to see so many names and themes that are not in the magic world. but i always personally felt that the sets that come out like this are not canon and are simply fun spins on the game (tho its hard to ignore the sure fact that its really just another way to make money through recognition of the ip's used)

At first i was excited for this but after just imagining coming to a lgs or my playgroup with a doctor who deck is... weird and surreal.

Great video. I agree with your take. I believe magic cards should be in Magic's universe and maybe they should limit the new designs to iconic characters or locations for the IP in question. Otherwise, in a lot of cases, you just get cards that allow players to put a duplicate effect into their commander decks (or eternal decks) that they would not be able to have without the 'new' card with a different name. (Note: I comment without reading other comments prior, so if you've said the same thing, I just agree with you.)

This kinda reminds me of that skit with his dad talking about the good old days of Magic; now the Professor is doing the same. Everything that has happened before, shall happen again.

Still wishing they made a separate game with these using the MTG ruleset but I can respect that a lot of people will enjoy this and Wizards didn't want to go in that direction.

Magic becoming a crossover focused game has really killed my interest as it gets more and more common. I love magic and its world and wish it wasn't dampened by all these money focused decisions. I have been play less and less and have quit buying all together. I think my time with magic is come to an end.

Wotc: we have finally done what you have been asking for forever Us: no more reserved list? Modern on arena? $4 per pack masters sets!? Wotc: teletubbie commander decks that are standard legal.

I was listening to the intro in the background and, since it's a longer one, thought I was in the middle of a video, and then... out of nowhere... BAM sudden intro music it's not even October man don't scare me like that.

I recently became a Doctor Who fan and I was very *very* excited at the announcement, and the art revealed looks so good. Also with Gavin at the helm on this, I just know it'll be great.

I have loved every single Doctor, always will, all 60 years of Doctor Who, every single episode barring the lost ones, I absolutely will get these cards, every single one. I get the not wanting em mixed, but this is a card set. It's not like a planeswalker is gonna pop up in DW (at least I really hope not lul)

3:15 the way he says "Buckle up" and the look in his eyes... Prof you're *scaring* me why are you threatening me I'm just here to love and support your content T.T

I've grabbed all the weird secret lairs so far, because the novelty speaks to me. Some I've even grabbed two of. I'm intrigued by the idea of Doctor Who and WH40K commander decks, but my favorite faction in the latter is not getting one, and I'm not sure I'd actually play more than a card or two with a Doctor Who skin. I first got into card collecting with weird and whacky crossover games like Ani-Mayhem. Ikoria's Godzilla cards very nearly got me to start playing magic (But the cards were only truly available in collector boosters, so NOPE... it would be Forgotten Realms). My primary gaming obsession for over a DECADE was little plastic superheroes (and other licensed properties) duking it out. I inherently get the appeal of a big crossover, and there is something really fun to that extra level of 'Oh, I know who that is.' (Spoken as someone who only vaguely follows Magic Lore, was shocked to discover there WAS Magic Lore, and only knows what I do know largely via osmosis). That said, if this is just... what Magic is now? Expect some nerd adjacent IP to dump a ton of cards into the game every year, maybe a set of Commander decks, maybe a full SET? That novelty is going to wear off fast. I purchased the Street Fighter Secret Lair not because I had any intention of running any of the cards, but because I was entertained that they exist. Will that novelty be there after another half-dozen Universes Beyond secret lairs? Another dozen? At what point does seeing some characters/ideas/items/properties I love brought into the game stop being this cool treat and just become tiresome? I already hit that point with Hasbro's OTHER tabletop gaming juggernaut. There's only so many licensed Dungeons and Dragons starter sets I could bear. Munchkin is another game I loved in college, and I was really entertained by some of the licensed properties, but I VERY quickly lost my patience for them (Despite owning Munchkin Axe Cop, because damn is that a marriage made in heaven). But that's also a property that, for decades, did 'original character, do not steal' versions of copyrighted entities, and that was part of the charm. Same goes for Smash Up. I OWN the Marvel Smashup expansion, and will likely purchase the Disney one eventually, but I haven't been eager to play with either. When a game that isn't about the licenses becomes about the licenses, it's a definite change, and, while novelty is great, it will, eventually, get old. I just don't know when that is, but fear it's just around the corner.

Magic has just become... too much. Too much money, too much time, too many products, too many formats, too many bans, too many super rare collector cards, too many crossovers. The joy I once had for the game feels like it's been squeezed out of me for Hasbro's bottom line.

for someone like me that played magic for years and didnt even know there was a story. Magic to me is the mechanics of the game and I think that might be the reason why I get excited for universes beyond. I think the poor job of wotc making the players aware of the story like 10 years ago is what in turn allowed me, without a second thought to accept these cards.

I think I'll get these commander decks and create a battle box of some sorts where me and my friends play all 4 decks against each other. It'll feel like a board game sitting on my shelf instead of my deck that I bring to sunday commander night. And I have ideas for fun proxies and alters like a "Water of Mars" Watery Grave and a "The Empty Child" Demonic Tutor.

I will do the same thing I do now, take cards from these "other IP" sets and make decks around just those cards (the new cards, not the reprints of older cards)... I have several Modern decks built with AFR cards, I am assembling a couple of Commander decks with cards from AFR, AFC, & CLB... I also got both regular & foil editions of the "Saturday Morning D&D" SL drop, but more for collecting, since I have been trying to use no reprints in my "other IP' decks... I DID NOT get the very expensive Beadles & Grimm / Secret Lair "Here Be Dragons" drop, maybe some day down the line; but again, that would be for collecting purposes... I may build some Commander & Modern decks with the LOTR sets, and I will definitely build a Commander deck (or more) from the Doctor Who set... I will (most likely) also get whatever LOTR & Doctor Who SL drops that come out... I still mean to print out those two fan-made Harry Potter / Lord Voldemort Commander decks... Non-Magic IPs can be fun...! ;^p