Quick Verdict
A historic crossover that brings the best of Assassin's Creed lore to Magic: The Gathering, featuring exclusive serialized chase cards and powerful Modern staples.
SEALED PRODUCTS
Assassin's Creed Beyond Booster Box
Best for Drafting - The standard entry point for the set
- ✓Contains 24 Beyond Booster packs (7 cards each)
- ✓Best for drafting and casual opening
Assassin's Creed Collector Booster Box
For Collectors - Hunt for serialized Historical Figures and Textured Foils
- ✓Contains 12 Collector Booster packs
- ✓Only place to find Textured Foils
SAFETY TECHNOLOGY Expert Analysis.
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." This maxim from the Assassin Brotherhood now applies to Magic: The Gathering's modern era. With the release of Magic: The Gathering — Assassin’s Creed, Wizards of the Coast has taken a massive leap of faith, bringing one of gaming's most iconic franchises to the tabletop.
But this isn't just a reskin or a simple Secret Lair drop. This is a fully fleshed-out "Universes Beyond" set, legal in Modern, that translates the parkour, stealth, and political intrigue of the games into cold, hard cardboard mechanics. Whether you're a Vorthos who knows every ancestor in Desmond's DNA or a Spike looking for the next Modern staple, this set demands your attention.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive deep into the Animus to uncover the top chase cards, analyze the controversial "Beyond Booster" product model, and provide competitive deck-building strategies for the Master Assassins.
Set Overview: A New Era of Universes Beyond
Released in July 2024, Assassin's Creed represents a new product category for Magic: The Gathering. It sits between a full Draft set (like The Brothers' War) and a purely supplemental release (like March of the Machine: The Aftermath).
CRITICAL INTEL: Unlike most Commander-focused crossovers, Assassin's Creed is Modern Legal. This means cards like Ezio Auditore and the Sword of Feast and Famine reprint are playable in one of Magic's most competitive formats, alongside Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
This legality choice signals Wizards' intent: they want these cards played at the top tables, not just casually. The power level reflects this, with efficient removal, aggressive creatures, and powerful equipment that can keep up with the speed of Modern.
Mechanics Deep Dive: Parkour and Memory
The designers have translated the visceral feeling of Assassin's Creed gameplay—running across rooftops, blending into crowds, and reliving genetic memories—into three distinct mechanics.
1. Freerunning (Alternative Cost)
Freerunning is the signature mechanic of the set, representing the Assassin's agility.
- How it works: You can cast a spell for its Freerunning cost (usually cheaper) if you dealt combat damage to a player with an Assassin or Commander this turn.
- Tactical Advantage: This functions similarly to Spectacle or Prowl. It rewards aggression and evasion. In Commander, this turns your cheap evasive creatures (like Changeling Outcast) into ramp spells, allowing you to drop massive threats like Ezio Auditore way ahead of curve.
2. The "Historic" Mechanic
Returning from Dominaria, the Historic mechanic cares about three things: Artifacts, Sagas, and Legendary spells.
- Flavor Win: This is a perfect ludonarrative match. The Assassin's Creed games are literally about exploring history (Sagas), finding Pieces of Eden (Artifacts), and meeting historical figures (Legendaries).
- Synergy: Decks built around this set naturally gravitate towards "Board State Matters" strategies. You want to flood the board with legendary permanents to trigger abilities on cards like Abstergo Entertainment.
3. Disguise & Cloak (Stealth)
While not a keyword specific only to this set, the themes of stealth are represented through mechanics that protect your creatures or allow them to strike from nowhere, mirroring the social stealth of the games.
Commander Strategy Guide: The Three Masters
The set gives us three distinct directions for Commander decks, each centered on a different protagonist.
1. The Master Assassin: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Archetype: 5-Color Assassin Tribal / Combo Power Level: High
Ezio Auditore da Firenze
The face of the set. A 5-color WUBRG commander who costs only BB to cast if you have Freerunning active. He is a combo engine waiting to happen.
Colors: 5-Color (Black Identity base)
Key Trait: Instant Win Condition
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
The legendary ancestor. Altaïr brings your exiled assassins back as attacking memories, creating an unstoppable army from the past.
Archetype: Mardu Attack Triggers
Power: Explosive Reanimation
The Strategy: Ezio is terrifying because he grants you access to all five colors while often costing only 2 mana.
- Early Game: Play cheap, unblockable assassins like Changeling Outcast or Slither Blade. Use them to trigger Freerunning.
- Mid Game: Drop Ezio for BB. Start paying WUBRG to use his ability: "Pay WUBRG: Target player with less than 10 life loses the game."
- The Kill: Use Sorin Markov or Magister Sphinx to set an opponent's life to 10, then instantly execute them with Ezio.
2. The Mentor: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Archetype: Mardu (R/W/B) Attack Triggers / Memory Power Level: Mid-High (Casual Stompy)
Altaïr is about building an army of memories. When he attacks, he exiles Assassin cards from your graveyard with memory counters. Then, for each card in exile with a memory counter, he creates a tapped and attacking token copy of it.
- The Engine: You need to fill your graveyard. Cards like Entomb, Buried Alive, and loot effects (Faithless Looting) are essential.
- The Payoff: If you exile a Master of Cruelties with Altaïr, you create a token of it attacking. Since it's "tapped and attacking," it bypasses the "can only attack alone" restriction if you stack triggers right (though be careful with rules interactions here!).
- Key Card: Reconnaissance allows you to attack safely with Altaïr to get the triggers, then untap him so he doesn't die in combat.
3. The Pirate: Edward Kenway
Archetype: Grixis (U/B/R) Vehicles & Treasure Power Level: Mid
Edward brings the Golden Age of Piracy to Magic. He cares about three things: Assassins, Vehicles (Ships), and Treasure.
- The Jackdaw: Ideally, you want to crew Vehicles. Edward creates Treasure tokens when tapping, which can then be used to ramp into big ships like Parhelion II or The Reaver Cleaver.
- Theft: Being a pirate, he fits perfectly into a "Steal Your Stuff" shell alongside Admiral Beckett Brass.
Top Chase Cards & Financial Analysis
The "Beyond Booster" model (7 cards per pack) has created a unique supply bottleneck. Rares are plentiful, but specific showcase versions are incredibly scarce.
The Big Hitters
Sword of Feast and Famine
The absolute best card in the set for competitive players. Protection from Black and Green is relevant in Modern (dodging Orcish Bowmasters and Tarmogoyf), and the untap lands effect is broken in Commander.
Format: Modern/Commander
Price Stability: High
Leonardo da Vinci (Serialized)
The serialized /500 cards are the lottery tickets of the set. Leonardo is printed in Italian, adding immense flavor value.
Pull Rate: <1%
Value: $1,000+
Beyond Boosters vs. Collector Boosters: The Math
This set introduced the Beyond Booster, a 7-card pack that sits awkwardly between a Draft and Set booster.
- Beyond Booster ($5-7): You get ~1.5 rares on average. Good for casual opening, but terrible for hunting specific variants. You CANNOT open Textured Foils or Serialized cards here.
- Collector Booster ($45+): This is the only place to find the "money" cards. The Textured Foil Ezio and the Serialized Historical Figures are exclusive here.
- Verdict: If you are buying to open, buy Singles. If you must gamble, Collector Boosters offer the only "jackpot" potential. Beyond Boosters are essentially "bulk wrappers" with a low EV ceiling.
Product Breakdown: Beyond vs. Collector Boosters
Beyond Booster Box
The standard entry point. Contains 24 packs with 7 cards each. Best for drafting a curated experience or casual opening.
Collector Booster Box
The premium choice. Contains 12 packs packed with foils, rares, and the chance for serialized cards. The only place to find textured foils.
Bundle Gift Edition
Includes 9 Beyond Boosters, a promo card, spindown life counter, and a storage box. Perfect for getting started.
Confused by the new "Beyond Booster"? Use this chart to decide which pack is right for you.
| Feature | Beyond Boosters | Collector Boosters |
|---|---|---|
| Price Point | ~$5.00 - 7.00 | ~$45.00 - 55.00 |
| Cards Per Pack | 7 Cards | 10 Cards |
| Rares/Mythics | 1-4 per pack | 4-5 per pack |
| Exclusives | Standard & Borderless | Textured Foils & Serialized |
Collector's Guide: Hunting for Relics
If you're hunting for value, the Collector Boosters are where the real treasure lies.
Textured Foils
The "Memory Corridor" frame is stunning on its own—a minimalist white background representing the Animus loading screen. But the Textured Foil versions, exclusive to Collector Boosters, take it to another level. The foil pattern adds a subtle "movement" effect, making the character pop against the digital void.
Serialized Historical Figures
For the high-end investor, the chase is all about the Serialized Historical Figures. There are only 500 copies of four specific historical characters:
- Leonardo da Vinci (Italian)
- Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh (Greek)
- Mary Read and Anne Bonny
- Sokrates
These cards are printed in their native language (where applicable) and feature a unique double-rainbow foil treatment.
Advisory: Serialized cards are highly liquid but volatile. Always check the latest sold listings on TCGPlayer or eBay before buying or trading.
Meet the Assassins: Who Are They?
For Magic players who haven't played the games, here is a quick dossier on the key legends you'll find in the set.
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (The Pioneer)
- Era: Third Crusade (1191 AD)
- The Lore: The original protagonist who redefined the Brotherhood. He wrote the Codex and established many of the tenets used by future assassins.
- The Card: His ability to exile assassins and create "memory" tokens perfectly captures his role as the ancestor whose memories teach future generations.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze (The Master)
- Era: Italian Renaissance (1476 AD)
- The Lore: A charismatic nobleman turned assassin after his family was executed. He is arguably the most beloved character in the franchise, known for rebuilding the Brotherhood in Rome and Constantinople.
- The Card: Being 5-color represents his mastery of all aspects of the creed. His ability to instantly kill an opponent at 10 life mirrors his "Hidden Blade" assassinations—lethal, precise, and ignoring typical defenses.
Edward Kenway (The Pirate)
- Era: Golden Age of Piracy (1715 AD)
- The Lore: A privateer turned pirate turned assassin. He is the grandfather of Connor Kenway (Assassin's Creed III) and is more interested in gold and glory than the creed's philosophy initially.
- The Card: The focus on Vehicles (his ship, the Jackdaw) and Treasure is a literal translation of his pirate lifestyle.
Eivor Varinsdottir (The Viking)
- Era: Viking Invasion of England (873 AD)
- The Lore: A fierce Viking raider who becomes entangled in the Assassin-Templar conflict. She builds a settlement in England, seeking glory for her clan.
- The Card: As a Naya (Red/Green/White) legend, she cares about equipment and aggressive combat, fitting her brute-force fighting style compared to the subtlety of Altaïr.
Flavor Wins & Easter Eggs
The set is packed with subtle nods that only hardcore fans will notice.
- Haystack: One of the funniest cards in the set. It's an artifact that allows you to phase out a creature. In the games, hiding in a haystack makes you invisible to guards. In Magic, it saves your creature from removal. Perfection.
- Excalibur, Sword of Eden: Finally, the legendary sword makes its debut. It gives a creature +10/+0, referencing its god-like power in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
- The Animus: Represented as an artifact that successfully translates the concept of "reliving memories" into card advantage.
Set Pros & Cons
Should you buy sealed product or singles? Here's our breakdown:
Why We Love It
- Incredible art direction that respects the source material
- High-value reprints like Sword of Feast and Famine
- Modern legality adds long-term value to staples
Considerations
- High cost per card in Beyond Boosters ($5-7 for 7 cards)
- Small set size (100 cards) leads to frequent duplicates in boxes
- Non-draftable nature limits gameplay options
Conclusion
Magic: The Gathering — Assassin’s Creed is a triumph for collectors and Vorthos players. While the pack structure (Beyond Boosters) is a bit controversial due to the price-per-card, the singles market is thriving with amazing treatments.
Whether you're building an Ezio Commander deck or hunting for that elusive serialized Leonardo, this set offers a unique blend of history and fantasy that fits perfectly into the Magic multiverse.
The Assassin Timeline
From Altaïr in the Crusades to Eivor in the Viking Age, the set spans over a thousand years of human history, all connected by the Brotherhood.
- 49 BC: Cleopatra (Ancient Egypt)
- 1191 AD: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (Holy Land)
- 1476 AD: Ezio Auditore (Renaissance)
- 1715 AD: Edward Kenway (Golden Age)
FAQ: MTG Assassin's Creed Set
See the frequently asked questions section above for detailed answers about format legality, Memory Corridor frames, serialized cards, and native language printings.
