NAIC wrapped in New Orleans this weekend, and the closing ceremony was where the news landed
The first contest awarded 23 copies, and the following two awarded 8 copies apiece, so there was a total of 39 copies distributed
And from a more financial perspective theres a good number of ways one might want to get ahead of future hype for these upcoming sets to avoid paying higher prices for certain singles in the future
And by god hes right
Each character from this line-up is also receiving an ultra-premium Manga Rare versions for collectors to chase
(I always imagine it like being what youd get if chess had certain edge cases where rooks could fly, bishops could teleport, or for a second, pawns were driving tanks.) Since the game is built around several thousand collectible cards, and almost every card has some additional unique ability to it one way or the other, it creates an endlessly manipulable, constantly surprising experience