Sorcery: Contested Realm Alpha & Beta: collector value guide

Its defining feature is that every card is illustrated with traditional, hand-painted artwork rather than digital art, much of it by painters associated with classic fantasy and early Magic: The Gathering, including Brom, Jeff Easley, Ian Miller, Rodney Matthews and Dan Seagrave.

The first set was funded through a Kickstarter that raised over NZ$5.7 million from more than 6,400 backers. That Alpha print was released in May 2023 and went exclusively to backers, which makes it the collector edition of the base set. Beta, the retail version, followed in November 2023 after a short delay. It reprints essentially the same card pool, with a handful of art and wording tweaks and four new elemental avatars, and swaps Alpha's α set symbol for a β.

Rarity is printed on the type line as Ordinary, Exceptional, Elite or Unique, which also sets how many copies a deck may contain. Foil versions exist for every set, and Alpha foils of Unique and Elite cards are the game's top singles. Beyond the official tiers sit curios, extremely scarce alternate-art, prototype or sketch cards found randomly in packs. The publisher pointedly refuses to confirm or discuss them, and community estimates put them at roughly one per fifty boxes.

Artist involvement adds another layer for collectors. Erik's Curiosa printed square-cornered Art Proofs with blank backs, giving artists 25 of each of their cards, and many proofs have since been signed or sketched on. Early playtesters received a Cardback Sketch promo, with early sign-ups getting a signed copy, while only 100 copies of the Ian Miller Relentless Crowd promo exist. Later sets, Arthurian Legends in 2024 and Gothic in 2025, have broadened the game without diluting Alpha's status.

• Edition: backer-only Alpha prints are scarcer than retail Beta versions of the same cards.
• Foil finish: Alpha foils of Unique and Elite cards dominate the top of price lists.
• Rarity: Uniques are limited to one per deck and are typically the hardest pulls.
• Art and artist: hand-painted work by well-known fantasy painters draws art collectors as well as players.
• Curios and proofs: unconfirmed curio cards, Art Proofs and signed promos are the scarcest collectibles of all.
• Competitive demand: powerful relics and avatars used in tournament decks add player demand.

• Check the set symbol at the bottom of the card: α means Alpha and β means Beta.
• Read the rarity word on the type line: Ordinary, Exceptional, Elite or Unique.
• Art Proofs have square corners and blank white backs, unlike standard cards.
• Be cautious with claimed curios: the publisher never confirms them, so buy only with strong provenance from reputable sellers.
• A small number of artworks changed between Alpha and Beta, so compare against images on the official Curiosa card database.