1. CommandFest Beijing Promos (July 2023)
Four specific promotional cards were distributed during CommandFest Beijing, which took place on July 1–2, 2023. These cards feature exclusive artwork originally used for the APAC “Year of the Ox” campaign:
- Angrath, the Flame-Chained (New alternate artwork)
- Tahngarth, First Mate (New alternate artwork)
- Moraug, Fury of Akoum
- Ox of Agonas
Players who registered for the main tournament events received one of these cards. Note that while the Year of the Ox campaign originally featured multiple regional languages, these specific delayed 2023 event printings exist in Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
2. Summer Event Promos (August 2023)
Three additional cards were distributed as participation rewards for specific tournament formats over two weekends in August 2023. These cards feature a special “Summer Vacation” foil stamp:
- Ephemerate: Distributed on August 19, 2023, to players registering for Modern format tournaments.
- Infernal Grasp: Distributed on August 20, 2023, to players registering for Pioneer format tournaments.
- Arcane Signet: Distributed on August 20, 2023, to players registering for Commander format tournaments.
These Summer Vacation cards only exist in japanese and simplified chinese.
Rarity and market availability : there is a major difference in supply between the language versions of these promos. The Japanese versions are relatively common because they were widely distributed as gift-with-purchase items across many official stores in Japan. In contrast, the Simplified Chinese versions are highly rare; while the Japanese versions are fully detailed on Scryfall, the Simplified Chinese counterparts are completely unlisted. They were only available as limited event registration rewards during specific tournament weekends in China, making them much harder for collectors to find.
Difference between the 2023 Promos and the original “Year of the Ox 2021” Promos
While the four creature promos (Angrath, Tahngarth, Moraug, and Ox of Agonas) look identical to the famous “Year of the Ox” cards, they come from two completely different distribution windows:
- The Original “Year of the Ox” Promos (2021): These were originally printed and distributed across the APAC region (Asia-Pacific) in 2021 to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
- The CommandFest Beijing Promos (2023): Due to event cancellations and delays during the pandemic, leftover Simplified Chinese stock of these exact cards was saved by publishers. They were kept in storage and officially distributed two years later as entry rewards for CommandFest Beijing in July 2023.
Collector’s note : Visually, the Simplified Chinese cards given out in 2023 are the exact same physical printings from the 2021 APAC set (sharing the same expansion code and 2021 copyright statement). The only difference is the timeline and the specific event where players in mainland China could finally obtain them.
While players in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia received their Traditional Chinese, English, and Japanese versions on time in 2021, players in Mainland China could not easily get the Simplified Chinese version due to strict pandemic lockdowns and major event cancellations. Wizards of the Coast held onto that specific Simplified Chinese stock for two full years until they could safely distribute them at CommandFest Beijing. This is why the Traditional Chinese versions have been on the market since 2021, while the Simplified Chinese counterparts remained completely unavailable until their delayed release in 2023.
Main source for this article : magiclibrarities.net – mtgch.com