Sorcery: Contested Realm after Gothic: the dated releases

By CardSpicy Founder · October 7, 2026

Quick answer

CardSpicy tracks the dates a publisher has actually put on paper, and Sorcery: Contested Realm has two of them worth writing down. The current set, Gothic, is the largest the game has printed at 440 cards and it is out now, with a limited reprint the publisher announced on 10 September 2026 on its way to distributors. The next product is Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer, a two-deck box dated to 13 November 2026, and it introduces an entirely new mechanic called Traps. The set after that, Baldassare’s Travels, is targeted at the first quarter of 2027.

This page leans on the publisher’s own product pages and news posts, because the box contents and the Traps rules are written down there and nowhere else.

What Sorcery is, in product terms

Sorcery: Contested Realm is published by Erik’s Curiosa Limited, and it is built differently from most card games. A player brings an Avatar, a Spellbook of spells and a separate Atlas of site cards, then plays those sites out onto the table to build the board as the game goes. Position matters, because sites are placed adjacently and the shape of the growing realm decides who can reach what.

The other thing worth knowing before buying is the rarity ladder, because it runs on a fantasy scale rather than the common, rare and mythic wording most players are used to. In Gothic, a booster is built from Ordinary, Exceptional, and Elite or Unique cards. Every card in the set also exists in a holographic foil version. If the vocabulary needs unpicking, our glossary covers booster, starter product and the sealed formats.

The dated Sorcery line

Two details in that table are the reason to read it closely. The reprint is described by the publisher as a limited resupply rather than a broad restock, which means availability will vary by region rather than returning to a normal shelf position everywhere at once. And Baldassare’s Travels is a quarter, not a date, so anything more precise than that is not coming from the publisher.

Gothic: a 440-card set and a limited reprint

Gothic is described by the publisher as the largest set for Sorcery: Contested Realm, and as a standalone expansion, which means it adds a full pool to the game rather than building on one named predecessor. It brings 13 new avatars, and it sells in three shapes.

The publisher frames the preconstructed decks as serving both ends of the market: a way in for a new player learning the game, and a way to expand an existing collection. The reprint announcement adds a second detail that matters to anyone waiting on supply. Erik’s Curiosa states that it has set aside product for a programme called Covenant’s Fulfilled, which is aimed at stores that actively support Sorcery communities through organised play, and that retailers should check with their own distributor for availability in their region rather than expecting a uniform restock.

A card pool that size raises the usual question about how to store a collection as it grows. Our binders, boxes and frames page and card storage boxes page cover the two routes, and the card protection guide covers the foil-versus-non-foil question.

Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer: what is actually in the box

Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer is not a booster product. It is a two-deck box, and the publisher lists exactly what each deck contains.

The publisher also lists two returning cards that have been changed rather than simply reprinted. Fireball, which dates back to the Alpha and Beta printings, returns with a rewritten version that the publisher describes as an update to better live up to its role as a signature spell. Polar Bears returns at 3 power with a matching cost change. If you keep old copies of either card, the distinction between the original printing and the reworked one is a rules question, not a collecting one, and it is worth reading the publisher’s own card lists before assuming the two play the same.

The box also brings a new artist to the game. Erik’s Curiosa names Ralph Horsley as an addition to the roster, and ties his arrival to a card called Volcanic Eruption, noting a background spanning Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer.

Traps: the new mechanic, from the publisher’s own description

Traps are the reason to read the publisher’s September posts rather than the product page alone, because the mechanic is not obvious from a deck list. Erik’s Curiosa describes it as a way to hide something dangerous beneath an otherwise ordinary-looking site, and it is worth writing out how it works, because every one of the following points is stated by the publisher rather than inferred.

• A Trap site goes down face down. You do not place it face up. You place it face down with a Draft Site on top as a marker, drawn from the Spire, Stream, Valley or Wasteland of the matching element. Those markers come from outside the game, and the box includes them.
• While it is face down, the Trap behaves like the site on top. That includes its threshold, which means you can keep developing your realm with it while you wait.
• Each Trap has an activated ability. You use it on your turn by paying the listed mana cost, and you can do it on the turn you play the Trap.
• Activating it springs the Trap. You flip the card face up, remove the placeholder, and resolve the effect. The publisher’s own phrase for that is that the Trap has been sprung.
• Traps do not fire automatically. They do not trigger when an opponent enters their site. You decide when to spring one, on your turn, and you pay the mana.
• Your opponent can see a Trap, but not what is under it. They can see where you laid it and the placeholder element gives them a clue, but the card underneath stays secret until you reveal it.

The publisher’s examples show how wide the range is meant to be. Spike Trap is an Ordinary Earth site, described as a simple lurking threat that gives an opponent a decision to make about whether to move into a suspicious Valley. Volcanic Eruption is described as shooting projectiles in multiple directions, which changes where the Trap is worth placing because its reach extends beyond its own site. The design team’s stated aim was to explore hidden information in the realm and add a layer to positioning and movement, and Erik’s Curiosa is explicit that Traps also appear in Baldassare’s Travels.

What this page does not claim

Four limits, stated plainly.

• Everything here comes from Erik’s Curiosa Limited. The Gothic card count, the booster configuration, the preconstructed deck shape, the reprint being limited, the Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer contents and date, the new and returning cards, the Traps rules and the 2027 target are all taken from the publisher’s own product pages and news posts. Nothing here is a retail listing.
• The reprint is regional, and no quantities are published. Erik’s Curiosa describes it as a limited resupply and tells buyers to check with their own distributor. No print run or allocation figure is stated anywhere in the publisher’s notes.
• No card lists are reproduced. The publisher states card counts and box contents, not a card-by-card checklist. Nothing here should be read as a list of the cards inside a product.
• No valuation. CardSpicy quotes the publisher’s own product details and makes no valuation or investment recommendation about any card or sealed product, including the foil versions or the limited Gothic reprint.

If you are buying into this line, the card accessories page covers what belongs on the table, and the open-it-or-keep-it-sealed page goes through what a limited resupply usually means for a sealed product. The card market report for October 2026 covers the wider market these releases land in.

Frequently asked questions

When does Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer release?

It launches on 13 November 2026. It is a two-deck box rather than a booster product, with two ready-to-play decks, and each deck holds a 60-card Spellbook, a 30-card Atlas and a 10-card Collection, for 101 cards per deck by the publisher’s count.

How many cards are in Gothic?

Gothic is a 440-card standalone expansion, which the publisher describes as the largest set for Sorcery: Contested Realm. Every card in the set is also available in a holographic foil version, and the set adds 13 new avatars.

What is in a Gothic booster pack?

A Gothic booster holds 15 cards: 11 Ordinary cards, 3 Exceptional cards, and 1 Elite or Unique card. A booster box contains 36 boosters.

What are Traps in Sorcery?

Traps are a mechanic that debuts in Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer. You play a Trap site face down with a Draft Site of the matching element on top as a marker, and while it is face down it has the properties of the site on top, including its threshold. Each Trap has an activated ability you use on your turn by paying the listed mana cost, including the turn you play it. Activating it flips the Trap face up, removes the placeholder and resolves the effect. Traps do not trigger automatically when an opponent enters their site.

Is Gothic still available?

Erik’s Curiosa announced a limited reprint on 10 September 2026, described as a limited resupply rather than a broad restock, so availability varies by region. The publisher also states that product has been set aside for the Covenant’s Fulfilled programme, which is aimed at stores that support Sorcery communities through organised play, and that retailers should check with their distributor.

Sources

Sources and scope

1. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official Gothic product page, used for the standalone-expansion description, the 440-card count and the statement that it is the largest set, the 13 new avatars, the booster box of 36 packs with a 15-card booster of 11 Ordinary, 3 Exceptional and 1 Elite or Unique card, the statement that every card also appears in a premium holographic foil version, the four 52-card Prophets of Doom preconstructed decks, and the 33.5 inch by 22.5 inch neoprene playmat with artwork by Ian Miller.
2. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official news post “More Gothic is on the Way”, published 10 September 2026, used for the limited Gothic reprint, the description of it as a limited resupply rather than a broad restock, the statement that availability varies by region, and the Covenant’s Fulfilled programme for stores supporting organised play.
3. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer product page, used for the 13 November 2026 launch date, the two ready-to-play decks, the 60-card Spellbook, 30-card Atlas and 10-card Collection in each deck, and the 69 new cards.
4. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official news post “Every Card in Frost Mage vs. Lavamancer”, published 11 September 2026, used for the 101-cards-per-deck count, the 69 new cards, the markers included in the box, the reworked Fireball returning from Alpha and Beta, and Polar Bears returning at 3 power with a matching cost change.
5. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official news post “It’s a Trap! Introducing a New Mechanic to Sorcery”, published 25 September 2026, used for the Traps rules: the face-down placement with a Draft Site on top as a marker drawn from the Spire, Stream, Valley or Wasteland of the matching element, the markers coming from outside the game and being included in the box, the face-down card taking the properties of the site on top including its threshold, the activated ability payable on your turn including the turn you play it, the flip and resolution, the rule that Traps do not trigger automatically, the visibility of the Trap and the clue given by the placeholder element, the Spike Trap and Volcanic Eruption examples, and the statement that Traps also appear in Baldassare’s Travels.
6. Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s official news posts “The Sorcery Shop is Back Online!” and “More Gothic is on the Way”, used for the targeted first-quarter-2027 window for Baldassare’s Travels and the new artist Ralph Horsley.
7. Our own pages on card accessories, card protection, card sleeve sizes, storage boxes, binders and frames, penny sleeves and toploaders, protecting cards with sleeves, opening a box or keeping it sealed, the card market report for October 2026 and the collecting glossary, used for the internal links.
8. Scope note: only details published by Erik’s Curiosa Limited are stated as confirmed. No print-run or allocation figures are published by the publisher, so none are given here. Card lists are not reproduced, and Baldassare’s Travels is a target window rather than an announced date. CardSpicy makes no valuation or investment recommendation.

Release dates, product contents and availability are set by the publisher and can change. Check Erik’s Curiosa Limited’s own product pages and the listing for your own region before ordering.

Related reading

• Is it worth grading a card
• Open a booster box or keep it sealed
• The card protection guide
• Card sleeve sizes, explained
• Card storage boxes, explained
• Binders, boxes and frames compared
• Penny sleeve versus toploader
• How to protect your trading cards with sleeves
• Card accessories
• The card market report, October 2026
• The card collecting glossary
• The Collector’s Library

Where to go next

• The CardSpicy card index — every card we track, with its PSA 10 population and market history (195 cards).
• The illustrator index — every artist behind those cards, card by card (110 artists).