It's possible Ellusionist might just sell them and not make them a freebie.
Possible but unlikely. E tends to go the freebie route more often than the sell-em-out route. I can only remember sales for Red Artifice and Sultan Republic Treasury Edition.
Personally I think I should get all my decks for free. Imagine that - Give a board member free swag for being positive about products. Something to think about! I think we have someone on our board like that already! lol Maybe?
I've been known to get the odd freebie now and then, so yes, such people do exist on this board!
Speaking of marked decks, anyone check out the new Mechanic deck? It is also marked, for those interested.
That's nice, Victor. Perhaps you could start a new topic on this deck? The Mechanic V2 has a full marking system this time, suits as well as values, and at least one gaff card meant to be used in concert with the Mechanic coins. Pre-orders have been on for a little while at Penguin Magic and the release is sometime this week, if I remember correctly.
According to a response on Facebook, the blacks will be limited but not available with this deck, whatever that means? Not now or just not as a freebie? I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
What that probably means is that they won't be offering the black deck with the red one - y'know, "buy a brick of this color, get one of that color free"? It could become a "for-sale" rare deck, as you mentioned, but it could also become a premium for minimum purchases of $XX.XX or more, or for sale only to the Black Club or something along those lines. All of these are concepts for rare deck distribution they've used in the past.