15 Most Valuable Mechanically Unique Secret Lair Cards
Howdy folks! Welcome to a new series titled “Secret Lair Delver,” which explores the wild, wonderful world of Magic’s high-value, limited-stock special releases: Secret Lair Drops.
While these might be controversial additions to Magic, with some arguing that they turn the franchise into more of a commodity than an actual game, there is no denying that these cards are scarce, often beautiful, and thoroughly valuable, simply due to their limited-release format, in which only a finite number are printed for each drop.
Some of the most valuable cards found in Secret Lairs are those that are “mechanically unique.” Many Secret Lair drops are entirely comprised of reprinted or, more frequently, “reskinned” versions of notable cards from Magic’s distant or recent past. The mechanically unique cards, however, are just that: brand-new cards that are only available in their specific Secret Lair Drops with completely new, never-before-seen text.
Due to that uniqueness, coupled with Secret Lair’s finite production, many of these are top-dollar cards that will likely not be seen anywhere except the drops in which they were originally found. Let’s take a look.
Lucy MacLean, Positively Armed - $22.34
The most recent card herein is from 2026’s Secret Lair x Fallout: Beyond Vault 33​ drop, which boasts mechanically unique cards based on Prime Video’s Fallout series (which is, of course, based on the eponymous video game series).
Magic has previously dabbled in the Fallout space, but the popularity and critical acclaim of the show’s first season meant that a new release featuring characters like Lucy and The Ghoul was a near-certainty.
The Celestial Toymaker - $25.65
The Secret Lair x Doctor Who: Regeneration release from 2023 boasts a number of notable mechanically unique Secret Lair cards, with the first here being this Neil Patrick Harris-bedecked Rogue Artificer with a unique focus: damaging players for playing cards that involve “guessing or grouping cards or permanents into a pile.”
Grab your
Storm, Force of Nature - $27.19
When Wizards announced a Secret Lair and Universes Beyond partnership with Marvel, collectors, fans, and investors alike perked up, as the combination of the two IPs was bound to be a booming success. Indeed, that was the case, though ill feelings toward the checkout process on the Secret Lair website remains.
Either way, Storm, Force of Nature is the first of three Secret Lair x Marvel cards found herein, and with good reason, as the storm keyword remains an eminently popular one among Magic players.
Pinkie Pie - $28.84
Fluttershy - $29.69
While not technically legal in any format, these My Little Pony-themed cards came from the Ponies: The Galloping 2 | Extra Life 2023 Secret Lair drop and boast truly wild abilities that would surely entertain longtime fans of either Magic or My Little Pony… if you could get either of them on board with the wildly different aesthetics of each franchise.
Captain America, First Avenger - $30.80
Equipment-themed commanders are always a hot ticket. Combine that sought-after theme with one of the most notable Avengers, Captain America, and you have a $30+ card that ranks as the fifth-most popular Jeskai Commander on EDHREC.
Discord, Lord of Disharmony - $32.96
The bonus card from the Ponies: The Galloping 2 | Extra Life 2023 drop lets you cast any random card from Magic’s past for a turn, and despite weird wording, this is surely a fun and interesting build-around in casual Commander pods that don’t mind non-legal cards.
The Fifteenth Doctor - $33.43
Our second card from Secret Lair x Doctor Who: Regeneration features the likeness of actor Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor from Doctor Who. While fans were expecting Gatwa to portray the 14th Doctor, that role went to someone else (see #2).
Wolverine, Best There Is - $35.40
The final Marvel card on this list features the diminutive, beloved, adamantium-clawed Mutant who enjoys calling people “bub” and slicing and dicing his enemies with his nearly impervious, rapidly regenerating body.
The “double all damage” text is a wonderfully enjoyable element to this card and, combined with the character’s popularity, make this card a fairly pricey addition to your Secret Lair binder.
Kratos, God of War - $40.41
Part of a massive Secret Lair involving multiple Sony PlayStation-related franchises, this
Rainbow Dash - $44.35
The final card from Ponies: The Galloping 2 | Extra Life 2023 requires its caster to be “100% cool” in order to activate its potent ability, which certainly won’t be a problem for the person reading this. ;)
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider - $45.21
The Tomb Raider franchise is another notable one found in the PlayStation Secret Lair Superdrop, with the eponymous Lara Croft, Tomb Raider leading the charge and, quite thematically, allowing you to explore your graveyard and cast artifacts and lands from it.
Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima - $70.20
Well-entrenched game studio Sucker Punch Productions released Ghost of Tsushima for PS4 and PS5 in 2020, and it got its Magic makeover five years later. This Esper Human Samurai works well in exalted decks or Samurai typal builds.
The Fourteenth Doctor - $113.22
And here it is: the big reveal that actor David Tennant was returning to the role of the Doctor (reprising his role after garnering rave reviews as the Tenth Doctor) meant that this Secret Lair rendition of the fourteenth Doctor is a hugely important piece of lore in cardboard form for fans of Doctor Who – as well as Secret Lair completionists.
Jaws, Relentless Predator - $124.14
Unsurprisingly, the most valuable mechanically unique Secret Lair card is this 5/5 legendary Shark for 3RR from Secret Lair x Jaws: Terror of Amity Island​. This terrifying apex predator punishes foes for playing dedicated Treasure or artifact token decks, while also pinging all your foes for one damage whenever you sacrifice a Treasure, Food or, more thematically, Blood token – which you get based on the damage that Jaws itself deals to opponents.
Secret Lair Delver Will Return
Mechanically unique Secret Lair cards are hugely enjoyable and entertaining additions to the Magic landscape, and Wizards is sure to add more as Secret Lairs continue to rise in popularity as Universes Beyond becomes more and more important to the game’s future.
Join us next time for more Secret Lair exploration and be sure to sign up for an MTGStocks Premium membership for full access to the site’s features.
Read More:
Chris Guest
Chris is a writer, editor, musician, Pokémon master, and Magic player based in Chattanooga. Currently a contributor to EDHREC, MTGStocks, and Cardsphere, he has written for a variety of outlets in the past including: Commander's Herald, TheGamer, Destructoid, Soaring Down South, AudioPhix, ClutchPoints, and CBR.
